# [PPOTW] Have you ever backed a Kickstarter project?



## T-hug (Sep 8, 2013)

So this weeks poll asks: Have you ever backed a * Kickstarter project *? If so what was it? Why did you back it?
Let us know in the comments.

Personally I backed the Ouya and the game C-Wars!
The Ouya I thought was a great idea at the time but I ended up selling it without even opening it. My phone and tablet are both more powerful than Ouya so I use those with the *FC30 Gamepad*!
C-Wars reminded me a lot of the Mega Man Battle Network series which I love and I think the sprite art they've created for the game is excellent so I chose to back it.

Previous Week - Will you be buying a 2DS? 
 Week 11 - After last weeks Gamescom are you more or less interested in the PS Vita? 
 Week 10 - Are you looking forward to Gamescom this week? 
Week 9 - Which company has the best online infrastructure? 
 Week 8 - Which is better android or ios? 
Week 7 - Which August game release are you most looking forward to? 
 Week 6 - Will you be buying GTA V?
 Week 5 - Will you buy a Gateway 3DS Flashcard?
 Week 4 - Which system has the best controller? 
 Week 3 - Have you preordered a nextgen console yet? 
 Week 2 - Now MS has backtracked, will you? 
Week 1 - Who will sell the most hardware next gen? 

If you have an idea for a poll you would like to see on the portal just send me a PM with PPOTW in the title and your questions and answers for the poll.


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## skarthebloodchild (Sep 8, 2013)

Nope and i don't really remember playing / using a kickstarter project ...


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 8, 2013)

Yes, http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1262752680/trayvax-wallet-for-life

Still waiting for it. Last he said was end of August/early September. Still waiting patiently.

Edit - About to fund this holy shit that's neat http://www.kickstarter.com/projects...-cell-phone-based-microscope?ref=discover_pop


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## Arras (Sep 8, 2013)

Yes. I backed C-Wars as well, Giana Sisters and the Awesomenauts expansion (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ronimo/awesomenauts-starstorm).
I'll probably back Mighty No.9 as well if they'd get Paypal support up.


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## Veho (Sep 8, 2013)

I backed the Double Fine Adventure, and the Judge Dredd miniatures game expansion, Block Wars. I'm a law-abiding citizen    I got a Dredd figurine. I still have to paint it   




Sicklyboy said:


> Edit - About to fund this holy shit that's neat http://www.kickstarter.com/projects...-cell-phone-based-microscope?ref=discover_pop


That's neat but I would be afraid I'd lose it. It's very tiny and fiddly and tiny. He should maybe make a frame for it that attaches to a keychain, or something. And it's only 15x magnification   

Check this out. It's a 60x magnification microscope that clips onto your phone. Sure, it's bigger and bulkier, but it has extra illumination, and it's harder to lose


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## Minox (Sep 8, 2013)

No, but I would've wanted to back Obsidian's Project Eternity.


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## FAST6191 (Sep 8, 2013)

To more or less quote myself from some time back

"I like my investments to produce a monetary return (preferably recurring) and as basically no kickstarters have ever really done this I am not inclined to invest".


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## GamerzHell9137 (Sep 8, 2013)

Nope but if the Might No 9 is gonna come to the 3DS then i'll throw some cash to Inafune.


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## Veho (Sep 8, 2013)

FAST6191 said:


> "I like my investments to produce a monetary return (preferably recurring) and as basically no kickstarters have ever really done this I am not inclined to invest".


Don't think of it as an investment, think of it as a preorder. Pay money, get product when it's released. Unless you're donating an amount that won't get you the end product; in that case it's just charity.


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## FAST6191 (Sep 8, 2013)

You mentioned that in the thread I originally posted that sentiment in too Veho. I do not do preorders either for similar reasons, minor exceptions if I commission something or go in for research.


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## Par39 (Sep 8, 2013)

I haven't, because I'm a poor student q-q And I have yet to see one I really do want to back.


