You think ED failed Kickstarters? Godus did.

[1984Softy]

There's a feature on Guardian online about Peter Molyneux getting flak for delays to his KS backed project, Godus.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/13/peter-molyneux-game-designer-interview-godus

So to those who feel that FDev somehow failed the original backers, take a look at how it COULD have turned out. I'm one KS backer who is content that FDev delivered a majority of what they promised on time.

You sir have a very flexible understanding of the phrase on time.

And just because some people or companies are not capable of delivering what they promise it is okay for others to deliver whatever and we should be happy that we get what we get?

I hold people and companies to their word, if you do not do what you say you are going to do, and do not even have the common courtesy to say ops sorry it is going to take me longer than expected, then do not expect to get any more money from me.

 

[1984Softy]

I actually think Chris Roberts is doing at least the communication right. On the Star Citizen web site there is nothing that says the game will be released on such and such a date.
There is however a general time line showing what is being worked on. He and his team also make monthly updates showing what they have been working on and how far along they are.

Basically he treats his backers as investors and keeps them updated on the progress, which might help explain why people are still backing his vision even though there is very little available to play now, and he has already received over $70 million.

 

[AtheosisX]

Crowd-funding is hit and miss like all forms of investment. We've seen good, mediocre, and bad games come from it, and we've seen some vaporware as well.

 

[Philip Coutts]

Godus is awful, simply terrible. It's not so much the lateness that bothers me, it's that the basic game design is broken. It's a horrible mish-mash of free to play, play to win dog poo. We were promised the spiritual successor to Populous, what we got was a pile of clicky nonsense. I've given up on ever seeing anything have decent emerge from the wreckage of this. I just hope the Universim can come up with the goods!

 

[micky1up]

i think the difference is the idea behind ED was a long time in thought and mind of its creator long before the kickstarter was implimented all the theroitical work had been done it was a matter of bring it together. That and the FAN base was already there from 1984



its very similar to the prequel idea of starwars in that geroge lucas needed to wait untill the technology was there to create them however awful they are !!!

 

[Trader38]

ED has delivered what *could* be expected. By that i mean all those who played the original Elite series had certain expectations of what the new 'Elite' game would be like. It's true that a lot of hype was (and still is) mentioned about stuff like planetary landing etc and when/if it happens i look forward to it very much... BUT, when i paid my £40 to download the game i knew what i was getting 1) because it's a revamped/re-engineered version of an original idea by the original designer and 2) because i watched the youtube videos and TwitchTV and liked what i saw.
Now compare this to X-Rebirth, no not the gameplay, the expectation.
I have been an avid X-gamer since 1999 so when the new 'Rebirth' came out i read the hype, watched the youtube vids etc and assumed it would be true to the original game concept, i 'trusted' the company and spent my money. Sad, because it's not. It's a complete restart (or rebirth ??) and nothing like the other games in the series, and quite frankly i hate it.
My point is, FD have remained true to their original concept and created a fantasic 'platform' on which to build the future, sure we'd all like tweaks & changes & more features but with a limited budget and small team these things take time. If they had major backing you would just end up with another <insert name here> game. I suggest we all start enjoying (or not) the game we are presented with and continue to make constructive critiism towards adding to and extending the game as well as improving the areas of the platform that currently exists.
Moral of the story: if you want the game to be like <insert game name here> then go play that game !

Trader

 

[acroyer7907]

Although the game is not perfect I look at it as I haven't played ELITE since 1984 and I am happy just to be in the universe doing something with hopes it gets better!

I have basically set my attitude as it could be worse, I could NOT have the opportunity to play any ELITE game

 

[micky1up]

I still think it needs a external view to bring out its full glory


well designed ships that you only get to see part's of and a lovely graphics engine thats wasted in cockpit only view

 

[Skip Intro]

The first question in the RPS interview cuts to the quick:

RPS: Do you think that you’re a pathological liar?

 

[Don_Von_Hulio]

However, a quick reminder to everyone using kickstarter or similar models to fund something - you're not actually investors. You're donators. You're not guaranteed any form of return.

If games were still considered a passionate hobby like they used to be that statement would hold true.

The only difference between an actual investor and a kickstarter backer is the contracts. Kickstarter is nice because you can open up revenue without having to make up a giant contracts like ones given out by Activision or EA. The only entity that profits from a failed kickstarter is kickstarter themselves and its just a larger percentage of what was paid to them by supporters as a penalty and afaik that's the end of it. Where as a legit contract from a publisher can have very serious consequences, serious enough that the head faculty may end up paying out of pocket to pay for penalties listed in the contract as well as paying lawyer(s) for court.

Kickstarter backers are still investors, they are just not treated as such. If it was a true donation service it would go straight to the company via paypal/wire/mail and the doner would know they will receive nothing in return. I honestly dont even know why kickstarter became popular in first place, its clearly built in favor of Kickstarter.

Games today have not only changed in content, but industry wise as well. The industry as a majority is now no different than any other, its all money. The only difference is that the large Publishers cant put the strangle hold on "Indy Devs" like Comcast/TimeWarner/AT$T can strangle local ISPs through lobbies (bribery) and the many other reasons why making your own ISP is essentially the same as trying to build a new Natural Gas Company or Power Plant.

 

[Philip Coutts]

The RPS interview is a hatchet job. I'm actually surprised that Peter Molyneux let the interview continue given some of the questions asked. I think Molyneux over-promises with the best of intentions. Does he deliberately tell lies though? I don't think he does, but I won't be backing or buying anything he makes ever again because he seems to live in a fantasy world. I really wish I'd just gone onto "Good old Games" and bought populous! I think that some of the bigger kickstarters have really damaged that platform which is a shame.

 

[Ytheleus]

The first question in the RPS interview cuts to the quick:

RPS: Do you think that you’re a pathological liar?

Eurogamer and RockPaperShotgun did all the legwork on this story, culminating in the RPS interview where Molyneaux was basically dismembered. The RPS interview is well worth reading, a dramatic piece of forensic journalism, if you can bear to see someone unravel under pressure.

It seems a shame because Populous and Dungeon Keeper were genuine classics. I hope it makes him more careful on reflection, rather than just sulking and threatening to walk out as if gaming won't survive without him.

At the same time crowd funders are knowingly taking a risk, and someone like Molyneaux is perhaps better off being held to account by publishers of the old school, since a disconnected mob of independent backers struggle to exercise much authority once the moolah is in the bag. Is it possible that running off irresponsibly at the mouth and design creativity are two sides of the same coin? Molyneaux suggests this may be true, but I think not, he just went off the rails and was allowed to stay there too long. It's also clear that crowd funding can work, but doesn't always.

I don't see many parallels with ED personally. Imperfect communication is expected and not the same as making it up as you go along. In future, crowd funding projects will require that more attention is paid to investor/player relations to prevent these sorts of personal takedowns from happening in public when they really belong inside a business.