With so many game projects getting their start on Kickstarter these days, it's become a problem for "some" of us. But what a great problem to have- contributing to the continuation of some of our favourite old series and helping new ones come alive!

Post here if you think you have a problem too. List the projects you've help fund and any details about their success, failure, etc. I'll start.

Dreamfall Chapters

Tex Murphy: Project Fedora

Asylum

Are question marks not allowed in topic titles? I tried twice... :\

Sherlock Holmes, sadly failed to reach its goal. This was what I registered to Kickstarter for.

Paper Sorcerer. He did not ask for a whole lot, and it looked interesting, so I was ready to throw a little bit of money on an unknown. The project is still in alpha, but there is a playable build.

Knock Knock. I have a soft spot for Ice-Pick lodge and the odd games that they make. Game has been delayed.

Shadowgate Project seem to be going well, and there has been a steady stream of updates. 

Telepath Tactics sadly did not reach its goal. 

Reversion - The Meeting, because I quite liked Chapter 1, which was free.

Just one - Tex Murphy Project Fedora

yes i have a kickstarter problem ... I don't trust it anymore!

I"ve been cheated twice already, the other projects aren't finished yet.

Without going into details: the first project simply vanished (with my money), the second is completed but i haven't received a game key for some technical BS reason.

So unless kickstarter implements a more secure way to back projects, i'm out.

It's a shame because i do believe it's economical potential, it just needs more juridical support.

Not really.

Project Fedora

Moebius

Asylum

Just a reminder, Asylum still needs about 10K and there is only a week left. Agustin and Senscape have been working on this for three years or so and it would be a real shame to see the project deep-sixed.

I have some concerns about the overall Kickstarter business model. For one thing, I'm not sure that people are aware that Kickstarter is 'for-profit'. Still, I'm not dismissing Kickstarter as a useful premise. I feel more comfortable with projects that involve developers who have a track record- an example being Tim Schafer's Double Fine. I would also be comfortable with Augustin's Asylum.

I think that in the case of adventure games -being a niche product- the developers should have a clear business plan which includes a plan to involve contributors and provide incentives- such as in the case of Double Fine where, in addition to contributors getting the finished game itself, there is a website where the game can be discussed and the developers make the contributors feel that they have a part in the project.

On the other hand, I am wary of situations where the Kickstarter process can be abused of by those who either are purposely taking advantage of contributors or who are particularly naive and inexperienced and will not use the funds efficiently and responsibly. So, I would not contribute to a small untested developer's project unless there was real evidence of a substantive plan- at the very least being a website where one can ask questions and see examples of progress.

One other thing: When it comes to traditional simple point and click 2D adventure games, I personally would not contribute to them unless they are going to be made available for the iOS (iPad/iPhone) platform because I don't think that these type of games can any longer be financially viable when designed for PCs only. On the other hand, if a quality product, they can make money off iPad/iPhone sales such as in the case of the game The Room that currently is a best seller on those systems.

Yes, I've picked up the habit of surfing KS....  not good for one's pocketbook.

Originally Posted By SirDave (19 FEB 2013 11:06am)

I have some concerns about the overall Kickstarter business model. For one thing, I'm not sure that people are aware that Kickstarter is 'for-profit'. Still, I'm not dismissing Kickstarter as a useful premise. I feel more comfortable with projects that involve developers who have a track record- an example being Tim Schafer's Double Fine. I would also be comfortable with Augustin's Asylum.

 

I view it as more of a pre-order with a large added risk of it either not being able to deliver or turning into something completely different. 

And I won't support an "untested" developer unless it both has something to show before starting the kickstarter process and won't ask for much money. I'm not willing to gamble $15 on someone I've never heard of. Paper Sorcerer was $3 and he had already put up a video of in-game content, so that is why I dared to take a gamble on that one. 

copy and paste from the other thread:

I've backed 23 projects

, I may have a problem

Two of them failed, one of them was cancelled (the music album).

What I've backed, in no particular order:

Hero U

Shadowgate

Skyjacker

Star Citizen

Project Eternity

Dead State

Jack Houston and the Necronauts

Clang

Two Guys Spaceventure

Carmageddon

Tex Murphy

Starlight Inception

Republique

The Banner Saga (got my poster from them already, it's amazing)

Shadowrun Returns

Wasteland 2

Jane Jenson's Moebius and Pinkerton Road Studio

Make Leisure Suit Larry come again

Takedown

Double Fine Adventure

I still plan to back Asylum and the new Dreamfall.

