The Video Game Kickstarter Thread of the Future of Passing the Risk to the Consumer



Wayside Creations, the creators of the FANTASTIC Fallout: Nuka Break series, want to do a Legend of Grimrock series. They have Chris Avellone attached as a writer and Vic Mignogna will be returning for a role. They also have the stars of Nuka Break helping out too. Looks to be good.

Plus you can get early access to Legend of Grimrock 2!
 
Cool meta-concept game for mobile & PC/Mac platforms. You essentially play someone watching a girl trapped in a mansion with kill-traps. Your only connection to them is your phone, and you have to guide her through the house.

Art is pretty slick, and the concept looks like it could get pretty trippy.

Dearest Backers,

Natedawg here. I want to start off by saying that the amount of support and understanding you guys have displayed over these last 48 hours has been truly staggering. It means the world to the team that despite all the complications in getting you folks the game, you have stuck by us and remained overwhelmingly positive.

As you can imagine, we’ve been absolutely swamped with both preparing ourselves for gifting you all the game as well as all the extra craziness that comes with launching a game! So apologies if we’ve been a little slow on getting back to any of you!

It is super critical that you read this update closely, as we have both good and bad news to share with all of you.

SOME QUICK CLARIFICATION FOR PC-ONLY BACKERS
A number of you have reached out to us, wondering why you haven’t received any surveys. Please hold tight as – we haven’t actually sent out surveys for the PC-only tiers and likely won’t in the immediate future. However, you guys should still make sure to redeem your unique Humble pages along with everyone else! More on that later in this post.

LET’S START WITH THE BAD
Following the last update and sending out our official Kickstarter surveys to most of you, many of you raised concerns that gifting apps on the App Store can’t be completed internationally, meaning that the U.S. Camouflaj iTunes account cannot gift République to anyone outside of the U.S. Unfortunately, this is true.

Before releasing the last update, we were led to believe by a credible source that we would, in fact, be able to internationally gift apps. Now, it’s shame on us for not thoroughly testing this in advance. After doing some test runs later that night (at 2:30am, rather), the horror dawned on us that we had just asked everyone for their Apple IDs with no indication of which region it is associated with.

We’ve been taking a hard look at all of our options over the last day and have come to the conclusion that we’ll have to take two approaches now. The first is to gift iOS copies of our game to backers in the U.S. The second, is to refund $5 USD to international backers so they can use that money to buy the game on the App Store.

"NATEDAWG: YOU SAID YOU DON'T KNOW WHICH REGION OUR APPLE IDS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH! HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO THIS?!"
Yesterday was a really stressful day for me when I realized we would have to be continuously merging incoming Kickstarter results, with results from having previously surveyed the $100+ tiers in November. Then we started talking about having to survey most of you again to figure out which region you are in and merging those results in as well. All this merging would have to be done with very little means of matching up results from the various sources. It was a very scary and daunting situation to be in.

But, as I walked over to Top Pot this morning for an extra large latte, I had an epiphany!

HOW YOU GET YOUR GAME
To simplify everything, we will need all iOS backers to take one new Surveymonkey designed solely for iOS fulfillment. We’ll then use your results, easily merge them once with our master list of all you backers, and continue gifting and refunding the s**** out of you guys.

To all you international backers: We are currently waiting to hear back from Amazon in regards to making partial $5 refunds for your original Amazon Payments payment to Camouflaj back in May 2012. While we remain hopeful, it could end up that we have to investigate other means of sending you all $5. The survey you are about to take will ask you to provide us with the transaction id of this payment (see below for instructions on finding this). We wanted to make sure and get this information from you now so that if we get the green light in the next day or two, we would be able to quickly start firing off refunds to all of you. In the unfortunate event that we can't, we will find another way to get you $5; it is the internet after all! If this occurs, it means there will likely be another update and, I cringe typing this, another survey. In the meantime, International Backers: We ask that you trust Camouflaj will refund you $5 and go ahead with purchasing the game through normal means.

Overall, this process will dramatically increase the speeds and simplicity in the way we can get you all a copy of République on iOS. Please understand that this decision was made to make sure we had a clear and super efficient process to make things go as quick and smooth as possible for each and everyone one of you.

