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Republique Kickstarter by Ryan Payton - NOW FOR PC AND MAC! [Ended, $555K funded]

numble

Member
But where people had a choice to support one or the other, more people chose PC thus more PC only supporters.
Most backers chose to receive a reward tier that included the iOS version of the game. Most iOS+Desktop backers were upgrades from iOS users, you also need to remember to include the people who chose to get the reward tiers that featured an iPhone case are also iOS backers.
 
The main problem is, Kickstarter needs more publicity. Casual people need to know about this. If we have a Kickstarter page at the XBox Live or PSN or Steam, maybe things would start to change.

You mean Video Game Kickstarters need more publicity. Kickstarter has been in almost every news source since its inception. And I assume the all the major game consoles will indeed have a Kickstarter Channel in the future.
 

Aselith

Member
Most backers chose to receive a reward tier that included the iOS version of the game. Most iOS+Desktop backers were upgrades from iOS users, you also need to remember to include the people who chose to get the reward tiers that featured an iPhone case are also iOS backers.

You have absolutely no way to confirm. That's a load of bullshit. It was a much closer difference between the PC to PC and iOS version so those backers are consequently more likely to be PC backers that paid an extra five to get the iOS version rather than the other way with a $10 difference.

However I don't have any way to confirm that either so it's moot. What I will say is that on the point when we have a very clear split which is PC only or iOS only, the PC backers are higher. Since every other tier including the iPhone case version has the option for either version, you cannot use those numbers in favor of or against your side. Maybe the people wanted the PC version but also wanted the case for their phone. There's no way to tell and you saying "I wanted..." is anecdotal.
 
You have absolutely no way to confirm. That's a load of bullshit. It was a much closer difference between the PC to PC and iOS version so those backers are consequently more likely to be PC backers that paid an extra five to get the iOS version rather than the other way with a $10 difference.

However I don't have any way to confirm that either so it's moot. What I will say is that on the point when we have a very clear split which is PC only or iOS only, the PC backers are higher. Since every other tier including the iPhone case version has the option for either version, you cannot use those numbers in favor of or against your side. Maybe the people wanted the PC version but also wanted the case for their phone. There's no way to tell and you saying "I wanted..." is anecdotal.
I went from iOS only to iOS+desktop.

Fwiw
 

numble

Member
You have absolutely no way to confirm. That's a load of bullshit. It was a much closer difference between the PC to PC and iOS version so those backers are consequently more likely to be PC backers that paid an extra five to get the iOS version rather than the other way with a $10 difference.

However I don't have any way to confirm that either so it's moot. What I will say is that on the point when we have a very clear split which is PC only or iOS only, the PC backers are higher. Since every other tier including the iPhone case version has the option for either version, you cannot use those numbers in favor of or against your side. Maybe the people wanted the PC version but also wanted the case for their phone. There's no way to tell and you saying "I wanted..." is anecdotal.
All iOS gamers have a PC or Mac, but not all PC gamers have iOS devices so it's more logical to assume that iOS users are more likely to upgrade for a device they also own, compared to PC only backers not upgrading because they don't own an iOS device. You can't ignore the fact that over 7,000 backers chose to receive an iOS version of the game.
 
What are we arguing about now? Who supported it more? Really? No one is going to be able to prove that at all so it just amounts to online chest thumping. Anyone who thinks this would've made it without PC is nuts though. PC saved their ass and they know it.
 
What are we arguing about now? Who supported it more? Really? No one is going to be able to prove that at all so it just amounts to online chest thumping. Anyone who thinks this would've made it without PC is nuts though. PC saved their ass and they know it.
On the last page someone made an authoritative claim that more people supported the desktop version than the iOS version and I challenged that. Was told that the numbers on the Kickstarter site were evidence when they are not.
 

-Winnie-

Member
A massive congratulations for the team! I'll admit it was looking pretty bleak for a while, but I'm really glad they managed to pull off such an amazing comeback like that.
Looking forward to the release. :)
 

MrBud360

Member
Most people, especially casual gamers, wouldn't pay for months (or even over a year) in advance for a game on Kickstarter.

Kickstarter -- in the gaming space, at least -- really is for niche projects tailored towards gaming enthusiasts. And that's not me saying that Kickstarter games will do badly once they go on general sale, but that getting them funded in the first place is hard because businessmen are worried they won't get a return on their investment. The sad truth is, however, that most of gaming's surprise hits (such as Minecraft) are born out of crazy concepts that your average publisher wouldn't think of underwriting. I think Kickstarter is a great way to see more of these hits, because the people who initially buy into these niche projects are sometimes ahead of the curve on these things.
You are not seeing the big picture. When you have big names like The Resident Evil creator, the Banjo creator, doing what they and people want, not Kinect games or wii games, you will see the power of Kickstarter. To me it just looks like the begining of other type of games, made to the fans, and not to everybody. We need a Itagaki kickstarter, doing a really hardcore game. How much you think he can make? A lot.
 

pakkit

Banned
Plopped down 60 for this game because I want to see how they take advantage of iOS as a platform and how much that experience differs from the Mac/PC version. Also, I really like the idea of playing a game with a gamebook in hand that adds to the experience. As a whole they seem really committed to gameworld design and trying something new. That alone warrants my support.
 

