"What are peoples views on Kickstarter campaigns?" Topic

I've not backed a Kickstarter before but have seen a boxed game coming up in the next few weeks that I would like to get.

What are people's views on Kickstaerters? I guess I can wait till it comes out in the shops but what are the advantages of preordering on Kickstarter? Do you usually get extra goodies or a better price or what else?

Thank you!

Typically, you get a lower price than what they will charge retail. You are also supporting the production of the game: if the KS fails, the game will likely never be produced.

KS's are run because the vendor doesn't have the cash, typically, to go into production, up front. This is not always true, but typically it is. The minimum amount set by the owners is usually enough to ensure they meet the minimum order quantity required by the company producing their product for them -- usually a Chinese company which manufactures their game boards and pieces. The manufacturer will set a minimum quantity to order, before they will produce the dies to make the parts.

I bought a game called, "5-Minute Dungeon", retail. It was originally produced in a KS. I never heard of it before I saw it on the store shelf. It's a really fun game, and my family enjoys playing it, as it is fast, and cooperative. If their KS had failed, I likely never would have seen it…

Be aware, some KS's are scams, some fail to produce for other reasons. They are always a gamble. If they have a history, the risk is likely lower. However, I helped run one, and we had no prior KS's. We succeeded, producing our products, and shipping them to our supporters early. So, just because they may not have prior history with successful KS's, does not mean that they should be ignored, or passed over.

Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck. Cheers!

Research the company first. a lot of companies are brand new and don't have the experience to get the game finished or out on time. Also Understand once you give them the money, the game may never be produced or be horribly delayed.

AS others have said, there is an element of risk, so check out their pedigree.

That said, I took part in the Mantic Terrain Crate kickstarter and they delivered the goods at virtually half price to the supporters, so I saved a LOT of money.

I have also supported the Nickstarter campaigns for Frostgrave which also save money. Slightly different but they also deliver goodies cheaper.

Similarly I have supported a band (via pledge music but same concept) for an album and the first time round they delivered a double album so twice the bang for my investment, plus got my name on merchandise.

I supported that band the second time round, and they've delivered the main album, but not the full album of remixes 'cos the lead vocalist had a major stroke and is undergoing prolonged medical treatment, but even so he's still managed to release 2 of the remix tracks.

Do you usually get extra goodies or a better price or what else?

Especially with miniature lines, the manufacturers sometimes throw in all sorts of stretch goals extras to their crowdfunders that will only be added if the crowdfunding campaign exceeds the goal by a sufficiently large amount of money (e.g. for every 100 % of money beyond the original goal an extra item will be produced and added to the bunch).

The drawback might be that the manufacturer has not thought in detail how much time and money it will take to design, produce and ship all those extra items, in addition to the original product. Over-succesful campaign combined with a manufacturer with limited resources can lead to certain challenges (even physically packing and posting all the product may take much longer than originally thought).

Typically, you get a lower price than what they will charge retail. You are also supporting the production of the game: if the KS fails, the game will likely never be produced.

Also scroll down and check out the stretch goals. Then go back up and on the right side figure out what level of pledge gets what. There is a base product/game and there are add-ons which may or may not be included at each price point.
And all the way at the bottom see if they mention postage costs.

I just got a note saying that the second kickstarter I've participated is about to ship. They'd hoped to ship in early October, so about a month late. The previous kickstarter was several months late. In both cases, they are small, but established, miniatures companies. A lot of the problem is that these have been small, one and two person shops, and if that person gets sick or has to take care of their ailing mother-in-law, you end up with a corresponding delay in delivery.

On the bright side, I get a lower price on the figures, as well as being the first one on the block to have whatever.

Grelber

My advice is do your research. Look at the delivery dates and the amount of pledges to see if they may be overwhelmed to fulfill the orders. Many times you will get fleeced, but not all. I have been waiting on my pledge from a KS going on it's 5th year since it was supposed to be delivered.

I have supported two games on KS, Rising Sun and Deep Madness. Both have delivered although Deep Madness ran into some significant delays. Both have delivered excellent value for the dollars invested. In both cases I researched the companies and they had a track record of producing the goods so I felt safe.

Depends on the reason for the Kickstarter

I have participated in 4 with 2 more in process. Two have delivered late (a couple of months) and it looks like another one will be late, too. Overall, am happy with them all.

If the boxed game is from a company that already has experience with similar product, you should be good (be careful of First Created projects). You didn't mention which game you're interested in, so I can't research the company behind it. But if it's CMON, Monolith or Mythic, you should be good. If the game has already been published, go on BoardGameGeek for reviews of the game's previous release.

If you're only interested in a base game boardgame and can wait for a sale (if it happens), then retail is better, since you can get free shipping from the OLGS when you make the free shipping threshold. Otherwise, the KS is a better deal if you want a "deluxe" package with all the SG's.

I've been very happy with my kickstarter--four so far--though most took longer to deliver than they'd hoped. But the companies were already up and running and the offered products filled niches in my armies, so all they had to to was be of the specified scale and look more or less like the picture in the kickstarter. I'd be a harder sell with an unknown company or a set of rules from someone with no track record.

What is this "boardgame" of which so many speak?

I only was in one. The figures arrived the month they promised.

Satisfied so far
I am 2 for 2 and my brother is 5 for 5

This is all very helpful thanks guys!! Seems like Kickstarter is more common with board games then minis. The one I'm Wanting is a board game by a guy who mostly writes minis rules so makes sense to be Kickstartering I guess.

Thanks again!!!

