Reconsider for Indie!

I have read the forums and understand that you don't plan on using Kickstarter/Crowdsource funding. Because of that Im here to ask that you reconsider. PC gaming is dieing on the main stream. While on the Indie side of the house its booming. This is PC gamers telling large developers and publishers that we wont continue to buy your trash for 50 or 60 dollars and get a incomplete game. Instead we will give and support indie companies. These companies have proven that they don't just want to make money. They want to make a game they care about as much as the fans. The large use of crowdsource funding as allowed for indie development to boom and make a statement to the big dogs of the industry. Every successfully crowdfunded project is a win for indie PC gaming! So you know I will be your first donator of at least $200.00 - $250.00!

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Just buy it when it's done? I would expect Gaslamp took into account the... rabidness of some of us in the fanbase when deciding on the no-crowdsource, no-preorder approach.

Perhaps use the pledge to buy the Dredmor shirts and plush diggles?

 

Gaslamp said a long time ago that they had a Mysterious Donor that basically told them to start making Clockwork Empires. I think that has the most to do with their decision.

 

Also, that talk Nicholas did: "Our monetization plan is to make a game. A good game. Then sell it to people. For money" or something like that.

 

Kickstarter also, basically, could lead to Gaslamp hoisting themselves on their own petard. If they fail to deliver or have to change the game considerably, then it's likely that (some) people would kick off and cause issues, not to mention it puts even more pressure on them - they've not just got to get a product out to sell it, they've got these (potentially) thousands of people looming over them, breathing down their collars.

If GLG feel comfortable not using Kickstarter - and kudos, IMHO, it's quickly become "overused" - then I don't think we should question that. Yeah, I think it's safe to say all of us here want to see them succeed, but there are other ways to support them - buy more copies of the game (for yourself or friends), buy both soundtrack releases for above the minimum price, buy the merch (if shipping isn't stupidly expensive for you). Even just telling people about Dredmor helps.

 

My personal take on to kickstart/not to kickstart is that kickstarter means you need to waste time with the kickstarter - if you don't need to deal with it, don't.

 

I don't have any personal gripes with Kickstarter but I don't see the logic - why would they want to open themselves up to crowdfunding if funding for development has already been secured? The purpose of Kickstarter and similar crowdfunding venues isn't to get more money because your fans are crazy (though we've got a lot of crazy to go around here so if they ever needed to tap into that madness we've got more than enough), it's to allow projects that have something to show but lack the backing to really take off on their own to get created. I'll echo Althea here, I feel like Kickstarter has become seriously overused and not for its' intended purpose.

 

Hello all,

I've read all of the post thus far and want you all to know that I appreciate your replys and respect you'll point of views. But I'm seeing A few similarity's from most of the reply's:

1.Waste of time/ Overfunding If you go and preorder a game from Gamespot, Amazon etc. From a larger developer for a (Blockbuster title)its not considered overused Also companies are always seeking new investors / funding regardless of the business size. With a Kickstarter etc it allows smaller companies to do both. Along with a opportunity to receive a large amount of free advertising. Now to be clear Ive no clue on Gaslamp financial situation and I don't want to seem like I do. I do know the basics of business and funding is an vital part. Now if Gaslamp has ample funding to complete the game thats understandable but its also ever to early to get out of the red.

2. Pressure, Anytime someone creates something new or something in general there will be pressure to create it to the best of their ability from the customer. This will happen regardless, so to pass up funding because of it is silly in my book.

3.

Or get 4 copies of Clockwork Empires for me and my friends and the soundtrack.

In the end I know its completely up to Gaslamp to make their own financial decisions without some random guy giving tips on a forum. In the end though that's what forums are for, conversation. Please understand I only wish the best for Clockwork Empires and Gaslamp Games in the end.

 

I know this discussion is mostly over, but I just wanted to try and sum it up. Gaslamp isn't taking preorders/kickstarter/donations because they are already a company with a product that's selling. They have enough cash in the bank to get through development of CE. It's nice of you to think of them, but if you want to show support just buy Dredmor and its expansions. Or Gaslamp merch if/when it makes it to the store.

 

Considering Gaslamp built Dredmor for <$4000 + Time (if I recall Nicholas' presentation correctly)...

(The flip view, if you take the pessimist's view of the AAA side of the industry, is that preorders are geared towards obtaining the customer's money before word of mouth gets around to counteract the tame review websites and hurt sales.</cynic>)

 

Yeah, that. Personally I just stole two of my closest friends' time by buying them DoD and the expansions later (not all, since both of them got the first one of their own).
It really is a good way to support GLG because that way more people will be able to play DoD, and it makes people know who GLG are (which may be a really good "advertisement").

 

No preorder? Oh come on! How are we supposed to get TF2 promos then?

 

I'm guessing the mysterious donor is public funding. Clockwork Empires may well have some (perceived, and probably also actual) artistic value or scientific value that was good enough to pique the interest of some or other group or university, I bet.

At least in the US, public funding is often mutually exclusive with private fundraising (IE going public) for firms that stand to profit on what they will be doing.

This seems to make sense, why should taxpayers fund someone who could do perfectly well on their own? It really doesn't, if someone has something so interesting that both ways are available to them, by all means they should be able to raise funds from both sources and improve their chances of success. Investment in firms shouldn't be seen as a kind of welfare, but rather as a kind of industrial policy ("picking winners" as some people put it, this is derogatory). It's meant to break into new industries and technologies, not to even out the playing field and give everyone a chance to compete.

 

The best thing you can do right now is gift Dredmor and its many expansions to other people. We've all spent way more time on it than we expected when we first put in our money, so it's only fair.

Also you should save your money for the iPad port that is eventually going to be here.

 

SkyMuffin beat me to it, but I'll go on anyway. Want to crowdsource this game? You'd be doing them a great favor by pretty much passing out Dungeons of Dredmor like it was Halloween candy. This not only will get them development money, but you'll be exposing Gaslamp's works to people. Once people are familiar with the sort of products Gaslamp Games makes, they're much more likely to buy Clockwork Empires. In a way your money works twice as hard that way. Three or four times as hard if your friend(s) wind up really enjoying Dungeons of Dredmor and telling non-mutual friends about it. See how much more effective this is than just simply crowdsourcing it?

(All that said, we as a community should totally organize a "Dredmor for the Masses!" type rally if we'd really like to flush the with funds)


I pretty much bought Dredmor for everyone on my Steam friend list that doesn't already have it.

 

No, you can't free Dredmor. You are supposed to kill him.

 

David...<sigh>...you really don't understand, do you? We're trying to GIVE YOU MONEY, not get you to hand out free games!

This would never happen if Gaslamp was an American company.


(Speaking of which, if anyone wants to give ME money to support my otherwise totally free work on the weapon skills and resurrecting Deadshot, feel free to send money to my Paypal address. PM me for details.)

 

Yup, gotta back Essence here. It's great that you want to give out free copies of DoD for people, but really, it is a great game for a good price and most of us would rather give you more money than get more free stuff.
Personally I'd buy a diggle but it would cost much, much more than I would be willing to spend due to hellish transport fees, so instead I'm just making my friends hate me for getting random gifts and being told they aren't to repay me.