Duffyside

Banned
Is it wrong that I was actively routing against this thing?

Not my only reason, not even my first, but seeing the gaming press pimp this game for this last month, and this last week especially, has been absolutely gross.
 

GuardianE

Santa May Claus
Is it wrong that I was actively routing against this thing?

Not my only reason, not even my first, but seeing the gaming press pimp this game for this last month, and this last week especially, has been absolutely gross.

Almost as wrong as your spelling.
 

Duffyside

Banned
No, not at all. Go on. How do you feel now?

I can't tell if you're being serious, but let's pretend you are!

I hope the game is good and does at least well enough that the people involved can continue to do whatever makes them happy.

I have no ill-will towards any of them, just towards this specific approach and the things surrounding it.
 

border

Member
I think it's fair to root against Republique, though somewhat irrational. When a movie comes out and they decide to completely saturate the airwaves with nonstop ads for it, I start to hope it will bomb just because I'm so fucking annoyed to have it thrown in my face during every TV commercial break. I feel the same way with games that have really intrusive ads on websites -- those ads with audio that you have to mute, or trailers that start playing as soon as you mouseover the wrong box. Games where the entire website gets a special skin dedicated to the game.

I think the same thing happened here - where people just got tired of hearing about Republique.
 

Jeff-DSA

Member
You mean Video Game Kickstarters need more publicity. Kickstarter has been in almost every news source since its inception. And I assume the all the major game consoles will indeed have a Kickstarter Channel in the future.

I doubt any gamer that uses Twitter or even casually checks gaming web sites didn't hear about Republique's Kickstarter campaign multiple times. I was a backer, but holy crap I was getting annoyed over the last month with how many times I had to hear about it on podcats, on Twitter, on Facebook, and on all the major gaming sites. It was kind of embarrassing how hard everybody shilled for the project.

Yes, Ryan Payton is friends with a lot of current games journalists, but I don't think anybody out there is left that is qualified to review the game because of how invested they became in its creation.
 
Damn, I haven't really been following this whole thing with too much attention, but looking at the Kickstarter it's pretty amazing to see how many people payed $30+ for something that was conceived as an iOS game. I really hope the game meets their expectations. At that price people may convince themselves that they like it.

I hadn't really thought before this Kickstarter about the potential conflict of interest with reviews and Kickstarter. In this case for example, what if someone is a huge MGS fan, hears about this game, donates $50 and then enthusiastically campaigns to others to make it happen. After a drama-filled funding process, they are now ecstatic that the game is going to be made. Do you trust them to write a fair review?

Reviewers already get overly excited about the games they write about when they have nothing to do with the process of making them. If GTA IV was called Oscar worthy by people with no stake in it, what are people going to say about games that they are proud to have had a part in making possible?

I am glad that this game is getting made though, the team seems really passionate about it. I'm still not too crazy about the whole Kickstarter thing of paying for games in full months in advance, but I'll definitely be keeping an eye open for impressions and I'll probably pick it up once it's out.
 

daegan

Member
Damn, I haven't really been following this whole thing with too much attention, but looking at the Kickstarter it's pretty amazing to see how many people payed $30+ for something that was conceived as an iOS game. I really hope the game meets their expectations. At that price people may convince themselves that they like it.

I hadn't really thought before this Kickstarter about the potential conflict of interest with reviews and Kickstarter. In this case for example, what if someone is a huge MGS fan, hears about this game, donates $50 and then enthusiastically campaigns to others to make it happen. After a drama-filled funding process, they are now ecstatic that the game is going to be made. Do you trust them to write a fair review?

Reviewers already get overly excited about the games they write about when they have nothing to do with the process of making them. If GTA IV was called Oscar worthy by people with no stake in it, what are people going to say about games that they are proud to have had a part in making possible?

I am glad that this game is getting made though, the team seems really passionate about it. I'm still not too crazy about the whole Kickstarter thing of paying for games in full months in advance, but I'll definitely be keeping an eye open for impressions and I'll probably pick it up once it's out.

Pretty sure R* picking up the tab to fly them to someplace and lock them in a hotel room with the game for two days counts as having a stake in it - or rather, R* having a stake in the reviewer - and is certainly why the game got the scores it did.
 

border

Member
So, any chance that this gets ported to android after the iOS and PC releases?

Given the difficulty involved in porting a game to 50-100 different phones and the high piracy rates of the platform, I wouldn't expect Android to be receiving many top-tier AAA games. I guess the good news is that Android owners can still enjoy Republique on the PC.
 

EXGN

Member
Yes, Ryan Payton is friends with a lot of current games journalists, but I don't think anybody out there is left that is qualified to review the game because of how invested they became in its creation.

I guess I just don't see how seeing all the gaming sites say "Hey, check out this Kickstarter" is any different than "Hey, check out this AssCreed 3 coverage."

But yeah, I do think it will be interesting to see how press handle reviews of Kickstarter games, particularly in relation to staff who have contributed to development funds.
 

