Obsidian's doing a Kickstarter, what are your thoughts?
- Thread starter woodaba
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Wow I missed that part.Thoric485 said:
You can see why Obsidian is tired of working through Publishers. "Hey do a kickstarter that way we won't even have to pay for production, we get to keep your IP, PLUS we take a cut. How can you resist?"
*Facepalm*
So, project update: DRM free game. Several people in this thread said they'll consider pitching in if that's an option and it now is. It will be on GOG - project backers (of appropriate amount) will choose whether they want the game from Steam or GOG. There are few more digital tiers for backing, including "addons" to - pay $25 extra and you get another digital copy. Those who backed the project enough to get the Collector's edition, will also get access to the beta.
Project Update #4: Update #4 - Digital Tiers, DRM, and Add-Ons Update
Well you all did it, you helped us get to $1.6M and we now have a Mac version and are adding more story into the world.
We have also been listening and reading your feedback on Kickstarter and have some changes that are happening as soon as this update is posted. One thing, we are not updating just yet are the stretch goals, but don?t worry those are going to get updated very soon. Oh, and we are putting a schedule together for updates that will include guest stars almost every day ? Josh will be talking more about the design tomorrow (Sep 19), our unflappable CTO Chris Jones (architect of the Fallout and Arcanum engines) on Friday (Sep 20), and I think we will be able to squeeze one in from Mr. Tim Cain over the weekend.
So, what are those changes?!?
DRM Free Option
You asked and we are delivering. In conjunction with GOG, we are going to offer a DRM free version of the game for our Kickstarter Backers. When the campaign ends, you will be able to choose whether you would like a key from GOG or Steam. For our Mac friends, we are still working on a DRM free option, since GOG does not currently support the Mac. Oh, and the great guys at GOG are having a special right now on all of the great Infinity Engine games, so check that out as well.
New Digital Tiers
We are adding a $50 and an $80 digital tier. The $50 tier will get you the digital version of the game, the soundtrack, the digital version of the Collector?s Book, a collection of wallpapers made for multiple resolutions and multiple monitors, high resolution concept art, a high resolution version of the map, and ringtones. For the $80 tier, you will get all of that plus a digital copy of the strategy guide, and a second digital download of the game.
Add-Ons
This is a short list for right now, but we will be adding more as the days pass including some pretty swank Obsidian-wear.
Add a Digital Download of the Game +$25
Add Three Digital Downloads of the Game +$60
As a quick tutorial on how to add add-ons, goto the Project Eternity site on Kickstarter and then hit the Manage Your Pledge button. The reward tier you had already selected will still be selected and the amount will be in the big box at the top. All you need to do is add the dollar amount that covers the add-ons you would like to your pledge and enter the new total number. For instance, if you are at the $35 Pledge level and want to add one Digital Download, you would enter $60 as your total pledge.
New for our Collector's Edition Box Level ($140)
Lastly we want to announce that we are going to give our backers at the Collector?s Edition Box Level ($140) a little extra today and that is Beta access to the game! That?s just a little taste of what we will be adding into tiers in the coming days and weeks through stretch goals and the occasional random act.
Well you all did it, you helped us get to $1.6M and we now have a Mac version and are adding more story into the world.
We have also been listening and reading your feedback on Kickstarter and have some changes that are happening as soon as this update is posted. One thing, we are not updating just yet are the stretch goals, but don?t worry those are going to get updated very soon. Oh, and we are putting a schedule together for updates that will include guest stars almost every day ? Josh will be talking more about the design tomorrow (Sep 19), our unflappable CTO Chris Jones (architect of the Fallout and Arcanum engines) on Friday (Sep 20), and I think we will be able to squeeze one in from Mr. Tim Cain over the weekend.
So, what are those changes?!?
DRM Free Option
You asked and we are delivering. In conjunction with GOG, we are going to offer a DRM free version of the game for our Kickstarter Backers. When the campaign ends, you will be able to choose whether you would like a key from GOG or Steam. For our Mac friends, we are still working on a DRM free option, since GOG does not currently support the Mac. Oh, and the great guys at GOG are having a special right now on all of the great Infinity Engine games, so check that out as well.
New Digital Tiers
We are adding a $50 and an $80 digital tier. The $50 tier will get you the digital version of the game, the soundtrack, the digital version of the Collector?s Book, a collection of wallpapers made for multiple resolutions and multiple monitors, high resolution concept art, a high resolution version of the map, and ringtones. For the $80 tier, you will get all of that plus a digital copy of the strategy guide, and a second digital download of the game.
Add-Ons
This is a short list for right now, but we will be adding more as the days pass including some pretty swank Obsidian-wear.
Add a Digital Download of the Game +$25
Add Three Digital Downloads of the Game +$60
As a quick tutorial on how to add add-ons, goto the Project Eternity site on Kickstarter and then hit the Manage Your Pledge button. The reward tier you had already selected will still be selected and the amount will be in the big box at the top. All you need to do is add the dollar amount that covers the add-ons you would like to your pledge and enter the new total number. For instance, if you are at the $35 Pledge level and want to add one Digital Download, you would enter $60 as your total pledge.
