Star Citizen's Crowdfunding-Driven Grey Market

szyzyg writes "Star Citizen has broken all the crowdfunding records, raising almost 25 million dollars in the last year to fund Chris Roberts' promise of the ultimate spaceship game. However, an investigation sheds light on a murky secondary market where items are being resold by investors for profit, all for a game that won't be fully released for two years. The standard crowdfunding tactic of rewarding early backers has created a tiered system with ample room for profiteering, profits which many not be shared with the developers. Few things would please me more than Star Citizen succeeding, but backers should read this article before being tempted to trade up their internet spaceships through a third party."

Comments

Re:"all for AN game"

[Fallen Kell]

The use of "an" instead of "a" is determined by the beginning of the word after the "an" or "a". If the word following it is in singular form and begins with a vowel sound, "an" is used. Otherwise "a" is used for the singular form.

This rule is not unlike many other languages. In Spanish, for instance, verbs take on a masculine or feminine form depending on if the subject is a male or female....

Re:Another EVE online?

[Fallen Kell]

No, this is actually flying/piloting a spaceship in WWII style dog-fights (with the aid tracking/locking computers, but aiming I believe will be up to the pilot for many ships/guns). Damage occurs based on what was actually hit by the aimed shots which ships having physical locations for things like engines, weapons, life systems, power generators, shields, armor, thrusters, etc., and damaging those different systems will physically affect the operation of the ship (i.e. if you lost all your port thrusters, and the ship doesn't have have a thruster on a gimbal/omni mount, you won't be able to turn to the starboard side (and would instead have to first roll the ship upside down so that you have active/working thrusters so you could then turn to the direction now that you have thrusters that work to push you there).

So actual flying skills will mater. Knowing how to properly dodge enemy fire, perform evasive maneuvers (possibly overriding safety systems that limit the G-forces you receive to do more extreme maneuvers, but then risking blacking out if you go beyond your body's and your suit's limits to keep oxygen going to your brain).

Sadly overhyped

[Pecisk]

SC is already getting overhyped beyond means, and ship sales are just adding fuel to the fire. This decision alone from CIG has been huge turn off for many players to check it out, because while sandbox space sim doesn't have special "win" scenarios, still it's gives huge advantage right out start at the game for people with bought ships.

I personally don't like this huge in-game assets sale. I know SC fans argue it's for supporting SC development, but...seriously. If you are so curious to support game, do it without getting ship back in return. This is not best advertisment for crowdfunding, because it reminds a pre-order gifts which lot of people loath.

Also SC feature set boasted by fans aren't that unique - for example "Elite: Dangerous" with their current development docs (see archive of Development Decision Forum here http://forums.frontier.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=36) looks more detailed and nuanced that SC - still SC gets more hype because of involved people trying to get their friends buy ships.

I also prefer ED ship design (can be seen in-game engine trailer here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE8B4KptyVI) comparing to SC "planes in space" (don't getting those "car ad" type videos for ships either, only one of them is done ok).