Do you ever support Kickstarters?

[kaizerJ]

So I've got a game coming to Kickstarter this afternoon, and I'm really curious as to how many of you actively support, the games you like on Kickstarter.

Is the fact that so much of the content on Kickstarter is a scam a real deterrent for you?

How do you feel about big publishers launching Kickstarter campaigns?

Whats your opinion on kickstarter as a whole?

 

[Guild McCommunist]

No, never and ever.

Make a game, sell it, and if it's good, I'll buy it. Giving money upfront on the "spirit of completion" is bullshit and has been debunked with tons of Kickstarters.

 

[FAST6191]

If I am investing in something I want a return for my investment* (be it a percentage of a company or a cut of some form), kickstarter and co seem to actively avoid this (various reasons from legal complexities to generally not being what they do). It has previously been said I should instead view it as a kind of ultra early preorder, which is a possibility but not one I am inclined to go with.

Scam or not... obviously fewer scams a whole would be a good thing but I would trust my own judgement before I write off an entire market of sorts -- I have general money, I can invest in any number of companies in any number of ways**, the vast vast majority of those companies and ways of investing would be a poor investment, I am not prepared to write off investment as a concept though.

Big publishers. No objections whatsoever, give or take specific things someone could so to make it unpleasant, and have never seen a general objection I can agree with. If it was solely for small guys to fund each other, it is not and kind of never was (even though it got used almost exclusively for it at first), then I guess it could count. It could see things get made that might not have quite as much financial merit but more artistic merit, and if the big publisher game industry is going to have such a low volume output to where a couple of bombs can tank them then drumming up cash like this can work for me.

Kickstarter started off as some kind of circular funding nonsense for layabouts to fund each other, not that I really have any problem with that (I might not care to endure the tedium of a beer or a conversation with such people but they are not really hurting anybody) and having cash sit there doing nothing is worse than cash actually flowing through/around in an economy. I might have an opinion on the cut they and similar services take for the service they offer, however it seems pretty plainly worded and is well covered when you sign up so it then falls upon the one setting up the crowdfunding effort.

*by and large the only thing I invest in is myself.

**in some countries I might be denied the chance to do some types of investment as I am not a known investor and thus I am covered by the laws designed to protect widows and the unwary.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

There was one single thing I actually helped fund on Kickstarter, and it was just a Solaire-style hoodie that had previously been Kickstarted, so you know it was "legit" in a sense. And it was delivered, as promised, so meh.

But I don't plan on doing anything else, especially if it's game related. I'm not impatient enough to want to waste money on a game that probably won't even finish.

 

[RevPokemon]

Never had but almost did for meow the jewels.
I prefer to wait and buy what they sell or donate once the product is finished

 

[grossaffe]

I kickstarted the SpaceVenture by Two Guys From Andromeda since I loved Space Quest back in the day and it had been two decades since the two of them made a point-and-click together.

 

[Taleweaver]

Never supported it and never will. This has nothing to do with scams (I didn't even know it was a common thing), but with the fact that I don't want to buy bad games. As such, I never preorder and only go by reviews and hearsay (unless it's insanely cheap...like humble bundles).

 

[Gahars]

I did. Now I don't. /thread

I mean, I got Shovel Knight out of the deal, which is great, and I'm looking forward to Shantae, but Mighty No. 9 burned me hard, and after seeing all the other Kickstarter fiascos (thanks Tim "The $3.3 Million Dollar Man" Schafer), yeah, I'm holding on to my money.

To be honest, though, I think Early Access is even worse, but that's a whole nother issue...

 

[Veho]

So I've got a game coming to Kickstarter this afternoon, and I'm really curious as to how many of you actively support, the games you like on Kickstarter.

I don't pay for games

Serious now: it's much more difficult to gauge if a game will be good in advance, and an author's past successes don't guarantee future ones) so I don't preorder and I don't kickstart and I don't fork over my dough before I've had enough sworn testimonies to the effect that it's a masterpiece (or at least enjoyable enough if I happen to find it in a bargain bin). There's no point in encouraging them or they'll stop trying.

Whats your opinion on kickstarter as a whole?

I support the concept, and the track record for the projects I backed (or wished I had enough money to back) is good. There are projects that really wouldn't be made without public backing because they're too "niche". But of course it leaves itself wide open to abuse, people selling vaporware or overcharging for already existing products, and all the videos blowing smoke up our ass that are no more truthful than infomercials. The trick is to see through the bullshit.

 

[WiiCube_2013]

Nope and I'll never do.

If the game they're working on is released and worth buying then I'll consider, otherwise I'll never support a Kickstarter project.

Not to mention Kickstarter has some really stupid projects that get funded for the "lols".

 

[jefffisher]

i've given kickstarter money for things before, but i would never kickstart a game be it hardware or software i want to buy games on steam or amazon or at best buy.
if your game is good and it ends up at walmart for a console i own i'll probably try it out, or if it ends up on steam for dirt cheap and everyone is talking about it other than that no thanks.