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## Veho (Sep 8, 2013)

FAST6191 said:


> You mentioned that in the thread I originally posted that sentiment in too Veho. I do not do preorders either for similar reasons, minor exceptions if I commission something or go in for research.


Ah, but in the other thread I mentioned it as a reason to be cautious about it. As I put it, "you have no guarantee the game won't suck balls, and little to no way of getting any money back if it does." So the answer to both "why back projects on Kickstarter" and "why not back projects on Kickstarter" is basically the same.


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## Gahars (Sep 8, 2013)

I've backed a few here and there. I donated to Torment: Tides of Numenara (And got a copy of Wasteland 2 with it!), Shovel Knight (Take your criticisms and shovel it), Energy Hook (For all that sweet, sweet Spider-Man 2 nostalgia), and Mighty No. 9. I'll probably end up backing Shantae, too.

Kickstarter is a great, visible way to vote with your wallet and support the ideas and creators you want to succeed. I think people just also have to understand that there's risks and complications involved, and that you're not always going to get a return on your investment (actually, "donation" is really more of an accurate term). Just keep that in mind, make sure you know who and what you're donating to, and never donate any money you couldn't do without.

Though I will never forgive the Kickstarter site for not ponying up the money to make "Kickstart My Heart" their official theme song. Come on, guys, it's so obvious!


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## The Real Jdbye (Sep 8, 2013)

You should include Indiegogo here too.
I backed Robot Dragonfly: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/robot-dragonfly-micro-aerial-vehicle (excited for that, can't wait to receive mine!)
I also backed Soul Saga: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/disastercake/soul-saga-a-j-rpg-inspired-by-playstation-classics
A while before that I also backed the AVGN movie (so I could get a signed picture, woo!) and Stupid Mario Bros.


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## The Catboy (Sep 8, 2013)

I personally haven't, but my boyfriend backed one before. I don't remember which one it was nor do I recall much coming out of it.


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## Satangel (Sep 8, 2013)

Yeah I did it one time, for a game I think. Wasn't much, like 5 USD or so, didn't get anything in return (didn't expect something too, so np). 
It's a great concept, and works well enough


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## Hop2089 (Sep 8, 2013)

GCW Zero and Mighty No 9, I just pledge enough to get the item in question as that's all I want.


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## Veho (Sep 8, 2013)

The Real Jdbye said:


> I backed Robot Dragonfly: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/robot-dragonfly-micro-aerial-vehicle (excited for that, can't wait to receive mine!)


That thing looks awesome.


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## Daku93 (Sep 8, 2013)

I selected "Other" because I backed 2 Indiegogo Projects before, but none on Kickstarter.


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## Hells Malice (Sep 8, 2013)

Katawa Shoujo artbook is about the only project I readily jumped on.
I'm sad they never did more.

Planning on backing Mighty No 9 if I have spare money to do so.


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## pasc (Sep 8, 2013)

Might No 9 will get my got my Support since Capcom disappointed...

The only other MegaMan Appearance we will ever see is in SSB... it's like his last farewell.

Thug:
Wait... you said similar to MMBN / EXE ? *checks it out*
Hmm.... compared to EXE it .... is bad.
Wanna play some EXE6 online  ?


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## Radz (Sep 8, 2013)

I have not donated to Kickstarter, but I consequently plan to donate to the Mighty No. 9 Kickstarter when we get closer to A. the console stretch goal B. the end of the month so I am sure that I'll have enough funds to cover my donation come October 1st.


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## w!! (Sep 9, 2013)

That's a higher percentage that has backed something than I would have thought.... I backed the Rigidbot 3-d printer.... should get mine in November if all goes as planned.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1650950769/rigidbot-3d-printer?ref=live

http://inventapart.com/rigidbot.php 

We'll see how this goes, may or may not back others based on the experience. Have to say, there have been weekly updates and everything seems good so far.


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## grossaffe (Sep 10, 2013)

I backed the Two Guys From Andromeda's SpaceVenture.  I was a fan of their Space Quest series, so I figured it'd be nice to see what they do after two decades of not working together.


