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Work Halted On Neal Stephenson's Kickstarted Swordfighting Video Game
An anonymous reader writes "Last year, sci-fi author Neal Stephenson and a team of game developers set out to make video game swordfighting awesome. They set up a Kickstarter campaign to fund the creation of hardware and software tech that would make replace console controllers with something more realistic. Now, production on that tech and the game in which they showcase it has been halted. In an update on the Kickstarter page, Stephenson explains how they've sought other investments without success. The project is 'on pause,' and the team asks for patience. He says, 'The overall climate in the industry has become risk-averse to a degree that is difficult to appreciate until you've seen it. It is especially bemusing to CLANG team members who, by cheerfully foregoing other opportunities so that they could associate themselves with a startup in the swordfighting space, have already shown an attitude to career, financial, and reputational risk normally associated with the cast members of Jackass. To a game publisher crouched in a fetal position under a blanket, CLANG seems extra worrisome because it is coupled to a new hardware controller.'"
I have to agree in part - I'm very, very, very averse to "pre-orders" of any kind, especially speculative pre-orders.
That said, a careful person can get a lot of success out of Kickstarter. The Defense Grid 2 kickstarter? I got more hardware and software out of that than my money was worth within weeks and the game I invested in is definitely being built and yet I'm already "in profit" on what I invested.
I also supported a project set around a guy making a pack of gaming cards. I have them in my hands, and a bonus app on my phone, and a pretty presentation book with games, and a little felt pack to hold them in. I never expected 90% of that even KNOWING what I was investing in, but the guy behind it delivered, and delivered enormously.
It's not "kickstarter" that should be distrusted. It's investment. If it's not your thing, and you're a bad judge of what projects to invest in, then, no, it won't be good for you. I've seen enormous amounts of money thrown away on junk on Kickstarter - big names make no difference, grandiose ideas make no difference, planning and management make no difference. You have to just think to yourself "Who is this person? Can they deliver? Will it be worth THEM delivering?" - you're investing in the people, not the product, or even the execution.
As such, there are plenty of worthwhile things on Kickstarter and I think it's huge sections on indie music, dance projects, art projects etc. are a fabulous idea. But I've never invested in something that I didn't believe would pan out - I checked the HISTORY of the people and my trust in them more than anything to do with the product.
If you invest in a random project because it's something you want, then you might as well buy anything on QVC that "sounds good". The fact that it might turn out to be utter shite that cons you with fancy words and impossible promises is something that you shouldn't even need to be told to factor into your decision.
Nobody's asking you to trust Kickstarter (to do anything other than show proposals and track donations).
YOU are responsible for evaluating whether you think a particular campaign is trustworthy or worth donating to. Some succeed and some fail (and I don't mean fail to secure funding). Kickstarter is not vouching for the success of these campaigns and doesn't pretend to. It's hooking up people with ideas with people willing to donate.
you seem to be operating under the mistaken impression that Kickstarter is an online store.
i could live a little longer in this prison
Given the statement "We stretched the Kickstarter money farther than we had expected to" the only conclusion is that when stated that for $10,000 they'd give you:
* Steel longsword based on a design by noted sword-smith and Foreworld contributor, Angus Trim
* A Studio tour and lunch with the team!
* Gotlandic war knife based on a design by bladesmith Jeff Pringle
* Original concept art plus invitations to company parties in Seattle
* Your face on your exclusive character!
* Name a character in the large world Foreworld game project.
* Name a character in a future Foreworld story, the alternate history in which The Mongoliad (and CLANG) is set
* Complete Mongoliad trilogy signed by team plus invitations to company parties in Seattle.
* Print version of the illustrated CLANG fighting manual signed by the team
* Copy of the Deluxe Edition of The Mongoliad Book 1, signed by the writers
* Motivational poster signed by the team. OMVI patch.
* Print edition of illustrated CLANG fighting manual.
* T-shirt with CLANG/Subutai Kickstarter campaign graphic.
* PDF of illustrated Clang fighting manual.
* Download of game concept art in pdf format.
* Two copies of the game
They had no intention of actually doing so, since apparently they've already done more than they expected with the money in the first place.
The reality is that backing Kickstarter projects is really the risk of an investment without the returns of an investment. In the past when people hit the point in the projects that they needed outside funding they'd need to find investors who'd own part of the product, Now they hit Kickstarter charge full price for a product they may never deliver and in the event its successful maintain all of the profits.
This is particularly bothersome to me when people like Neal Stephenson and Zach Braff who have money themselves, as well as access to investors. Kickstarter ought to be the place where small time folks who've completed the product but don't have access to the funds to get the initial batch made.
And truly, if you are diluting yourself, you ARE the solution.