Dubious Kickstarter at $21,000 and [Edit] (Hopefully) Dropping

[fletch_talon]

I was browsing kickstarter today, the video and tabletop games sections, when I cam across an odd one.
[link]http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/susanwilson/9-year-old-building-an-rpg-to-prove-her-brothers-w?ref=category[/link]

Long story short, a mother wants to help her 9 yr old daughter go to a camp to learn how to make a videogame.
It seems a noble cause at first, especially considering recent issues with claims of unfair treatment of women in technological industries and especially videogames. However...

Kickstarter rules explicitly state that charity or "fund my life" projects are not acceptable. Now despite the promise of a completed "game" (created by a 9 year old as a learning excercise), the project is essentially a way for them to send this child to a camp and buy her a new laptop.
But that's not so bad I guess, after all we'd be helping a young girl achieve something she would otherwise be unable to do. Except...

Spoiler

Corey Brin, a backer of this kickstarter has posted this picture in the comments, along with comments speaking out against it.
Not only does it seem that Susan Wilson has no regard for the policies of Kickstarter but she's also rich (sorry, successful). Far richer than most of us, and likely richer than most of the people backing her kickstarter.

What initially appears to be a touching story about a young child achieving her dreams and breaking gender barriers in what is percieved as a misoginist industry, is looking more and more like a scam to line a rich person's wallet.

Given recent news and the Escapist community's general "interest" in this subject matter, I wanted to bring it to your attention and see what the general concensus is.

Personally, and fairly obviously given that I've posted this topic, I think its disgusting. A deliberate misuse of what has otherwise been a useful tool to the industry and especially independant developers.
Granted, big names with lots of money have been using it recently, but all have done so with the promise of a full and completed product that would be fit for retail and have been open about what they truly wanted to achieve (creating games without publisher's interfering). To me, Susan Wilson is using her child, and recent contraversy to make easy money with very little offered in return. As others have said in the comments, some of the outrage would likely be quelled if the excess money (all 21+ thousand dollars of it) was put towards a program which helped children from less fortunate families get the same oppurtunities that her daughter is. Sadly that's yet to become the case.

 

[Orange12345]

(for reference "rich" in this case means multi-millionaire)

I think kickstarter needs to be included in the coming flurry of shit ricochet from the fan, this is not the first time things like this have slipped through and if they refuse to take responsibility I seriously hope it starts to damage the business

 

[Ryotknife]

....?

If true this seems like a really stupid idea. If she is a multi-millionaire she stands to lose significantly more than the money she is scamming from lawsuits.

 

[DefunctTheory]

/sigh

Kickstarter is a fantastic idea, but things like this was the first thing that popped into my head when I first heard of the project.

I agree with Orange. Pretty soon, kickstarter is going to to be involved in a very sad, public catastrophic event in regard to things like this. I hope they survive.

 

[aba1]

I hate when people get things for just being a girl or religious or having a different skin colour. I really wish people would just get over these arbitrary groupings and people would start rewarding each other one actual merit instead of arbitrary physical aspects.

 

[fletch_talon]

/sigh

Kickstarter is a fantastic idea, but things like this was the first thing that popped into my head when I first heard of the project.

I agree with Orange. Pretty soon, kickstarter is going to to be involved in a very sad, public catastrophic event in regard to things like this. I hope they survive.

I agree as well.
The misuse needs to be cracked down on, but the concept needs to stick around.
Because of Kickstarter I'm getting a publisher free sequel to Broken Sword, a bunch of cheap (relatively) good quality miniature painting brushes, and a massive amount of miniatures to paint, including some from a small operation that are better sculpted and more detailed than anything I've seen from big miniature companies.

 

[Newtonyd]

I guess a fool and his money are soon parted. I don't really have much sympathy for the people who donated, the entire page is pretty shady looking for something supposedly made by a 9 year old.

The woman herself seems to be the perfect example of scum always floating to the top. Domain hoarding AND debt collecting harassment? Why not just sell your kids and add child trafficking to the list? The way she pimps out her daughter tells me she's not far from it anyway.

 

[Thoric485]

The thing is she actually runs her own crowdfunding site - FundHer (female-only because reasons). I'm kinda wondering if she's not intentionally breaking Kickstarter TOS, so if her project is stopped she can make a fuss and move it to her own site, along with a good number of the 1000+ backers and everyone following.

Sure, it's dumb and transparent, but so is being a millionaire and asking the public to fund your daughter's game camp, or your husband's cape-making hobby. [http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/susanwilson/the-cape-project]

Also, part of the merchandise of the 9-year old's Kickstarter:

Yes, rich people really are as dumb and horrible as you thought.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

I was browsing kickstarter today, the video and tabletop games sections, when I cam across an odd one.
[link]http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/susanwilson/9-year-old-building-an-rpg-to-prove-her-brothers-w?ref=category[/link]

Long story short, a mother wants to help her 9 yr old daughter go to a camp to learn how to make a videogame.
It seems a noble cause at first, especially considering recent issues with claims of unfair treatment of women in technological industries and especially videogames. However...