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## 2ndApex (Sep 10, 2013)

Mighty No.9, and probably Shantae later.


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## CompassNorth (Sep 10, 2013)

No.
Have I wanted to? Definately 

Torment: Tides of Numenera, Project Eternity, Wasteland 2, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, Mighty No. 9, and Awesomenauts: Starstorm are all games I want to back, but I have no money. Whenever I do get money I spend them all on already released video games.


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## Deleted member 473940 (Sep 10, 2013)

No, and never will.
People just cant be happy with what they have? Human nature.
There are better causes to spend money on.. better causes to donate for .

If whoever doesnt have the funding to make/complete certain something.. take out a loan from the bank? Taking the general public's money to complete a game/software o.O profit both ways.


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## FAST6191 (Sep 10, 2013)

ShawnTRods said:


> No, and never will.
> People just cant be happy with what they have? Human nature.
> There are better causes to spend money on.. better causes to donate for .
> 
> If whoever doesnt have the funding to make/complete certain something.. take out a loan from the bank? Taking the general public's money to complete a game/software o.O profit both ways.



Though I dislike the concept from an investor standpoint (from the me being an investor anyway, cofunding* through crowdfunding is quite OK) I am not sure I can get to the moralistic viewpoint. Better causes, depending upon how you view the world absolutely but given part of this living lark includes free use of your resources then this would be an aspect of that.

Bank loan... though such things have long existed it was not always that it was the default place to go to, somewhat ironically it was often community investment funds and they were not noted for their opposition to the arts, see also patronage (though this is probably closer to angel investment nowadays). Similarly if I was a bank/VC fund I would be most apprehensive about funding a art project (even proper investors are encouraged to really know what they are doing before they sink any money into such things -- rapidly changing and somewhat unpredictable tastes, low volumes of output and narrow income streams all make for a decidedly risky venture).

*not really at directed at ShawnTRods but at various points in the past several traditional developers/publishers have expressed an interest in partially crowdfunding something. For reasons I could not understand (the best I ever got back was something nebulous like "purity"/"it is for the little guy") such moves were often met with hostility. What are the present opinions on the matter?

Edit. Forget the "be happy with what they have" part. Arguably some are but trying to improve your lot in life is usually seen as a positive thing.


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## Deleted member 473940 (Sep 10, 2013)

FAST6191 said:


> Though I dislike the concept from an investor standpoint (from the me being an investor anyway, cofunding* through crowdfunding is quite OK) I am not sure I can get to the moralistic viewpoint. Better causes, depending upon how you view the world absolutely but given part of this living lark includes free use of your resources then this would be an aspect of that.
> 
> Bank loan... though such things have long existed it was not always that it was the default place to go to, somewhat ironically it was often community investment funds and they were not noted for their opposition to the arts, see also patronage (though this is probably closer to angel investment nowadays). Similarly if I was a bank/VC fund I would be most apprehensive about funding a art project (even proper investors are encouraged to really know what they are doing before they sink any money into such things -- rapidly changing and somewhat unpredictable tastes, low volumes of output and narrow income streams all make for a decidedly risky venture).
> 
> ...


 
A game or two wont improve my life in any way  ya its a good way of killing some time and then?
there are so many games in the market, so many existing and so many coming out.
If people are willing to donate to game developers, why are those same people not giving any money Syria, africa or any other country in need?

but anyway, gaming is a hobby, addiction and life for some lol. Everyone's got different views 

edit:
if GBAtemp was ever in need of donation, I would gladly donate. Costello, shaun or anyone is getting nothing out of it.
But those game developers are.


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## grossaffe (Sep 10, 2013)

ShawnTRods said:


> A game or two wont improve my life in any way  ya its a good way of killing some time and then?
> there are so many games in the market, so many existing and so many coming out.
> If people are willing to donate to game developers, why are those same people not giving any money Syria, africa or any other country in need?
> 
> ...


