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[Vendayn]

Okay, so scammed isn't quite the right word for it. But I couldn't fit the actual topic name in.

Have you donated to a game through Kickstarter (or similar) only to feel like your money was stolen?

Thought I'd post my rant.

So I donated to a game called StarForge, I was sold on it because it listed a feature (a feature, not what they hoped would be in, but an actual feature) that you could go to space and travel a huge universe.

Soon after, it ends up being some 1 million dollar goal they had (before it was going to be put in the game) and then later they completely removed space as a feature. Then they just said you can build to space and...yeah thats it...no traveling to other planets...

To top it off, the developers are barely active and the game just never gets updated. Of course, there was an update recently. But for many months, there was absolutely nothing. I think I forgot the game for half a year, and looked and saw nothing. That is the worst thing. I donated like 15 dollars (which isn't much, but it could have gone to a much better game) and feel like I was jipped. If I donate to a game, it better be updated or the developers should post at least once a month what is going on. Really, I only wanted a game that let me build on a planet and travel space...like spore space...but better...and probably first person...like Starforge said it was going to be. But they completely removed it as a feature. At least last I looked. There is almost no games that let you be on a planet and then travel through space. So few, that I feel obligated to donate to every game that says that is what the game is like...because its so rare for a game to do that. Its almost always only space, only planet...exactly what I'm looking is Shores of Hazeron but the creatures in that game scare the hell out of me lol and it isn't really singleplayer focused.

So...yeah...when you donate to a kickstarter or whatever site that is similar (think StarForge was on it, don't remember)...be 100% sure and actually research the game/developers and if you actually want to put money in. Oh, and make sure they are active and update often...cause if I actually did research instead of going "OMG its like spore space but better! TAKE MY MONEY!" I'd probably have seen the developers were/are barely active.

So, yeah...don't donate based on features and actually research.

[Azated]

This sort of thing happens unfortunately often.

Kickstarter is a great way for indie developers to raise the funding for a game that otherwise might not have come to fruition. However, it's also very easy for people to take the money and run. I'm sure KS has some sort of security measure for just such a situation, but there are many different forms of scamming that they can't predict.

Personally, I've never donated to any kickstarter project. There have been far too many bad stories for me to trust the system, even if there have been a few great games because of it.

[Cthulhu]

I have never donated to kickstarter or anything similar, and if I find out a game has a kickstarter it's a black mark for me.  Sometimes if it's a really cool game and a very well-established team I'll let it slide, but I still won't donate. 

[Vendayn]

This sort of thing happens unfortunately often.

Kickstarter is a great way for indie developers to raise the funding for a game that otherwise might not have come to fruition. However, it's also very easy for people to take the money and run. I'm sure KS has some sort of security measure for just such a situation, but there are many different forms of scamming that they can't predict.

Personally, I've never donated to any kickstarter project. There have been far too many bad stories for me to trust the system, even if there have been a few great games because of it.

Yeah, sadly this seems to be the way. I've sort of helped fund other projects, through other means. But they were more donations really, or more like buying Minecraft in alpha sort of thing. Gnomoria is good and has gotten a lot better. I like Towns a lot still. But those probably can't really be considered Kickstarter type projects. Really, after Starforge, I don't think I've actually kickstarted anything...I've donated stuff for early access/alpha, which actually so far I haven't been disappointed by.

[Lectorog]

Kickstarter is pretty terrible for games. It's great for publication efforts, but raising money to create an entire game is pretty sketchy.

That said, I donated to Takedown however long ago. By now, it's grown to seem pretty generic and I've gotten a bit bored with the idea. But I'll probably still enjoy playing it, even if it's not quite worth what I donated.

[Neonivek]

I have definitely felt this way with the one project I found a way to actually donate to... but the developers don't take their own game seriously and treat it like a pet project making extremely slow development with no real aim or focus, or at least none projected.

I still think overall it is worth having kickstarter since there are still good projects and I am tired of the homogeny of triple A games.

