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Launching a Kickstarter campaign on an E3 press conference
- Thread starter Salsa
- Start date
Kickstarter doesn't exactly have a good reputation when it comes to video games. Probably doesn't apply here, but still.
I guess that's a fair point. But the whole thing doesn't stop feeling wrong =/
RipperGrim
Member
Why on earth is it wrong? I'm not following the logic here.
See, I feel like all of that is rooted in console warriorism. I was thrilled that a publisher stepped up and backed Bayonetta 2. And it turned out to be a great game.
$2 mil isn't even close to making a proper Shenmue game. I'm positive that this is basically POC to larger investors that the demand is there.
InsaneZero
Member
I don't really like it.
A Kickstarter of Shenmue 3's caliber would have drawn attention regardless of whether it's in a conference or not. If Sony wasn't the primary financial backer, then they just got free good will from a project without the hassle of being responsible for its funding. And if Sony was the primary financial backer, then they're offloading the responsibilities of being a publisher to dedicated fans. It's an approach where they can mitigate a nontrivial amount of risk while maximizing the benefits.
A Kickstarter of Shenmue 3's caliber would have drawn attention regardless of whether it's in a conference or not. If Sony wasn't the primary financial backer, then they just got free good will from a project without the hassle of being responsible for its funding. And if Sony was the primary financial backer, then they're offloading the responsibilities of being a publisher to dedicated fans. It's an approach where they can mitigate a nontrivial amount of risk while maximizing the benefits.
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
In 2020 every game they announce at E3 will be a kickstarter and they will publish the ones that do the best and won't ever have to take a risk again.
Gonna need to see the receipts on that.
It absolutely does have a good rep with games, otherwise you wouldn't see Sony announcing one on stage.
This one is such a hugely niche title that I totally understand why they're doing this - almost no other game would get that spot.
MightyHedgehog
Member
Eh, it's fine and probably a start of many others to come. Not sure what's so murky about it. KS is a fundraising platform run by business people taking their cut from other business people, large or small. We're at a point in gaming where there is so much disinterest in taking any kind of risks, even making followups to old games that some number of people want. This is a way to satisfy those people and make the wider world of gaming understand that there's more to it than just what the publishers will greenlight out of pure safety in financial return.
I one hundred per cent agree with you which according to the other thread makes us morons.
I think it's a red-letter day and I'm glad Shenmue is coming back but E3 is for announcing games, not begging for money, and since Sony doesn't even have anything to do with the series, this just feels like them taking credit for everyone else paying up for the game.
Also true and worth pointing out.
I think it's a red-letter day and I'm glad Shenmue is coming back but E3 is for announcing games, not begging for money, and since Sony doesn't even have anything to do with the series, this just feels like them taking credit for everyone else paying up for the game.
Also true and worth pointing out.
Thats a great idea. Hope sony do like Dark Cloud next year or even any of the old jRPG franchises. I really have no problem wiht this.
CanUKlehead
Member
It makes Sony look good while masking that they're not actually paying for it. Win win all around. 
But 2 million?? Didn't the first cost 70 million 20 years ago??
But 2 million?? Didn't the first cost 70 million 20 years ago??
It doesn't matter one bit. If it's a KS, people will find a way to complain about it.
Ohhhh yeah. It is. I saw outrage left and right that day.
HERE is the line of thinking i think went down. So people at Sony obviously have been hounded to make this happen. When they analyzed the situation, you get a lot of people saying the games are total shit. Then you get a lot of fans that basically would give up their first born to make it happen.
If Sony would have personally funded this and made it happen, with the money it needed, (2 mil is still decent money), chances are a lot of the PS crowd fanbase would have rejected it. Or, they mainstream it, pissing off every fan that wanted a true Yu vision.
So the best possible scenario is for Sony to give a gigantic endorsement, guaranteeing its success, and putting all blame essentially on the backers and Yu if shit doesnt work out. But because its a kickstarter, Sony gives no fucks, and this will be the pure Yu vision fans have asked for. Its nobody's fault but everyone involved.
If Sony would have personally funded this and made it happen, with the money it needed, (2 mil is still decent money), chances are a lot of the PS crowd fanbase would have rejected it. Or, they mainstream it, pissing off every fan that wanted a true Yu vision.