I've backed 40 projects to date. 35 games, two albums, and two graphic novel projects, and one documentary. 11 projects failed to hit their funding goal. I'll sometimes fund a project that looks unlikely to hit its goal because I like it and want to show support anyway.

Games Backed

In Progress

Project Cornerstone

Race the Sun

Project Awakened

Asylum

Games Funded

The 90's Arcade Racer

Meriwether

Shadowgate

Project Eternity

Broken Sword

Jack Houston

Oddville

Dectective Grimoire

Tex Murphy

Lily Looking Through

Word Realms

Grim Dawn

Republique

Chuck's Challenge 3D

Starlight Inception

The Banner Saga

Shadowrun Returns

Jane Jensen

Wasteland 2

Double Fine Adventure

Lifeless Planet

Games Failed

Fields of Fresh

Kickstarter Indie Bundle

Shadow Remnants

Super Techno Kitten Adventure

Cold Fusion

Torch Ships

Kingdom of Epicland

Gravitaz

Delaware St. John

Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective

Okay, Im relatively new to KS, but I've backed these projects -

The Card Game of OZ - nice art work and cool green eyeglasses on a table top game.  - still active

Dragon Whisperer - another table top game with nice art.  -funded, still active

SurrealScapes Playing Card Deck - a deck of playing cards with body painting art.  - still active

Stolen Child Tarot - Hand painted cards with nicely conceived meanings.  - still active

Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey - It was a no brainer to back Dreamfall.   - funded, still active

ASYLUM - Another no brainer for me as I loved Scratches and am building in Dagon.  - still active

Homesick - I'm looking forward to this game, though expecting to wait longer for the finished product as they reached a number of "stretch" goals that will surely take them more time to complete.   - funded, closed

Dream - A game with good ideas and lots of potential.  It may still be made.  - not funded, closed

I think that both Dream and Homesick were proposed by young teams without a lot of proven experience.  It's a gamble to back untried people, but the risks are small and if they are successful in creating a game, then they may go on to create more games.  I feel like it's hedging my future supply of good adventure games.  

I wish there was a site that watched for Kickstarters that interest me and lets me know about them BEFORE they end !!

I missed out getting in on a couple, but they had a donation via their website after the Kickstarter ended (still missed out on goodies though

Q   "Are  you a  Kickstaerrter junkie ?

A   NO !

Originally Posted By Akhilles (20 FEB 2013 12:36pm)

I wish there was a site that watched for Kickstarters that interest me and lets me know about them BEFORE they end !!

 

I missed out getting in on a couple, but they had a donation via their website after the Kickstarter ended (still missed out on goodies though

)

 

 

Rock, Paper, Shotgun does a weekly overview of game related Kickstarter projects that I find very useful in that regard:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/kickstarter-katchup/

Originally Posted By SirDave (19 FEB 2013 11:06am)

I have some concerns about the overall Kickstarter business model. For one thing, I'm not sure that people are aware that Kickstarter is 'for-profit'.

If I recall correctly their take of successful projects is 5%.

If so their earnings since April '09 total almost $21,000,000. (excludes live projects)

Kickstarter Stats

Originally Posted By CB (20 FEB 2013 4:04pm)

Originally Posted By SirDave (19 FEB 2013 11:06am)

I have some concerns about the overall Kickstarter business model. For one thing, I'm not sure that people are aware that Kickstarter is 'for-profit'.

 

If I recall correctly their take of successful projects is 5%.

If so their earnings since April '09 total almost $21,000,000. (excludes live projects)

 

Kickstarter Stats

 

Seems a VERY profitable business !?!?!?

5% seems quite reasonable !

But if they have actually  earned US$ 21 million that means that the cash subscribed by gameplayers (i.e.the whole 100%)   must be

 US$ 420 million which is approaching half a BILLION US dollars.

Not bad going even if it took 4 years (with relatively very little 'work' outlay or effort I would guess ??) !!!!

Yea, kind of...

I've supported most of the adventure projects, and a couple other ones.

The kickstarter experiment might be a resounding success for game development. It might be a failure in the long run. Either way I'm glad to be experiencing it.