New for our Collector's Edition Box Level ($140)
Lastly we want to announce that we are going to give our backers at the Collector?s Edition Box Level ($140) a little extra today and that is Beta access to the game! That?s just a little taste of what we will be adding into tiers in the coming days and weeks through stretch goals and the occasional random act.
saw this and was thinking of making a similar post, it's good that obsidian is hearing the fans and found a way for it to happen (especially with GoG)DoPo said:
Dude, do you think Obsidian employees can scrounge up 1 million dollars to...pay...themselves? How does that even work? And you are aware that Kidkstarter is essentially the same as you somebody starting their own business, right? The exact same thing happens - you get money from somewhere to fund it. Or do you think that every single person who opens up a business says "Yep, I have these hundreds of thousands lying around gathering dust" before they do. Because, I'll some don't have that kind of money.PercyBoleyn said:
Fact, people want money for work they would be doing. Fact, Obsidian would be doing work. Fact, if they collect money, they'll just pay themselves. What do their own merits or my belief in them have to do with it? They need to do trivial things like eat, pay rents (maybe) and those kinds of stuff. You know, the ones money provide. If they don't get money for their work, well, they'll not be able to work for long, no matter how great they are.PercyBoleyn said:
Depends on the company and the type of investment - some would get constant percentage of profits, others will get money when the company is sold, i.e., finished. For Kickstarter projects (a lot of them, at least) they do get something from investing - pay 25 bucks and you get the game. What Kickstarter does is equivalent to a limited liability. In fact it is limited liability - if the company, or the project in this case, goes bust, you only lose your initial investment, nothing more. This is how LLC works.PercyBoleyn said:
I have a large hatred for Obsidian games and they are by far one of my least favorite video game developers. This is mainly due to the fact that I've shelled out far too much money on their games only to be left broke and disappointed. Alpha Protocol was shit, New Vegas ended up corrupting 3 of my saves and lets not mention the numerous bugs that made Kotor II and the former two games unplayable at times.
bethesda did QA on new vegas...maddawg IAJI said:
yet you blame obsidian. (i swear more gamers don't know this than their are dollars in this kickstarter, and that's quite a bit.)
kotor II was unplayable for some due to the insanely fucked up release date it was pushed upon by lucas arts, not to mention obsidian wanted to release a patch out for all the missed content, but lucas arts said no to it.
also, the restoration mod's more than make up for that point, please try them if you haven't.
alpha protocol is your opinion to dislike it, fair enough, but i feel the other 2 are ones you shouldn't put so much fervent distaste into.
Whats funny is that the only things in common with Obsidian's games areTeletubbiesGolfGun said:
1. They are buggy
2. Obsidian
3. they have a different publisher every time
With these facts in mind we are left with two options
1. Either Obsidian cant make stable games
2. Obsidian magically got a series of publisher that, while being able to do QA quite well on not only their games but other devs under their publishing wing, yet magically failed to do QA for OBsidian, and only Obsidian's games.
Occam's razor demands that we pick the option with the least number of assumptions, which is to say option one.
I have never EVER said that obsidian is amazing at QA, nor that they will magically be in upcoming products, but to have fervent dislike/hate over someone else's wrong doings or based on misconceptions, that's when I generally step in to add that.SajuukKhar said:
funny that, every obsidian game i've ever played, quite a few of them that you love mentioning, i've played from DAY 1 without a hitch, while you claim opposite. Why is your opinion/experience of any greater worth than mine?
Not to mention even the buggy ones were still fun. Still, I solved KotOR 2 without a hitch, twice even, light then dark. I solved a patched version of New Vegas and got 150 hours of glitch free gaming. Its been pointed out time and again that ultimate QA is in the hands of the publisher, on almost every occasion games have been pushed out the door before Obsidian was ready because the publisher wanted to start making some cash, stat.
I guess this Kickstarter will be the true test, no publisher oversight and the ability to set their own release date. I was happy to lay my money down, its $25 for Christ's sake, not my fucking life savings. Even if I never see a game "Oops, well there's a couple of pizzas I didn't get to buy".
I guess this Kickstarter will be the true test, no publisher oversight and the ability to set their own release date. I was happy to lay my money down, its $25 for Christ's sake, not my fucking life savings. Even if I never see a game "Oops, well there's a couple of pizzas I didn't get to buy".
Might wanna check that again honestly, because looking at past history in how publishers treated them, the second option (though it has been put in an EXTREMELY hyperbolic manner, is the one with less stipulation:SajuukKhar said:
Example:
Kotor 2, promised 18 months development, was suddenly cut down to 13 months to make a december release.
They requested to be allowed to at least develop a patch to fix it a bit more, Lucasarts refused to let them,
I can provide more examples if you wish, but obsidian has not been treated nicely in the past by publishers, and (now THIS is stipulation/speculation) that some publishers possibly intentionally sabotaged them just enough to prevent them from gaining a monetary bonus (ala FO:NV with a meta score of 84 (needed an 85))