 
Because "donating" to a game developer amounts to purchasing a game.  Donating money to some oppressive country amounts to giving money to an oppressive regime or ruining the local economy by flooding the market with free food that the local farmers can't compete with which puts them out of business creating even more people dependent on foreign aid.

So yeah, they're completely unrelated.


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## Hells Malice (Sep 11, 2013)

ShawnTRods said:


> No, and never will.
> People just cant be happy with what they have? Human nature.
> There are better causes to spend money on.. better causes to donate for .
> 
> If whoever doesnt have the funding to make/complete certain something.. take out a loan from the bank? Taking the general public's money to complete a game/software o.O profit both ways.


 
Kickstarters for games are essentially pre-orders. Typically with little bonuses and getting the game a bit cheaper (though not always).

Your argument is mildly retarded, because spending money on kickstarter is about as frivolous as buying videogames themselves.
Why not donate all of your extra cash to charity? Why buy yourself that fast food you didn't need, or that gadget or videogame you didn't need? Hell why drive a car when you could find more efficient, cheaper needs so you could donate the spare cash. You're selfish and you should feel bad (according to you) because you're not giving all your money to charity when you could be.

Funding a kickstarter project is simply spending money, it's nothing special. Just another way to use your $.

Also it's not pure liquid profit for kickstarter campaigns...I guess it's ignorance on your part for probably never even looking at one.
How it works is people pledge money, and achieve certain "tiers". If it's for a game, pledging the cost of the game will generally get you it, and often extra goodies. You can of course go above and beyond for extra special goodies. Kinda like a collectors edition of a game.
Same with really any other product funded through kickstarter. it's essentially a pre-order.
You're not just throwing money at them, you DO get things in return, and those things cost money.
Mind you, there are some low, low tiers that are pure profit, but those make up a miniscule percentage of a kickstarter campaign.


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## ShadowSoldier (Sep 11, 2013)

ShawnTRods said:


> A game or two wont improve my life in any way  ya its a good way of killing some time and then?
> there are so many games in the market, so many existing and so many coming out.
> If people are willing to donate to game developers, why are those same people not giving any money Syria, africa or any other country in need?
> 
> ...


 
Those game developers aren't. The funding goes into making the game. The cash they get from sales of the game is what nets them profit.

Also when it comes to Syria, Africa or whatever, there's no safe way to do it. You could think you're giving it to whatever charity, but have you ever noticed that nothing has changed over the years?

For example, look at how much money has been donated to like Africa and such just to get them drinking water, clothes, roofs, food... hasn't changed a bit. It's because the charities keep the money.

To say spending money on a kickstarter is dumb, but you would donate to this site is just beyond ridiculous. It's hypocritical.


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## Veho (Sep 12, 2013)

ShawnTRods said:


> If people are willing to donate to game developers, why are those same people not giving any money Syria, africa or any other country in need?


Because people aren't "donating", they're purchasing the game. You'll notice that very few backers pledge less than the first reward tier, and the most backers pledge amounts that give them the product being funded. In fact, projects that can't deliver their end product to backers tend to fail. People are buying the product the campaign is supposed to finance. 
Do you buy games?


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## BORTZ (Sep 13, 2013)

No, and I dont really see myself doing so in the future either.


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## Veho (Sep 27, 2013)

Sicklyboy said:


> Edit - About to fund this holy shit that's neat http://www.kickstarter.com/projects...-cell-phone-based-microscope?ref=discover_pop


I stumbled upon these today: 

http://i.imgur.com/Tp4navF.jpg 
http://imgur.com/a/iMi6Z 
http://blog.zaheer.me/2012/07/1-iphone-macro-lens.html 

Basically you can get a similar magnifying lens from a laser pointer and use it to take macro photos with your phone. Affixing it to the phone is a bit fiddly without the adhesive, but you can make a slide-on holder for it out of foam rubber to hold it in place. 

This guy printed his holder on Shapeways, and got the lens for $4 from SurpluShed, so that's another alternative.


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