As a disclaimer, your official Kickstarter surveys are still very important to us! Although they will now be asking a lot of redundant information, there are still bits of those surveys that have key information we need to deliver you any sort of physical goods you might have earned. Please make sure to fill those out as well if you haven’t already.

Below is a link to the new Surveymonkey for iOS fulfillment. Please make sure to triple check your information before submitting, as accuracy is key; and will help increase the speed at which we can get you your refund or gift.

A few quick notes about the survey before you take it:

We will also be sending an email with the same link to help increase response rates; if you are reading this and take the survey from the link below, go ahead and ignore the email.
If you have a super old Apple ID that is not reflective of an email account you have access to, please provide us with an alternate email to receive your gift at (it can still be redeemed with your Apple ID)
If you are an international backer and need help finding your Transaction ID, follow the instructions below the link
Holy fuck am I glad I didn't back this. Most people, even in the US, who weren't backers, could have just bought it for less money and had been playing it before backers.
 
Was intrigued but didn't back it, thankfully. That was painful to read. What a clusterfuck.

Also trying to make your own engine with 6 staff members and a 20k budget? Ugh....
 
Fortunately, as a US backer, I got mine within a day. Haven't had a chance to play yet (at folks' place for holidays, haven't had much need to pick up iPad and play), but hoping that it will be at least decent.
 


Creator of Final Fantasy Tactics wants to make a spiritual successor with the help of Playdek. Will also have the same composer as Tactics, FFXII, and Vagrant Story. 600k asking price though... I'm not sure they can make it.

Also, can someone sticky this thread? We post often enough and it's important enough that it shouldn't get lost in the shuffle.
 
It's already 10 percent funded. They'll make it. I pledged because...fuck it, I haven't pledged to anything in a long time.
 
I never liked Tactics or games like it. Never had the patience for long, drawn out battles like that. I always preferred the wham-bam-thank you-ma'am battles like the older FF games. Still, I hope it makes it because I know Tactics (either FF or Ogre) has a LOT of fans.
 
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Must have must have IT MUST MAKE IT. I don't go zany for many games, but Final Fantasy Tactics, my love, my sweet ...

Backing it.[DOUBLEPOST=1389759221,1389758677][/DOUBLEPOST]I'm hoping it'll make the 2.8 million stretch goal, but I'm not holding my breath. I just have doubts my computer will be able to run it in a satisfying way and I don't want to have to get a PS Vita.
 
Yeah, they definetely hadn't gotten the word out yet. It started at 40k yesterday and it's past 130k less than 24 hours later.
 
I like the concept but I have way too many reservations about the company & people making it as well as their approach on Kickstarter.

So, if I read this right, the lowest tier that includes a copy of the game is $20 ("the deal!") with the project itself asking for $600,000. To me it's a bit on the high side for a Kickstarter on both those parts but not unheard of. I also severely dislike the ridiculous stretch goals... and they are also there on the first day. I personally see that as a bad sign. They're asking for $600,000 but they've already made plans on what to do with up to $3,200,000 and the numbers and the features seem rather arbitrary and don't really leave me with the impression that those amounts are needed for every one of those additional features. $100k to add two new employees? $200k for ports (that's 1/3rd the cost of the entire game)! $150k for orchestral music AND $300k for a concert? Geez. It looks greedy as fuck and honestly, will only delay the game for months/years.

From what I see the target platform is mobile before PC (they are listed in that way and their game website experience suggests so). While there isn't anything wrong with that... their asking amount is rather high for that. This has me thinking that their focus on those platforms is primarily driven by them being the most profitable. Fine for a business proposal to investors but this is a Kickstarter. Too expensive.
I find the "advisor" aspect to Yasumi Matsuno suspect. Was he even in this video? Nope. Remember people being duped by Double Fine using Ron Gilbert in their Kickstarter pitch when it turns out he was going to have nothing at all to do with their project and has already left the company?

Most interesting is this bit of their FAQ:

Why is Playdek doing a Kickstarter?

