AtomskEater
Member
It seems they posted an update in December and have said they'll be at PAX East. They did have some problems, though.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Kotaku looks into 11 long overdue and/or failed kickstarters
- Thread starter Nirolak
- Start date
- Status
It seems they posted an update in December and have said they'll be at PAX East. They did have some problems, though.
Two things:
1) H-Hour is a strange story. The Kickstarter hasn't had any recent updates -- and the director, whose name was one of the Kickstarter's prime selling points, quietly left last year -- but I hadn't seen those recent developments on the game's website, and have updated that section of the article accordingly. Thanks to everyone who pointed that out.
2) This is just the first batch of what will likely be an ongoing series, because I think it's important for reporters to be calling out crowdfunded projects that take people's money and then don't deliver. So to anyone saying we left out any abandoned projects, feel free to e-mail me with details and I'll look into it for the next round-up.
1) H-Hour is a strange story. The Kickstarter hasn't had any recent updates -- and the director, whose name was one of the Kickstarter's prime selling points, quietly left last year -- but I hadn't seen those recent developments on the game's website, and have updated that section of the article accordingly. Thanks to everyone who pointed that out.
2) This is just the first batch of what will likely be an ongoing series, because I think it's important for reporters to be calling out crowdfunded projects that take people's money and then don't deliver. So to anyone saying we left out any abandoned projects, feel free to e-mail me with details and I'll look into it for the next round-up.
Robert at Zeboyd Games
Banned
You're joking right? $500k (especially when you subtract fees & reward fulfillment) is miniscule compared to your typical game budget.
What was the reasoning on including Clang since it was officially cancelled already? Obviously no status update is really needed so was it just a sort of shaming thing for what happened?
The purpose of this series is to shine a light on Kickstarters that took money but didn't deliver, not necessarily to track down new updates on them all. Not everyone knows about Clang or Yogscast.
"It turns out that revolutionising gaming is hard guys. Our bad"
Robert at Zeboyd Games
Banned
Inexperienced developer + tiny budget + ambitious goal? What could possibly go wrong!
Justice_Bolt
Member
It's still in development. New beta builds are frequent.
jim-jam bongs
Member
Just don't start any potential communication with the leads on those failed projects by asking if they're a pathological liar, apparently it invalidates the rest of your points.
Shpeshal Nick
aka Collingwood
I'm hoping to have a game project on Kickstarter next year. Got a small (very small) team very eager to make my game. Hopefully what I put up is enough to get GAF excited and get funded.
SystemUser
Member
It was $20,000 to send
http://www.truthandtrolls.com/
NinjaBoyLao
Member
Saw this one too.
https://www.kickstarter.com/project...ads-last-class-heroes-the-final-push/comments
This project was successfully funded on July 11, 2012.
$24,812
pledged of $5,000 goal
Looking at the comments, it is "on hold"
https://www.kickstarter.com/project...ads-last-class-heroes-the-final-push/comments
This project was successfully funded on July 11, 2012.
$24,812
pledged of $5,000 goal
Looking at the comments, it is "on hold"
War Machine
Member
LA Game Space has definitely NOT delivered 99% of the backer rewards. Here's the comments page of the Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lagamespace/la-game-space-a-place-for-re-imagining-video-games/comments
Are you going to / have you done any features on Kickstarters that made it?
It would be kind of cool to do, interview dev teams regarding the development process, send out some questions to backers, did they get the game they thought they would?
Was it better, worse, etc. I feel these kind of features might be feeding into the overall Kickstarter negativity and skepticism a bit, it's important to show that there are many projects that made it out just fine, just to give it a fair shake.
For this fantastic idea I'll gladly take €20 in Steam credit 
thechristoph
Sir!
I'm bummed that Super Retro Squad imploded.
You need to throw in Confederate Express at some point, just because that's such a messed-up story, and the one Kickstarter that was almost undeniably a scam from the very beginning.
