SuicidalSteve
Member
Someone should contact Dell and see if this is legit perhaps?
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Millionaire tries to get $829 via kickstarter to send daughter to RPG maker camp?
- Thread starter Goon Boon
- Start date
Unless your a journalist from a well-known website, I don't think Dell or MIT would confirm or deny involvement with Susan to any random joe that asks them about it. Right now would be a prefect time for well-known website to do a follow up article with Susan, kickstarter, MIT, and Dell and see what each company has to say about it all, but that will never happen.
Exactly why I hesitate bringing this to Fargo's attention. I like Fargo but I think the feel-good aspect combined with Kickstarter would overwhelm his issues with her abuse of KIF. He'd probably give her some advice and that'd be it.
Makes me wonder why nobody's really following up on this. Is it not an interesting story to them? Or they simply don't care? Or taking down a project that purports it's all about KIDS would be risky for bad press?
I see nothing benefiting children at this point. I see a free laptop, some first-class airline tickets and luxury hotel stays, and the rest of the work being done by gullible fools.
Crash55118
Member
My Sister is a Grad student at MIT, and may know someone in Game Lab. A couple years ago when it was the Gambit Lab she hooked me up with a tour. Not sure if she still knows anyone there but I shall email and check.
Please do. I checked their website but didn't see a phone number.
Muku
Member
Because it was a feel good story. Why would they want to follow up!? They took Susan at her word, and that was good enough apparently. Some journalists don't even really do their own research anymore. I can't imagine they'd do a follow up.
OMG MOAR WORK
No shit on the first class airline tickets. That 6k would be better spent traveling across an ocean in first class. First class within country? Psssh. I'll take that 6k Susan. Planning a trip to States in a few months. I would like DAT FIRST CLASS TREATMENT going over the Pacific.
Now I wake up to see... she wants us to be her financial planners? Isn't she the entrepreneur? You would think she could do that herself, without you know... making an awful one that she had that barely went to the project itself.
So many gems in the comments today though... Quotes from Susan at the moment.
Okay, so like we said, she doesn't need that camp after all. Can we end the Kickstarter now? Sheesh.
Is it me, or did it feel a bit like sucking up here to RC? Just wondering if it was me or not.
Why is she acting like the website costs a lot. Unless she's actually paying someone who knows what they're doing to handle it, I don't see the issue. And who said she'd be living in a Penthouse. However, now she is acting like work she is doing for all this is super hard and god knows what else. Okay, so you Skype'd with parents and kids to make sure no pedophiles. Why is she complaining about that? She didn't even have to bring that up, as it wasn't necessary to the issue at hand about money.
I'm also not sure how someone like her, who has blatantly said she doesn't know anything about games, why she would be there for Q&A when she won't know a lick of what folks are talking about.
And this whole budget thing. Asking folks to do her one. /facepalm And then defends her price for laptop to get Kenzie a kickass one. She can grow into one that's less expensive. I mean hell. It's not like she's using anything major that requires a beefy computer. Whole thing just.. god. And then if it was donated? Then where would that 2.5k go?
Wow, what mom would rightfully admit to this? Heart strings much? I figure her children aren't starving, but did this REALLY have to be included? Geez. And I'm sure her husband did it anyway, but drama queen much? :/
And then she wants to get folks to answer other backers questions too? Oh this is just.. so.. I think I need one of those flip tables RIGHT NOW. (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
EDIT: Now I feel a bit bad. RC posted: "----- Susan asked me for help. I know she has been asking people for help. Why would people scamming others be asking for help, not to mention accept help from various venues? "
That's how these folks roll. To get you to be on "their" side and con you in. Incoming second table flip in 3...2...1...
Yeah, that is the best way to scam people. Make them feel included and they will look past everything because they are "in".
Susan's the cool kid on the playground. The other kids will do anything she says just to feel like a part of her crew.
That's more or less the fundamental manipulative technique she's using. Help me and you can be a part of something big, like some murky goal about KIDS being able to connect and make games.