 

[flame1234]

I did once or twice, now I don't.
But it's good that people do, so please do.
It will always be available cheaper later, but might be more expensive in-between: Pillars of Eternity was $20 (Kickstarter), now it's $50. It will eventually be $5, mark my words.
Many indie games follow this pricing pattern. It goes from alpha (no one willing to pay anything) to good (it's worth something now) to old game (no longer worth anything / need to get money out of the property).

 

[chavosaur]

I kickstarted Mighty NO. 9 when it came around, and the Normal Boots Dating Sim, so I can have my way with PBG and Jontron and no one will be able to stop me

 

[kaizerJ]

Do you play the free demos that are up on kickstarter?
Does that make a difference?

 

[FAST6191]

A demo is definitely better than some concept art and a "wouldn't it be cool", I would like to believe I would play it from a game analysis/low level mechanics too. Unlike normal released games where demo versions probably distract from things I reckon it would be a net positive.

That said the only time I ever visit a crowdfunding site is if someone links it up and I have yet to download/play a demo from one. I do watch videos though, if only because they are occasionally great pieces of unintentional comedy, or they things to point at and say "if you want to make videos... basically don't do that".

 

[prowler]

nope. once i hear about something on kickstarter or various group funding sites i start to zone out instantly.

 

[Digital.One.Entity]

Kick...starter?

 

[kaizerJ]

The greatest pieces of unintentional humor come in the novels people try to get published on kickstarter. If ever you need proof that the human race artistically is on a downward spiral it's there...

 

[grossaffe]

The greatest pieces of unintentional humor come in the novels people try to get published on kickstarter. If ever you need proof that the human race artistically is on a downward spiral it's there...

Artistic downward spiral? Can't we just look at whatever Hollywood is doing at any given time and come to that conclusion?

 

[Hells Malice]

6 or 7 things. It's got some really great projects on there. Mostly games but I have backed a card game (Villages) and a Katawa Shoujo artbook.

Most of the time you have to just stand back and ask "Does this really need my money to succeed?" and contribute based on that. I think the only big budget thing I backed was Mighty No.9 because i'm a crazy megaman fanboy. A bit of a shoddy kickstarter but at the end of the day I really just put down a pre-order way in advance so in the end i'm pretty neutral about the whole thing.

There are a lot of awesome things that exist because of Kickstarter and similar sites. Sure some things might've come out anyway, but there are many projects that wouldn't, and plenty of others that wouldn't have been as amazing as they are now because of an excess of money earned allowing for stretch goals to be made with more money. Some people are really ignorant of just how much money and resources it takes to make a game, and while some people may have the dedication it really may just not be possible without a couple hundred thousand dollars laying around. It's not exactly easy to just come across such funding.

Not to mention Kickstarter has some really stupid projects that get funded for the "lols".

so I assume you don't ever buy any videogames or consoles because some pump out stupid crappy shovelware? You never play any PC games cuz some people make games for 'lulz'?
Anyone who ever mentions this is such an ignorant dumbass. People start lulz projects and people fund them. Who cares? You don't go to back some game and then kickstarter is like "no no hold on, you HAVE to go pay $10 to make potato salad before you can back this other project."
No you're free to back and ignore what you want. Just like pretty much everything ever.

 

[kaizerJ]

6 or 7 things. It's got some really great projects on there. Mostly games but I have backed a card game (Villages) and a Katawa Shoujo artbook.

Most of the time you have to just stand back and ask "Does this really need my money to succeed?" and contribute based on that. I think the only big budget thing I backed was Mighty No.9 because i'm a crazy megaman fanboy. A bit of a shoddy kickstarter but at the end of the day I really just put down a pre-order way in advance so in the end i'm pretty neutral about the whole thing.

There are a lot of awesome things that exist because of Kickstarter and similar sites. Sure some things might've come out anyway, but there are many projects that wouldn't, and plenty of others that wouldn't have been as amazing as they are now because of an excess of money earned allowing for stretch goals to be made with more money. Some people are really ignorant of just how much money and resources it takes to make a game, and while some people may have the dedication it really may just not be possible without a couple hundred thousand dollars laying around. It's not exactly easy to just come across such funding.



so I assume you don't ever buy any videogames or consoles because some pump out stupid crappy shovelware? You never play any PC games cuz some people make games for 'lulz'?
Anyone who ever mentions this is such an ignorant dumbass. People start lulz projects and people fund them. Who cares? You don't go to back some game and then kickstarter is like "no no hold on, you HAVE to go pay $10 to make potato salad before you can back this other project."
No you're free to back and ignore what you want. Just like pretty much everything ever.

I'm completely with you, I support anything that, well, needs supporting. As someone with a project up, that's in my opinion really good, I think it's importing to understand the climate that I'm releasing a product into, and to try and understand how people perceive crowd funding. I think kickstarter is a great place to experiment with new ideas, before you invest years of your life into a game, you can see if the market wants it. that's good in a lot of ways and bad in others. These days due to corporations needing to keep stock holders happy, you see a lot less creativity and imagination in AAA titles.
I love going though the demos on kickstarter too, you can find some really interesting stuff, that although might not be good enough to fund, is probably worth a try.