That new Tomb Raider game? Hmmm it seems extremely familiar doesn't it? I mean it is a good game but it does tread upon the beaten path.

JIC: I am not referring to Cult (AKA Empyria). Its development is slow because it just started and is laying all the foundation. As well the creator is generally quiet about it because he is single minded, but is otherwise rather open and receptive. As well I never got to donate to that nor buy a copy.

Ps. I don't say that game because I don't really want to insult them from afar.

[Rakonas]

I've never had such experiences with kickstarter, personally. I only back games where I'm certain their ambition is either backed by skill or not too out there, so there's that. I think it's a bad move to denounce kickstarter instead of just being very conservative with it, do you think Brian Fargo is going to take your money and run? Unheard of developers are worth infinite scepticism, though.

[nenjin]

To date, I've backed 12 game projects on Kickstarter, and the only one I've had serious issues with is Castle Story, for how fast it's not really developing. Shadowrun Returns has had to back off several features they were selling, and that rankles, but generally they're delivering what they said they would, when they said they would. I've been satisfied with the other projects I've backed so far as well, in terms of communication, timeliness and sticking to the features that sold the Kickstarter. But I've stayed well away from most of the runaway, million dollar plus games out there. We have not seen any of these million dollar Kickstarters produce anything yet....and I'm waiting to see how reality aligns with fantasy when they do come out.

In the end, I believe you have to back Kickstarter expecting to get zero back from your investment. Otherwise it's basically a mine field for every potential dissatisfaction and disappointment you can have with a game.

[ScriptWolf]

The big one has to be castle story for me as well. I swear they are still on the prototype even though they said it was only going to be a one of thing to just showcase the foundation of the game but then ended up just messing with the prototype and everyone other blog post seems to be avoiding about saying how they are doing and where they are at with the game.

[stabbymcstabstab]

Isn't castle story going in on Steam's early access?

[MadMalkavian]

I have never donated to kickstarter or anything similar, and if I find out a game has a kickstarter it's a black mark for me.  Sometimes if it's a really cool game and a very well-established team I'll let it slide, but I still won't donate.

I pretty much feel the same way about Kickstarter and games being funded by said crowdfunding site. If I want to invest in a company that makes video games I'll buy the game new and preferably while it's still being produced and published because I would rather play it safe and have the finished product than invest in something that may very well be run by snake oil peddlers.

[Virtz]

I find it hard to feel actually "scammed" with this, cause I'm funding stuff that would never have normally happened in the gaming industry, yet requires some sort of budget. It's pretty much playing the part of publisher/investor. It's a gamble, and it's all about whether you feel like gambling money on a project with what's given in the pitch. Usually I need to see either some good proof of concept or decent enough developer credentials to feel confident I'm not throwing money into the wind, and it usually works out (although most of the projects I've backed are still in development, so I guess it's hard to tell).

[Aptus]

I have not been scammed as far as I know yet, all the games I donated to seem to be trucking right along. I was almost scammed on indiegogo though for the whole Chloe Sagal thing but I realised something about her story just felt off so I never donated. Sad thing is if she had told the truth from the first place what the money was for, I would have donated.

[sneakey pete]

There is almost no games that let you be on a planet and then travel through space. So few, that I feel obligated to donate to every game that says that is what the game is like...because its so rare for a game to do that. Its almost always only space, only planet...

been done, wasn't very good.
Edit: its also freeware according to that article, download link on the relevant reference.

[Drakale]

I feel like kickstarters are bound to get investors feeling cheated due to the need to make big promises to get the initial interest and the frequent backpedaling when they realize that they cannot implement some of the features. The traditional studio deal with publisher have similar issues, but the difference is that the publisher is less emotionally involved in the backing and it's just business as usual, not an angry mob scenario. The publisher will also not invest in a studio without serious inquiry into the capacity of that group, so it's an informed risk.

It's not that the concept of kickstarters is bad, it's just that in the current system the investors are gambling on smokes and mirrors instead of facts.