So the best possible scenario is for Sony to give a gigantic endorsement, guaranteeing its success, and putting all blame essentially on the backers and Yu if shit doesnt work out. But because its a kickstarter, Sony gives no fucks, and this will be the pure Yu vision fans have asked for. Its nobody's fault but everyone involved.
I am on the same page with you. I'm also really baffled by how they torpedoed the hype for TLG with the release date reveal at the end. Like, the game became a joke as a result of its perpetual temporal existence, and you make people wait a year longer? The fuck, guys.
it's happening regardless
opinions dude
made sure to mention that I think a Shenmue 3 kickstarter is a great idea, and kinda the ultimate kickstarter if you ask me
So....we get the games we want and not the games the marketing department thinks we want?
Sounds good to me.
But that's just the thing, what if it didn't happen? I know Shenmue will reach its goal easily but work with me here.
What if the same exact same thing happened for another game and it didn't reach the goal? Would people be like like "Why not back your own game that you show on E3?" or "Why show us a game that might not even get funded wtf?"
I have nothing against it, i'm just interested in possible outcomes.
Wat
Wat
Wat
Several of the best games in recent years were only possible because of Kickstarter.
SteveWinwood
Member
well theyre definitely not making it solely off of 2 million dollars
some money is exchanging hands from somebody somewhere
Dr. Kitty Muffins
Member
I wish there was a PS4 Kickstarter app. I would love to fund games from my dashboard.
You guys saying Sony should just fund it themselves are assuming that Suzuki would want that. I'd assume he prefers his independence or else he'd have signed on with MS or Sony.
Absolutely nothing wrong with the original directer kickstarting a sequel to a long dormant franchise.
Absolutely nothing wrong with the original directer kickstarting a sequel to a long dormant franchise.
Canis lupus
Member
I dunno what's wrong here. They're basically telling you to pre-order a game that may or may not make it.
TheDarkKnight774
Member
No issues with it
If there's not interest, it doesn't happen. If there is, then put your money where your mouth is and back it and it'll happen. Oh and Sony is also supporting the funding of some of it, but this is a very niche release. Its just like the Iga kickstarter
If there's not interest, it doesn't happen. If there is, then put your money where your mouth is and back it and it'll happen. Oh and Sony is also supporting the funding of some of it, but this is a very niche release. Its just like the Iga kickstarter
Go Google it yourself. Look up all the big money failed Kickstarter projects that blew through millions of dollars with nothing to show for it.
And as far as Sony having them on stage? They still proudly associate with Ubisoft and EA, two companies that love to fuck consumers at every turn.
a secret-boss
Banned
got PS4 owners blinded that first party 2015 is barebones
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
You get the games you think you want sure
This.
And I think the PC version was possible because of Kickstarter.
If Sony funded it, it would have been a PS4 exclusive.
Although 2 mill definitely is not enough for developing current gen games.
Maybe Sony isn't funding the rest, but rather some other financers. Maybe making the announcement on stage was how Sony could secure console exclusivity, and that's all.
Hey, I'm happy they announced it. So of course I'm keeping a positive outlook. But seriously, if Sony were financially involved I think even they would think it would be sneaky to their consumers the way this was announced. So that's why I think they aren't funding this.
Hey, I'm happy they announced it. So of course I'm keeping a positive outlook. But seriously, if Sony were financially involved I think even they would think it would be sneaky to their consumers the way this was announced. So that's why I think they aren't funding this.
demosthenes
Member
The game isn't going to cost just 2 mil. It's pc and ps4 only. Im sure Sony is involved somehow.
The impression I am getting from this is the following:
-Sega did not want to fund a sequel, as they cannot afford to do so.
-The creator found out about Kickstarter and through its success, decided to bring to life Shenmue 3 through it
-Got the 'liscence' from Sega to make the project (kinda like how Sony let Harmonix use the Amplitude licence for that kickstarter)
-Sony got wind of this and talked to the creator
-Told him if the game gets X amount of money, they would fund the rest of the tittle under the condition that the PS4 is the only home console it comes to.
-Agreed to this deal and decided to announce the Kickstarter at Sony's Conference to give it max exposure.
That it the deal I think went down and.....I personally don't mind it :l. If Sony or Microsoft couldn't fully fund the project, then it makes since to go through Kickstarter to get the game off the ground, then one of them steps in the rest of the funding. Is it a dirty move? I think so, as it gives Kickstarter the image of "Dumping ground of series/franchises/tittles the publishers don't want to fully fund".