That's more or less the fundamental manipulative technique she's using. Help me and you can be a part of something big, like some murky goal about KIDS being able to connect and make games.
Muku
Member
That's what makes this comical at this point. The goal and ideas keep changing. Though once she latched onto PinkieSquare, she hasn't let that go. But does anyone know why she thinks no one wants her to use the money on the website? I'm confused about that.
Re-post, I got this message after explaining why I dropped the Torment pledge due this particular KS.
Edit: The InXile gaffers also commented on losing a couple of pledges due this.
Re-post, I got this message after explaining why I dropped the Torment pledge due this particular KS.
At least that is something.
I pulled all my pledges after this, Ks wont be seeing the little money I have anymore if shady stuff like this will be supported.
I bet the response will be
"Gee shouldn't you have something better to do? I don't think it's healthy that you put all that time into this. I'm just doin' my best! KEEP UP!"
Haha wow at "not going grocery shopping." Please, plenty of people have far harder lives than scamming people over the internet and still somehow manage to shop to feed their families. Shit's pathetic, I don't get how people can fall for that.
Muku
Member
Word. You know what is funny about that quote from her is that her kids aren't thrilled she hasn't been in some weeks. Who the hell told her this was a 24 hour job and to neglect her family? But I guess this is what you get when you put up a half assed Kickstarter. Do your work before instead of having to do it the whole time it is up. Plus she has banana phone operater Julie to handle the phones anyway. I wonder if she's even left the house at all since this has started? :/
Alcotholic
Banned
I'm lost here.
Can someone give me the gist of whats gone down so far?
What does Brian Fargo and the Torment Kickstarter have to do with this? And... I dont know. There's a lot of things flying around. This is very interesting, but I dont fully understand it all right now.
Can someone give me the gist of whats gone down so far?
What does Brian Fargo and the Torment Kickstarter have to do with this? And... I dont know. There's a lot of things flying around. This is very interesting, but I dont fully understand it all right now.
I mean, if that's even true. Which I hold doubts about.
Not going to run down the whole thing, but since this is obviously a scam and was in clear violation of Kickstarter's rules, and yet they didn't shut it down but gave it their blessing, people are having doubts about Kickstarter as a company. Obviously the best way to make this heard is to notify projects that they have funded about why they're pulling their funding.
I know I have missed a lot of stuff, but here something to get a start to it all:
moka's summary
Then there is the backers only update
another backer only update
I haven't posted any of Susan's comments from the kickstarter as there is too many of them to go though. Someone else can provide the ones that matter, if they have been compiling them, since there are a lot of them posted throughout this thread.
You really should take the time to read through this thread as there is just too many crazy updates about it all.
Seems like as along as you go through the website you still get the rewards.
https://torment.inxile-entertainment.com/store
What do they need a phone operator for?
Kickstarter is for people who have an idea, a goal, and need the money to fulfill that goal. The premise is based on very specific ideas. And this KS has the creator asking how to use the money. I realize that it went way over budget, and this will most likely be her defense, but the goal was for 820$ for a camp -- which was against the rules of KS to begin with, and isn't even a part of the Kickstarter anymore.
The fact that she apparently advertised long after the 820$, and had 10,000 tiers, despite the fact of the goal, implies that she must have had some sort of intention for how to spend the rest of the money. Good intentions or bad intentions, that's up to how you view this project.
If KS didn't care about the project breaking several of their rules, or that the creator used unfair stereotyping, or that the creator is supposed to be one of Americas top 10 most powerful women, or that she has created several scam-like projects in the past, has web-squatted, etc. --- the fact that the KS for this has changed so much since it first appeared is clear grounds for why it should be removed.
If you ignored all the extra, unnecessary stuff going on around and in the Kickstarter, it's still nonsense, but there is absolutely no reason to donate after the 820$ tier. Who are these people who keep donating? I mean, I could understand that people would donate up to the 820$ goal, but people keep donating, long after the 820$ goal. These people need credit cards to donate, so they must be over 18 at least. I realize that "reason" is somewhat subjective -- but it's not in this case. After the 820$ tier, there is no reason to keep donating. It's just on another level.