Playdek is looking to bring extra funds in to allow for development on additional platforms and to allow for the expansion of the creative team. We are planning to bring out Unsung Story on iOS and Android devices; however we need additional funding in order to deliver the game on requested platforms such as PC and MAC. Playdek and Yasumi Matsuno will continue to develop Unsung Story regardless of whether or not funding is met. The main focus on the crowd-sourcing isn’t to create the game but rather to bring the game to the platforms requested by our fans and to help further the immersive world being created by Mr. Matsuno.
I think they should have done their iOS/Android version first before raising money to port it to other systems.
My instinct is this is a company putting the money before the vision, doing this for a "quick cash grab" or "easy money". There is also NO GAMEPLAY FOOTAGE.

Personally, I will keep my money in my pocket until the product is made and delivered. With them hitting 10% of their goal in the first day, they'll probably reach their goal anyway without me. So, I'll let the masses blindly throw their money at this and see what happens.
 
100k for two employees isn't ridiculous if both are expected to work for the better part of a year on the project. Alexander O. Smith did the translation of Vagrant Story, which was both wildly different than it's original Japanese and WAY better because of the added Shakespearean dialect. He's also a long time Square Enix veteran from the gold old days and does more than just translation. Joseph Reeder is from similar stock and background. That 100k is likely going towards their entire salary and insurance costs for a year, if not relocation expenses. This is totally reasonable.

150k for orchestral music also isn't out of the question if they go live orchestra, which is almost a given considering the title. You need to rent space, then pay the musicians for their time... which could take weeks and involve dozens of musicians as well as technicians. A professional orchestra performer can easily cost over 1k a week. You also need to pay the composer for his work. Again, this is reasonable.

I'd also like to add that Double Fine is having money problems with their KS games right now explicitly because they didn't budget correctly. Having stretch goals planned in advanced tells me that Playdek did some research before setting them. Most big KSs plan them out now explicitly because of what happened to Double Fine. They usually just trickle them out instead of listing them in advance, explicitly because of the perception you've stated.

Really, the only thing that seems out of ordinary is 300k for the concert... and I'm puzzled as to why they haven't listed an artist. I guess Akihiko Yoshida is out of the question (he still works at Square), but the art design is part of what sold the Ivalice games.
 
I'd say Double Fine's biggest problem is that they originally budgeted for exactly what they asked for. But when they got over 1000% what they were asking, then they just sort of went "OH FUCK, what now?"
 


Sequel to one of the best indie games of all time is look for cash. Only asking for 200k and the first game was stellar, so this seems like a no brainer to me.
 
This thing is up 100000 euro in the first day alone.

Please make more games like this.

Again, fuck publishers who thing, we need more FTP MMOs out there.

Idiots.
 
Now on steam greenlight, Catlateral Damage.

It needs more challenge in it, like the owner is frantically trying to put stuff back or prevent you from knocking stuff over. That or the owner is running around and spraying you with water, yelling, "Bad kitty! Bad kitty!".
 

figmentPez

Staff member
It needs more challenge in it, like the owner is frantically trying to put stuff back or prevent you from knocking stuff over. That or the owner is running around and spraying you with water, yelling, "Bad kitty! Bad kitty!".
I've heard that there is a mode in the works where you try to destroy as much as possible without waking your owner up, and a time-attack mode as well.
 

figmentPez

Staff member
I've heard that there is a mode in the works where you try to destroy as much as possible without waking your owner up, and a time-attack mode as well.
I've been thinking about Catlateral Damage, and I've come to the conclusion that it's just not a game about the damage a cat can cause if you can't throw up in your owners shoes.
 
This update speaks wonders on how fucked up Publishers are.

""https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1294225970/kingdom-come-deliverance/posts/728309""


Beware consoles.
Huge, huge kudos to those guys for doing proper market research. If you're trying to bring a labor of love to an actual mass market, it's critical to actually know who your targets are and what their expectations may be (bonus: it also told them exactly how full of shit the publishers they were talking to were), and I've seen so many wishful-thinking game developers eschew it because "I'm a gamer, and I love this, so other gamers will to and spend money on it".
 
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