Backed 47 and have received 41 with 3 more on their way in the mail. One very late, but continued communication. One late with very little communication and that I will take delivery the middle of next year. The only one I got burned on was All Quite on the Martian Front. This does not include any IndieGoGo projects I have backed that all concluded successfully.

Have done a few and for the most part they are great, but hardly ever ship on time. So plan for that. Make sure you fill out the pledge manager and surveys promtly this is just as important as the intial pledge.

Cyrus,

I'm curious about your AQMF experience. I was in it too, I got two of three shipments. I didn't receive the final 4 or 5 models, but they dollar value of what I did receive was way above what I paid.

A local guy told me he got everything, including a third shipment.

So I'd say I got 'singed' and not burned, I'm curious what your experience was…

Dave

They can be such incredibly good value that you run the risk of getting the biggest parcel you've ever had, unpacking it and finding yes, a great looking game with fantastic figures but OMG so many of them….and wondering what you have done. Did you really need the core set and ten supplements ?

Then a few months later seeing another neat Kickstarter and repeating the process.

in re: All Quiet On The Martian Front
The original manufacture (Alien Dungeon) got over extended on their kickstarter and did a "crash and burn". Burn as in several kickstart backers. link link
The good news is that the line has been picked up and continues, sort of. quietmartianfront.com/shop & link
As gaming kickstarters go this was a worst case study. Expect (hope for) better.

20thMaine nailed it. I've backed 67 – dear Lord don't tell the wife – so I'm a bit of an addict. In that lot I have had 1 outright con and three that caused me grief (AQOTMF Winter War and Dystopian Wars). Most are late. Expect it. Backing companies who have runs them before always a good idea. Look at the past ones for clues. Don't back one if their last one hasn't delivered. Finally think about whether your hot enthusiasm for this new thing will still be there if the box doesn't arrive for 18 months …..

That's all grate advice thanks everyone. Interesting to note that lots of you say they often run late that's good to know about. Thank you!!

I have backed over 25 with about 5 of them with problems due to a variety of reasons. As stated you should research the company, but you should also set your personal expectations. You should be prepared for things to be late. If the Kickstarter does exceptionally well, it may be even later as the company reworks the production, and with that success usually comes additional delivery costs (which are often separate from the kickstarter cost). Of the ones that had issues, some delivered something Robotech, AQMF (I got 2 of 3 deliveries), while others I'm still waiting with low expectations of ever delivering anything (2 board games and a miniature terrain/figure). Finally, understand that Kickstarter the company is only there to facilitate the funding process. Once a kickstarter achieves it's funding goal, Kickstarter the company collects its fees and moves on. Complaining about lack of communication from the company, non-delivery, etc is not something that Kickstarter gets involved with (if you follow comments on a failed KS you would get jaded pretty quickly on ever investing in a KS). Overall I look at the KS process as a way of getting insight into a game before I buy it, maybe get something unique in the process, and helping support a project that I am interested in coming to fruition. If you are nervous about taking an investment risk and are someone that expects things on time, then Kickstarter may not be for you, and wait until it comes out on retail. Additionally, KS often offer a pre-order option after the KS is closed but before the formal release. Though this is less risk, if a company has trouble delivering on a KS they will have the same trouble meeting the pre-order.

@PzGeneral,
Got the first 2 shipments, but never the third. I never got the 6 Martian Drones, Martian Slave Driver, Martian Overseer Tripod or the Harvester Tripod among other things, which I know other people got.

+2 20th Maine, I've done 193 KS and 22 Indies to date <gulp>. I got scammed on the Dark Age Outpost KS and semi-scammed on another KS (I got the pdf, but no hard-copy book). All the indies were completed. I'm currently waiting on 55 KS & 2 Indies to fulfill. So, not a bad return overall.
Most have been late (months or even years), with honourable exceptions to Dark Fable and Midlam Miniatures (& a few others). Waiting for a KS is like waiting for a lady to get ready, always keeping you waiting longer than you want

My view?

Utter !

Yes, I have done so as well, I am 1 for 1 and have 2 more in the process, very happy so far and its good to support the hobby, just use your common sense, the first one was Wings of War Bi planes and the latest 2 are miniature related….Good Luck

I'am +5 7 KS but 5 of them are a small Warmaster producer.

I've been burn twice once the item came broken and wasn't replaced and Complete Burn with the Evil Dead II game(May Space Goat and Shaun Burn in Hell)

Cyrus,

That is weird. I DID get the Drones and the Slaver. But like you not the Harvester, the Telsa gun, the crashed Landing Pod and something else that escapes me at the moment…..

PzGeneral,
Yeah, it's weird as all the things I didn't get were gotten by other people in the kickstarter.

My advice? Pledge the most common level that might allow a few extras, maybe an add-on or two. Don't go crazy (at least until you're comfortable with the process).

For me, 37 out of 40 my Kickstarters pledged have been fulfilled. Of the three outstanding, two are two months late and one is Reaper (February '19).

I will also admit I've now pledged a buck toward 30 other Kickstarters, some because I can't support the project at this time, but want to see it made, but many of them are horrible campaigns that overpromised on everything and I just want s front seat for the people complaining their $1,500 USD super-double secret exotic edition of whatever, signed the author, Julius Caesar, and the 1990 Detroit Pistons Cheerleaders hasn't shown up.

So that Kickstarter I first asked about is now running. I'm going to back it but taking advice from above I won't go crazy and will just do a standard pledge. Fingers crossed it goes smooth! Thanks for everyone's comments.