GatticusFinch
Member
Hex: Shards of Fate
$2.25+ Million (not sure how many pay-pal donations they received)
Per the kickstarter, the game was supposed to be fully released in October of 2013. The PvP side of the game is currently in "closed beta" and the a small portion of the PvE side just entered alpha.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cze/hex-mmo-trading-card-game
$2.25+ Million (not sure how many pay-pal donations they received)
Per the kickstarter, the game was supposed to be fully released in October of 2013. The PvP side of the game is currently in "closed beta" and the a small portion of the PvE side just entered alpha.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cze/hex-mmo-trading-card-game
Yea, i was done with kickstarter after one I put $75 into and made $175k out of the $125k goal they wanted was funded in october 2012.
from then till now they posted 51 updates, each one describing to its backers how they are working hard, or they have a delay, or there is an issue, or they had to scrap and start over, or switching investors etc etc. more excuses than I can imagine.
To date they delivered 0% of anything.
They even started up a new company someone found, everyone assumes they took that funding and used it to make a new scam company.
They even outright refused any refunds. even though they were reported to the BBB.
yea, no more kickstarter for me.
from then till now they posted 51 updates, each one describing to its backers how they are working hard, or they have a delay, or there is an issue, or they had to scrap and start over, or switching investors etc etc. more excuses than I can imagine.
To date they delivered 0% of anything.
They even started up a new company someone found, everyone assumes they took that funding and used it to make a new scam company.
They even outright refused any refunds. even though they were reported to the BBB.
yea, no more kickstarter for me.
RyanPierre
Member
Can you name the Kickstarter/link to it?
Raging Spaniard
If they are Dutch, upright and breathing they are more racist than your favorite player
What about Cryamore or Zombie Playground? Those always smelled fishy to me.
As has been said, the last update was Jan. 23 of this year, in which she outlined the progress made thus far, the future of the KS, and where the money has gone.
She's been releasing videos.
The only thing she hasn't done is meet the originally stated release date, but that's been explained.
This series is about KS that have gone dark. Tropes clearly doesn't apply.
OverBlood 3
Banned
Wasnt sure I should since it was not video game related, but it wouldnt hurt.
https://www.kickstarter.com/project...xpansion-device-for-your-iphone-4-an/comments
was a battery/microSD expantion for the iphone 4.
Yes, the iphone 4....nearly everyone that chipped in for it in early 2012 has moved on to the iphone 5,5s and 6 and android devices. Not to mention other companies have already released something like that years after this was funded too.
Delver's Drop is another that pisses me off. the game will never see an "official" release. Its time they admit it and move on, especially with all the other projects they've been pimping.
its bizarre, but the one game i backed that i total expected to end in disaster ended up being the one that delivered on what they sold. monsters ate my birthday cake... and yes i know they got a publisher in the end, but still...
its bizarre, but the one game i backed that i total expected to end in disaster ended up being the one that delivered on what they sold. monsters ate my birthday cake... and yes i know they got a publisher in the end, but still...
jim-jam bongs
Member
And it's still being made, is being expanded in response to feedback from their audience and has seen an overwhelmingly positive reaction from people who actually backed the project. So it's not surprising at all.
Well there is certainly something unsurprising here.
jim-jam bongs
Member
Let's give them the benefit of the doubt, they're just asking important questions with obvious and innocuous answers.
jackissocool
Member
Only (video game) Kickstarter I've backed was Amplitude for $40 or $50. I did it because I knew there was no way on earth an experienced, respected, and high-profile developer with a consistent track record like Harmonix would fail to deliver a reboot of their first IP. While it was originally supposed to come out, like, today, but was delayed to the summer, I'm not at all worried about it. I expect delays in Kickstarters because it's so hard to predict exactly how things will go that early in development. I know the project will arrive (hopefully this summer) and it will be the game I backed.
Triggerhappytel
Member
I'm pretty sure the original funding was to allow the devs to create a prototype sword fighting engine, which they would then pitch to publishers to get funding for a full game. They weren't especially open about this (not mentioned in the initial pitch video, for instance), but the information was there for all who viewed the Kickstarter page.
NervousXtian
Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
The mom isn't one of the richest people in the USA.. she just wants to pretend to be.. doubtful her net worth is all that high to be honest... people grossly exaggerated who and what she was worth.