If Susan knew someone at Kickstarter, and had that person fake the Kickstarter stats to help the project gain some attention -- that would make much more sense.
Alcotholic
Banned
Thanks for the links. This will make going through the thread more manageable.
Muku
Member
Sorry, running joke for a while here was that Susan's best friend, Julie, was the banana phone operator. Every time she'd make a post putting down folks and stuff, at the end she'd say something like "OH (insert some random big companies name here) IS CALLING!" Like we were supposed to be impressed or something. Became a running joke for a bit. Even then we questioned WHY her BFF would be the one answering the calls over Susan anyway.
Mace Griffin
Neo Member
Well done to the OP for deconstructing and exposing the mind blowingly obvious scam that this is. This is wrong on so many levels, I can't believe people are naive enough to pledge all this money to her, what are they thinking? I'm sure it will be well spent further enriching herself seen as every budget set out by her wildly, in fact hilariously, over-estimates expenses that may not even be necessary in the first place.
reverendphil has taken the blue pill. (edit - originally said red, fixed - I mean that he's deluded himself into supporting the project).
RC, however, is now doing a lot of the leg work for Scammy Susan. You know, RC wants to feel involved and make sure the project is done correctly. And if she's lucky Susan might tell her, "Thanks."
RC, however, is now doing a lot of the leg work for Scammy Susan. You know, RC wants to feel involved and make sure the project is done correctly. And if she's lucky Susan might tell her, "Thanks."
I don't even know how I want to respond. I want to be angry, but at the same I am just amazed by what she is pulling off.
Matrix
LeBron loves his girlfriend. There is no other woman in the world hed rather have. The problem is, Dwyanes not a woman.
The same reason many of my fellow Brits love our Royal Family, who live the high life on our taxes despite exhibiting no talent whatsoever. I've no idea what that reason is though.
We should put together a timeline of all the events, updates, project changes, lies by Susan, and everything else.
What started as a very obvious, low-key con that pulled at people's heartstrings (evil older brothers, feminism, kids' dreams, etc.) has worked out rather well and evolved into a broader, larger-scale scam (possibly expected or loosely planned from the beginning). By starting with a very low goal, Susan was able to make people feel they were part of something bigger as they "surpassed expectations" (which in reality was the true expected result). She's played her cards very well, and the sad thing is that it wasn't very hard to dupe all of these rubes.
I wonder if that one poster got in touch with his/her contact at the MIT Games Lab?
What started as a very obvious, low-key con that pulled at people's heartstrings (evil older brothers, feminism, kids' dreams, etc.) has worked out rather well and evolved into a broader, larger-scale scam (possibly expected or loosely planned from the beginning). By starting with a very low goal, Susan was able to make people feel they were part of something bigger as they "surpassed expectations" (which in reality was the true expected result). She's played her cards very well, and the sad thing is that it wasn't very hard to dupe all of these rubes.
I wonder if that one poster got in touch with his/her contact at the MIT Games Lab?
Gully State
Member
Project has already been deemed legitimate by Kickstarter. Of course, that's not to say you shouldn't have reported it (in fact if you haven't reported it, you should do so just to let KS know there are a significant number of us that don't approve). Just that they won't do anything about it.
I'm officially not supporting KS from this point on. I'll only back projects I'm interested in directly through paypal or some other alternative as I don't want KS to see a single dime.
I'll probably do the same from now on. It's a shame if it hurts smaller projects that can't offer paypal as an alternative, but I'll blame kickstarter for that.
10101
Gold Member
Susan has been relatively quiet since the backers started callings her out on her figures, I was hoping for some half arsed explanation. She seems to have completely skirted the issue unless there is some surprise announcement around the corner...?