But in a way, Kickstarter is a location of re-birth of forgotten IP, Genre's and game creators, so it being the home to both existing IP (Shantae, Amplitude) and new IP altogether (Yooka-Laylee, Bloodstained, Mighty No. 9, Shovel Knight) is fine in my book.
And....am just glad the game exists. Many, many people have wanted this to happen for god knows how long and it is THE Dream game for many. Now, it is a reality and if publishers don't want to fully fund the thing, then we 'vote with out wallets' and FUND the game ourselves.
-Sega did not want to fund a sequel, as they cannot afford to do so.
-The creator found out about Kickstarter and through its success, decided to bring to life Shenmue 3 through it
-Got the 'liscence' from Sega to make the project (kinda like how Sony let Harmonix use the Amplitude licence for that kickstarter)
-Sony got wind of this and talked to the creator
-Told him if the game gets X amount of money, they would fund the rest of the tittle under the condition that the PS4 is the only home console it comes to.
-Agreed to this deal and decided to announce the Kickstarter at Sony's Conference to give it max exposure.
That it the deal I think went down and.....I personally don't mind it :l. If Sony or Microsoft couldn't fully fund the project, then it makes since to go through Kickstarter to get the game off the ground, then one of them steps in the rest of the funding. Is it a dirty move? I think so, as it gives Kickstarter the image of "Dumping ground of series/franchises/tittles the publishers don't want to fully fund".
But in a way, Kickstarter is a location of re-birth of forgotten IP, Genre's and game creators, so it being the home to both existing IP (Shantae, Amplitude) and new IP altogether (Yooka-Laylee, Bloodstained, Mighty No. 9, Shovel Knight) is fine in my book
. And....am just glad the game exists. Many, many people have wanted this to happen for god knows how long and it is THE Dream game for many. Now, it is a reality and if publishers don't want to fully fund the thing, then we 'vote with out wallets' and FUND the game ourselves
.If there's a chance it'll get funded any other way I agree it's shady, but I don't think anybody was knocking down the doors to fund Shenmue despite how much the fans wanted it. It's been 14 years. It's different for something like the Zach Braff movie where he just didn't wanna owe anybody any money so he went to Kickstarter. He even said people were interested in funding it, but I doubt he wanted to be indebted to people. That's pretty shady imo. This is a different situation.
I'd also be shocked if Sony isn't putting money into this. 2 million is not enough for a game like this, and either they're being super conservative or they have funding from another source as well.
I'd also be shocked if Sony isn't putting money into this. 2 million is not enough for a game like this, and either they're being super conservative or they have funding from another source as well.
I don't really get what's so sneaky. By not publishing it, Sony doesn't have to fork over the money, but they also don't get any extra either. So all they are doing is giving him (maybe free) publiicity. I don't know what kind of arrangement they had behind the scenes, but for something like Shenmue I think this is appropriate - it's been a long, long time and it wasn't even a Sony game to begin with.
SteveWinwood
Member
it was part of sony's hail mary shot to make headlines despite an extremely weak first party lineup.
- drag out last guardian's corpse in much the same state as we last left it, with the intention of having the knack team polish it off.
- acquire a indeterminate timed exclusivity with a third party game that has been a message board urban legend for decades, which is still likely at a conceptual point of development and is far enough from release that any promises made now will be whispers lost in time by the time it arrives.
- affiliate themselves with the kickstarter of one of the most oft asked for sequels of all time within a very particular and vocal set.
the only noteworthy first party game with anything like a release date was uncharted, and that's next year.
- drag out last guardian's corpse in much the same state as we last left it, with the intention of having the knack team polish it off.
- acquire a indeterminate timed exclusivity with a third party game that has been a message board urban legend for decades, which is still likely at a conceptual point of development and is far enough from release that any promises made now will be whispers lost in time by the time it arrives.
- affiliate themselves with the kickstarter of one of the most oft asked for sequels of all time within a very particular and vocal set.
the only noteworthy first party game with anything like a release date was uncharted, and that's next year.
No go Google and see all the fucking amazing games that came out because of Kickstarter and realize that "failed big money kickstarter projects" are a tiny fraction of the sucesses,
But no, I'm going to shit on Kickstar because hurr durr
Storm Chamber
Banned
Its definitely suspect but it not like I fund Kickstarter games before they're released so have at it.