Not to defend the KS, as it was super shady.. but still no reason to make it seem like more than what it was.
LoveCake
Member
Why are the donations to kickstarter projects capped at $10's?
Why do kickstarter not do more to protect people who donate?
Why is there not a banner scrolling along the top of the kickstarter page saying that all monies are donations only & there is a chance that you may not receive anything in return for your donation?
I donated to the disastrous Shadow of the Eternals, now as bad as some of the people working on that project were, at least they had a decent forum & were in contact with people & then when they tried another funding method & i then again donated, they did give everyone their money back.
I will never support anything on kickstarter because it is a donation, especially after what happened with Morpheus, goes to show money changes people.
Why do kickstarter not do more to protect people who donate?
Why is there not a banner scrolling along the top of the kickstarter page saying that all monies are donations only & there is a chance that you may not receive anything in return for your donation?
I donated to the disastrous Shadow of the Eternals, now as bad as some of the people working on that project were, at least they had a decent forum & were in contact with people & then when they tried another funding method & i then again donated, they did give everyone their money back.
I will never support anything on kickstarter because it is a donation, especially after what happened with Morpheus, goes to show money changes people.
axisofweevils
Holy crap! Today's real megaton is that more than two people can have the same first name.
I backed LA Game Space, mainly for the crazy indie games and the music mix, so I'm pretty satisfied.
Weird that some of the indie games are still marked "coming soon" though.
I have fell out love with the whole process though and it would take something major to make me back in future. (Zero Escape 3, for example.)
Weird that some of the indie games are still marked "coming soon" though.
I have fell out love with the whole process though and it would take something major to make me back in future. (Zero Escape 3, for example.)
Maiden Voyage
Gold™ Member
This is the one Kickstarter I wish I had known about. I would gladly throw a ton of money for her project.
Copenblend
Neo Member
SOFs has done nothing but lie to the people who funded them in the first place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fSWE0GhbK4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fSWE0GhbK4
Yeah what the heck at them claiming they already delivered all the rewards but the space, that sure isn't true! They promised 30 games and appear to have delivered 22 of them by my count, but none of those are the marquis games that were billed here:
Seriously, as far as I can tell, none of the ones in that pic are out. That's kind of why some of us contributed! At least I got my Keita game though. I honestly thought the space itself sounded a bit too pie in the sky to actually happen so I'm not surprised by that result.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Cryamore went silent for a long time and only recently began regular updates.
SystemUser
Member
Who cares about the audience and the backers? People that didn't back it and never wanted to watch WomenVsTropes are disappointed that it is behind schedule. They demand answers beyond the detailed report that FemFreq put out last month.
I am going to edit that out of my post then. I thought there was legit proof of it, but there does not seem to be anything.
Hasn't she come out with episodes though? I'm seeing 7 here
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn4ob_5_ttEaA_vc8F3fjzE62esf9yP61
Also I'm seeing 150k sooooo wut
jim-jam bongs
Member
I'm mad as hell! Did you know that Anita Sarkeesian isn't even a real feminist because she wears earrings. Earrings.
Who knows? As a backer, I'm pretty ticked that Fundora went AWOL with the project.
Jason, do you have any source to cite for this - that for every Kickstarter success, there are "numerous" failures? You've been sounding this FUD note for a while*, and I don't believe it's borne out by the facts - as Stump's lists indicate.
*case in point:
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
Here's another head-turner for you: the guy in charge has been quoted as saying "Kickstarter is amazing, but one of the hidden catches is that once you have taken a bunch of people's money to do a thing, you have to actually do that thing, and not some other thing that you thought up in the meantime."
Isn't it odd that the dev, Alex, just up and disappeared? without a trace apparently? No one seems to know where he went.
Maybe he got hit by a car or something and their family doesn't know he was the person in charge of the game?
I just find it odd that he could literally disappear from the internet that easily especially with how many people are upset/wondering where he went, unless he kicked the bucket.
Apologies if this isn't the thread for this, but Hiveswap (the Homestuck Adventure Game) is probably out of the orange by now, since there was a big update earlier this week, with a Spring release date given and a playable demo lined up for GDC and ECCC.
- Status