Vernarno seems to have the bit between his teeth though lol, he's started on her pervious projects now:
Vernarno seems to have the bit between his teeth though lol, he's started on her pervious projects now:
so, like, let's say I want plane tickets
can I just make a kickstarter that's like "HELP A YOUNG, STRUGGLING GAY ACTIVIST FIND ARTISTIC PASSION IN A WORLD GONE MAD: A VIDEO BIOGRAPHY"?
I could claim homophobia if it gets pulled, then damage the LGBT rights cause for my own personal gain! It's air fucking tight.
can I just make a kickstarter that's like "HELP A YOUNG, STRUGGLING GAY ACTIVIST FIND ARTISTIC PASSION IN A WORLD GONE MAD: A VIDEO BIOGRAPHY"?
I could claim homophobia if it gets pulled, then damage the LGBT rights cause for my own personal gain! It's air fucking tight.
Gully State
Member
You don't have the sympathy to gain funding. Do you have a 9 YO niece?
she's 12, but I think she only plays minecraft.
honestly, I don't feel like the person who started this kickstarter is exploiting her daughter as much as she's exploiting -- and harming -- feminism. Claiming to be progressive is one thing, asking to be paid for it is another.
.... yeah, my post earlier on this page? Tack on 'unless it's at the expense of a rights movement I'm invested in.' This kickstarter harms women in tech more than it helps.
edit: mmm, a little mad now.
sorry to make this about me, but --
people in game development programs have said some pretty stupid shit to me after finding out about my sexuality. Asking about obsessions with clothing or assuming stereotypical behavior is one thing -- I shrug that off, it doesn't matter unless it's constant -- but having other students go from casually respecting me to derisively mocking me with enough vigor to shake the crumbs in their neckbeards? That was bullshit. There's stigmas and biases in the gaming world, and I put up with that. One day I'd like to help change it.
Profiting off the struggle of your own gender is fucking awful.
Good enough. Kenzie is likely older than 9 and from what we've seen the closest thing to videogames that she likes is Naruto.
Have you read the Fundher.com descriptions? That pseudo/anti-feminist crap will make your head explode. Actual feminists should be outraged at Susan and her projects.
Ghost Dad the Whip
Member
EAT THE RICH!!!!
She's quiet because she's working 15 hours a day on other things. She's working so hard she doesn't have time to shop for groceries.
Or, at this point she can have her brainwashed footsoldiers like reverendphil or RC do the work, answer the questions, and deal with various issues on her behalf.
A truly manipulative sociopath. The definition of scum.
10101
Gold Member
I forgot that, she is probably catching up on her chores while Joseph peers in through a back windowShe's quiet because she's working 15 hours a day on other things. She's working so hard she doesn't have time to shop for groceries.
Or, at this point she can have her brainwashed footsoldiers like reverendphil or RC do the work, answer the questions, and deal with various issues on her behalf.
A truly manipulative sociopath. The definition of scum.
timing her!
Seriously though you are right the past couple of days she has just let the backers take the lead which is quite clever, although she is going to have to come back with something if Vernarno keeps it up lol. I'm intrigued to know what RC is cooking up, some master plan to include all the backers - you get 50% of your money back GIV MOAR NOW!! YOU CAN'T LOSE!!! IT'S A WIN WIN WIN!!!
Doubt she has anything substantial though I think she is jumping on the bandwagon like some of the others hoping they either get some bizarre recognition or a share of the pot for helping. I also am liking this new talk of charities, I'll bet Susan would love that what as easy way to explain the funds away. Ofc millionaires are a charity in their own right and she needs food after all. Maybe we should all chip in and send her some vouchers or something...
Again...
I love how people think they're getting an actual game. At most they'll get a 3-minute demo that anyone could whip up in a couple hours. And Susan wants $50k (her stretch goal LOL) to do it.
I wonder what Waqar is doing. He's vacillated between support and criticism. A few people are waking up. Just need them to keep questioning and criticizing.
10101
Gold Member
Hahaha
Every page in this thread should have that pic on it, it makes me laugh each time I see it.Similar threads
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