I'm not totally against Kickstarter per se, but I have concerns. No matter how you slice it, people here are gambling on a number of projects and are going to lose some of their money. Kickstarter, on the other hand will always make its 5% and I'm not so clear as to why that amount is considered reasonable.

Originally Posted By SirDave (21 FEB 2013 12:12am)

I'm not totally against Kickstarter per se, but I have concerns. No matter how you slice it, people here are gambling on a number of projects and are going to lose some of their money. Kickstarter, on the other hand will always make its 5% and I'm not so clear as to why that amount is considered reasonable.

Perhaps I should have said that 5% 'commission' "is not UNreasonable - they must have SOME outlays ?!?!?!

But I find it hard to swallow the 'fact' that gameplayers have paid in nearly half a BILLION US $'s even throughout the past 4 years !!!!

Originally Posted By Len Green (21 FEB 2013 1:56am)
But I find it hard to swallow the 'fact' that gameplayers have paid in nearly half a BILLION US $'s even throughout the past 4 years !!!!

 

 

They haven't. Kickstarter caters to all kind of creative/business endeavours, comics, movies, documentaries, music, tabletop and card games, even clothes and related accessories... computer games weren't even in the picture until a year ago, when Double Fine's kickstarter was such a phenomenal success, suddenly everyone wants a piece of the pie.

On topic, I like the concept of Kickstarter. Money's too tight for me to back most of the projects I'm interested in, but so far I managed to take the plunge in Project Eternity, Asylum and a quirky game called Moments of Silence (how can one resist a game that in the developer's own words can best be described "as a satire for futurists interested in string theory"). I might also back the new Himalaya Studios project, Mage's Initiation, a Quest for Glory inspired adventure/RPG hybrid.

I support those who are planning a Mac port of their games.  Right now it's Project Fedora and Asylum.  I also pledged for Delaware St. John, but, unfortunately, they didn't reach their goal.

No I'm not - and only dimly aware of it in fact.

But what I do do though is "pre-order" boardgames. Not the same thing as KS but similar: you pledge to buy a game in the future at a discount [usually around 30%] when/if it finally ships. Generally the publisher stipulates a minimum number of pre-orders for the game go into active developement - 500 pre-orders is a pretty typical threshold in the boardgame/wargame world, though the 'velocity' with which the target is reached aften plays a role in the publishers decision too.

The pre-order system accomplishes 2 main things: it may identify a game that has widespread appeal, and assures the company of recouping a certain fraction of the initial investment, maybe even including some profit. As a game gets closer to shipping they usually stop taking pre-orders. Games can languish for years in the pre-order stage, some are abandoned. The big difference is that no money changes hands until the thing actually ships.

Originally Posted By tincup2 (22 FEB 2013 4:20pm)

 

But what I do do though is "pre-order" boardgames. Not the same thing as KS but similar: you pledge to buy a game in the future at a discount [usually around 30%] when/if it finally ships. Generally the publisher stipulates a minimum number of pre-orders for the game go into active developement - 500 pre-orders is a pretty typical threshold in the boardgame/wargame world, though the 'velocity' with which the target is reached aften plays a role in the publishers decision too.

 

That is something that I really wish I could do. I've seen plenty of hex-based wargames that I've thought looked interesting, and that has been taking pre-orders like this, but sadly postage is just too expensive when ordering anything larger than a regular sized-book.

Originally Posted By Fnord (23 FEB 2013 6:43am)

...but sadly postage is just too expensive when ordering anything larger than a regular sized-book.

It works the same in the other direction I'm finding. Small things are cheap to send across but anything bigger no. I'm interested in an Italian racing game called Legend: History of 1000 Miglia [english version] and while the game is reasonable enough even at the currrent dollar/Euro exchange rate shipping is nuts - 60 USD...

Originally Posted By Akhilles (20 FEB 2013 12:36pm)

I wish there was a site that watched for Kickstarters that interest me and lets me know about them BEFORE they end !!

 

There is. And they're very good at keeping the list of adventures up to date. 

 http://www.adventure-treff.de/forum/viewtopic.php?p=475159#p475159

It's a German site, but you don't need to speak German to read the list and click on the links.

Crash course German:

Laufend = Active

Abgebrochen = Canceled

Abgeschlossen =  Ended

Erfolgreich = Successful