Kickstarter rules explicitly state that charity or "fund my life" projects are not acceptable. Now despite the promise of a completed "game" (created by a 9 year old as a learning excercise), the project is essentially a way for them to send this child to a camp and buy her a new laptop.
But that's not so bad I guess, after all we'd be helping a young girl achieve something she would otherwise be unable to do. Except...

Spoiler

Corey Brin, a backer of this kickstarter has posted this picture in the comments, along with comments speaking out against it.
Not only does it seem that Susan Wilson has no regard for the policies of Kickstarter but she's also rich (sorry, successful). Far richer than most of us, and likely richer than most of the people backing her kickstarter.

What initially appears to be a touching story about a young child achieving her dreams and breaking gender barriers in what is percieved as a misoginist industry, is looking more and more like a scam to line a rich person's wallet.

Given recent news and the Escapist community's general "interest" in this subject matter, I wanted to bring it to your attention and see what the general concensus is.

Personally, and fairly obviously given that I've posted this topic, I think its disgusting. A deliberate misuse of what has otherwise been a useful tool to the industry and especially independant developers.
Granted, big names with lots of money have been using it recently, but all have done so with the promise of a full and completed product that would be fit for retail and have been open about what they truly wanted to achieve (creating games without publisher's interfering). To me, Susan Wilson is using her child, and recent contraversy to make easy money with very little offered in return. As others have said in the comments, some of the outrage would likely be quelled if the excess money (all 21+ thousand dollars of it) was put towards a program which helped children from less fortunate families get the same oppurtunities that her daughter is. Sadly that's yet to become the case.

There is a report button at the bottom of the project page, use it if this Kickstarter troubles you so. And thanks for the heads up.

 

[ToastiestZombie]

This is also kind of child abuse. Children always tease each-other, and boys as young as them are still going through the "EW Cooties! Girls are icky!" phase that every boy goes through. Now she's publicly shaming her two sons, and anyone who pledges some massive amount gets a forced phone call from the two sons to say I'm sorry. The mum is clearly trying to start some sort of war between her two kids, why else would she put that god-awful "Daughter vs. TERRIBLE SONS!" picture at the top of the Kickstarter?

Also, this isn't justified just because they said they're going to make a game (In a week, with a 9 year old). A scam isn't alright if I say "Oh, and I'm drawing a picture that I'll send to you!". And the prospect of the kid making games when she's older also doesn't count, because at 9 years old we all had "dreams" that we never really pursued in any big way, and Kickstarter isn't for "She might make something a few years from now" it's "We will make this, but we need the money"

The worst part is that she IS one of the richest women in the world, why the fuck does she need poorer people to help her when she could easily pay for it on her own?

 

[FEichinger]

Amount of people calling for Kickstarter restrictions because other people are too dumb to figure this out: Far too many.

Are you kidding me? This was obvious to be either a scam or pretty damn wrong from the start. The very setup of the whole thing, I mean ... wtf? I looked at it a couple of days ago and thought to myself "Well, at least it doesn't ask for much."

If people are stupid enough not to do their research and blindly overfund something, it is their own bloody fault, not Kickstarter's.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

Amount of people calling for Kickstarter restrictions because other people are too dumb to figure this out: Far too many.

Are you kidding me? This was obvious to be either a scam or pretty damn wrong from the start. The very setup of the whole thing, I mean ... wtf? I looked at it a couple of days ago and thought to myself "Well, at least it doesn't ask for much."

If people are stupid enough not to do their research and blindly overfund something, it is their own bloody fault, not Kickstarter's.

The thing is there are restrictions to what you can kickstart, its just that people aren't using that button at the bottom of the page that has Report this project to Kickstarter

 

[ToastiestZombie]

Amount of people calling for Kickstarter restrictions because other people are too dumb to figure this out: Far too many.

Are you kidding me? This was obvious to be either a scam or pretty damn wrong from the start. The very setup of the whole thing, I mean ... wtf? I looked at it a couple of days ago and thought to myself "Well, at least it doesn't ask for much."

If people are stupid enough not to do their research and blindly overfund something, it is their own bloody fault, not Kickstarter's.

The thing is there are restrictions to what you can kickstart, its just that people aren't using that button at the bottom of the page that has Report this project to Kickstarter

I browse 4chan sometimes, and this has gotten on there. They really, really hate feminists so there has most likely been a LOT of people have reported it. The problem is it has a load of people who blindly defend it, who's arguments basically resort to "You go girl!" and "You're a troll", or the always good "If you don't like it don't back it".

 

[Strazdas]

what the flying fuck?

Yeah. What the fuck do game ratings have to do with games she might like? That last part of the picture is utter bullshit.

the first though that crossed my mind after reading the OP. that is totaly unnecessary part.

as for the topci itself, hey, 6 months ago, i told you this is what kickstarter is going to become. you ignored me, well, now you cant.

 

[fletch_talon]

There is a report button at the bottom of the project page, use it if this Kickstarter troubles you so. And thanks for the heads up.

Ah thank you, I never found it, though I didn't take a lot of time to look, I came across it not too long before going to work and wanted to get this topic out first. I'll certainly be using it now.

...And done. Listed it as a Charity, but also mentioned the excellent point made above of the $10,000 pledge reward being practical child abuse in the form of public humiliation.

 

[loa]

Looks like a case of "this is why we can't have nice things".