Massa

Member
Given the difficulty involved in porting a game to 50-100 different phones and the high piracy rates of the platform, I wouldn't expect Android to be receiving many top-tier AAA games. I guess the good news is that Android owners can still enjoy Republique on the PC.

PC, where there are also 50-100+ different systems and high piracy rates.
 

Zen

Banned
Yes, Ryan Payton is friends with a lot of current games journalists, but I don't think anybody out there is left that is qualified to review the game because of how invested they became in its creation.
Um how about a games journalist that didn't contribute. Why are you remotely concerned, or do you honestly believe that games journalists will all, en mass, give this game a free pass simply because?
 
Um how about a games journalist that didn't contribute. Why are you remotely concerned, or do you honestly believe that games journalists will all, en mass, give this game a free pass simply because?

Never in the history of videogames has a game journalist ever been a fanboy of a game he reviewed!

untitled-322x4e.gif


I mean the premise of this whole line of attack is that game journalists are by default qualified to review things in the first place, and I would challenge that.
 

DTKT

Member
Never in the history of videogames has a game journalist ever been a fanboy of a game he reviewed!

untitled-322x4e.gif


I mean the premise of this whole line of attack is that game journalists are by default qualified to review things in the first place, and I would challenge that.

Indeed.

At this point, I doubt that anyone is removed enough from the games industry to be truly impartial. :|
 

border

Member
PC, where there are also 50-100+ different systems and high piracy rates.

On PC there's only a couple of processor types and a couple GPU types and 3 main variants of the OS. It's also much easier to get across spec requirements because people know what's in their PC, and DirectX unifies everything.

I think the problem with promising Android versions is that it's difficult to predict what phones will actually be able to run the game. Look at GTA3 -- it's a 10 year old game, running on only a fraction of the hardware.

PC users also gave this project a pretty certifiable bump.
 
Wow. I was out of town for a couple days and am now checking this thread out again. I am totally surprised they actually met their funded goal. How the hell did that happen? We're there just really large sums donated at the very end?

I'm not ragging on it, just last time I saw the page they still had like over 200,000 to still get with only like a day to go.
 

Dusk Golem

A 21st Century Rockefeller
Just taking a skim, they have a two hour and forty minute podcast about development with a scheduling chart for topic changes, and a two hour podcast on Dark Souls and why they love it. New screens and model art, talking about how touch control focus rose bigger issues than expected but a recent breakthrough. Showed an overview of a recent meeting, mentioned a big update for non-backers too next month, and made mentions of recent mentions in media of the game. This was just a skim, whole things pretty long and on my phone on vacation.
 

Wiktor

Member
Given the difficulty involved in porting a game to 50-100 different phones and the high piracy rates of the platform, I wouldn't expect Android to be receiving many top-tier AAA games. I guess the good news is that Android owners can still enjoy Republique on the PC.
Huh? Android has been lately getting majority of top-tier AAA mobile games.
 
I went from iOS only to iOS+desktop.

Fwiw

Same here.

Wow. I was out of town for a couple days and am now checking this thread out again. I am totally surprised they actually met their funded goal. How the hell did that happen? We're there just really large sums donated at the very end?

I'm not ragging on it, just last time I saw the page they still had like over 200,000 to still get with only like a day to go.

I suspect, like with most Kickstarters, is that it isn't a real grassroots funded project. The team likely already has the money to finance development, but puts it on KS to see how much they can wring out of pledges before "topping up" the remainder.
 

border

Member
Huh? Android has been lately getting majority of top-tier AAA mobile games.

If you meant AAA in terms of production values and polish, then I'd say top honors still go to Infinity Blade.....which is not on Android.

If you mean AAA in terms of sales or popularity, then yeah I guess Android has Angry Birds and Temple Run.
 

Wiktor

Member
If you meant AAA in terms of production values and polish, then I'd say top honors still go to Infinity Blade.....which is not on Android.

If you mean AAA in terms of sales or popularity, then yeah I guess Android has Angry Birds and Temple Run.

No, I mean it terms of production values. Majority of big budgeted mobile games appear on android too. Infinity Blade is one of the few remaining exceptions from that rule.
 
Development seems to be progressing, and I must say the game is looking amazing! The switch from pre-rendered backgrounds was the right one:

camouflaj.com said:
BEFORE
screen1.jpg


screen2.jpg


screen3.jpg


screen4.jpg


screen5.jpg


screen6.jpg


AFTER
screen7.jpg


screen8.jpg


screen9.jpg


screen10.jpg

New development blog too, in video form (with new footage): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSjdw7fiVsM

ALSO: If you guys aren't listening to Camouflaj Radio, you really need to be. Best dev-focused gaming podcast going right now. The most recent episode had a great, technical interview with Matthew Burns of Shadegrown Games (Starbloom), formerly of 343, Plan B, Dark Souls talk, and just an awesome peek into the decision making process at Camouflaj.

http://www.camouflaj.com/podcast.html

PS: Where the heck is Planck, Shadegrown? Looks so good... Get it on Kickstarter, let me give you money. Please.

EDIT: I was not prepared for that beard.
 
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