The smashing success of the Batman: Gotham City Chronicles kickstarter

[Zontar]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/806316071/batmantm-gotham-city-chronicles

For those unaware, Monolith Games, the guys responsible for the Conan board game and Mythic Battles: Pantheon, have just created a new board game kickstarter, Batman, Gotham City Chronicles.

It's actually their most impressive to date, given it took less then 3 hours to reach its half a million dollar goal, and has so far almost reached 3 million after two weeks and has unlocked 37 stretch goals. It's actually pretty impressive having watching it go from the initial core box sets (or those plus the 4 expansions if you're going for the higher tier) to reaching so much added due to the stretch goals, to the point the base game level pledge is less then a dollar per miniature.

Given how good Conan was I can't say I'm not excited for this, so I personally have pledged for the higher of the two tiers and have long past the point where if the stretch goals stopped I'd have been happy. Though at this point, since it's a kickstarter exclusive (probably due to Conan's failure at retail) I've been considering buying a second set to sell on Ebay later at a 200-400% markup.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

As much as I'm sure its a cute little game, I just can't do kickstarter anymore. It seems like such a dodgy site these days, and the 'legit' projects are so massively outweighed by the shit ones, it ain't worth the risk.

Hope it works out for them, but I ain't gonna chip in one red cent.

 

[Zontar]

As much as I'm sure its a cute little game, I just can't do kickstarter anymore. It seems like such a dodgy site these days, and the 'legit' projects are so massively outweighed by the shit ones, it ain't worth the risk.

Hope it works out for them, but I ain't gonna chip in one red cent.

This is true of video game kickstarters, but board game ones have a pretty good track record

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

As much as I'm sure its a cute little game, I just can't do kickstarter anymore. It seems like such a dodgy site these days, and the 'legit' projects are so massively outweighed by the shit ones, it ain't worth the risk.

Hope it works out for them, but I ain't gonna chip in one red cent.

This is true of video game kickstarters, but board game ones have a pretty good track record

Is that so? I only ever backed a few games, a book, and some 3d models, and never got a single one. I'll have to look into the board game tab.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

As much as I'm sure its a cute little game, I just can't do kickstarter anymore. It seems like such a dodgy site these days, and the 'legit' projects are so massively outweighed by the shit ones, it ain't worth the risk.

Hope it works out for them, but I ain't gonna chip in one red cent.

This is true of video game kickstarters, but board game ones have a pretty good track record

Is that so? I only ever backed a few games, a book, and some 3d models, and never got a single one. I'll have to look into the board game tab.

I play board games at least twice a week and numerous friends have kickstarted games and there's never been more than an occasional delay with regards to them going "bad". I just played Dinosaur Island (basically Jurassic Park the board game) this past Monday with a friend that kickstarted it and he got amber dice and money coins that are literally as thick as a stack of 3 quarters.

 

[Zontar]

As much as I'm sure its a cute little game, I just can't do kickstarter anymore. It seems like such a dodgy site these days, and the 'legit' projects are so massively outweighed by the shit ones, it ain't worth the risk.

Hope it works out for them, but I ain't gonna chip in one red cent.

This is true of video game kickstarters, but board game ones have a pretty good track record

Is that so? I only ever backed a few games, a book, and some 3d models, and never got a single one. I'll have to look into the board game tab.

I play board games at least twice a week and numerous friends have kickstarted games and there's never been more than an occasional delay with regards to them going "bad". I just played Dinosaur Island (basically Jurassic Park the board game) this past Monday with a friend that kickstarted it and he got amber dice and money coins that are literally as thick as a stack of 3 quarters.

I think board games have a better track record due to the fact those who are involved in making these kickstarters tend to have at least some experience making the games, and it's pretty hard to screw up compared to a video game. Hell Robotech RPG Tactics is the big disaster amongst board game kickstarters, and they still managed to ship the lower tier pledges.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

I think board games have a better track record due to the fact those who are involved in making these kickstarters tend to have at least some experience making the games, and it's pretty hard to screw up compared to a video game. Hell Robotech RPG Tactics is the big disaster amongst board game kickstarters, and they still managed to ship the lower tier pledges.

I think board games are harder to develop with regards to developing/balancing game mechanics because you can't have one optimum strategy or playstyle in a board game (as that kills any board game), but in video games that happens all the time. However, actually making a board game itself (once you have the game mechanics/balance playtested and finalized) is a lot easier than a video game.

 

[fix-the-spade]

It seems like such a dodgy site these days, and the 'legit' projects are so massively outweighed by the shit ones, it ain't worth the risk.

That has been the case with crowd funding, always.

Having said that, nothing I've crowdfunded so far has disappointed me yet, books, games, comics, although the all new N64 controllers have yet to arrive so there's time yet.

Avoiding paper launches and overly complicated stretch goals seems to be the key to me. Any project that only has drawings to show or has ridiculous plans for celebrity voiceovers and art books can sing to the wind.

My only question about this is why a DC board game is being crowdfunded at all? Did Warner Brothers suddenly run out of money, did they not believe in any market interest or did they just cheap out massively like normal?

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

My only question about this is why a DC board game is being crowdfunded at all? Did Warner Brothers suddenly run out of money, did they not believe in any market interest or did they just cheap out massively like normal?

Haha, that is a good point but I guess they don't see the board game market as big enough. I wonder how much these guys had to pay for the rights though. I guess Asmodee hasn't bought the DC board game rights yet, they are literally the Disney of board games, they own everything.

 

[sXeth]

I think board games have a better track record due to the fact those who are involved in making these kickstarters tend to have at least some experience making the games, and it's pretty hard to screw up compared to a video game. Hell Robotech RPG Tactics is the big disaster amongst board game kickstarters, and they still managed to ship the lower tier pledges.

I think board games are harder to develop with regards to developing/balancing game mechanics because you can't have one optimum strategy or playstyle in a board game (as that kills any board game), but in video games that happens all the time. However, actually making a board game itself (once you have the game mechanics/balance playtested and finalized) is a lot easier than a video game.

Yeah, once you get the design process down. The actual making of the board game is just general printing basics (and dice and tokens and whatever are just quick 3d printing jobs).

Compared to designing a video game concept, then needing to license an engine, get coders, graphic programmers, sound recording, bug testers, deal with multiple digital storefronts, patching bugs related to specific hardware. Along with buying equipment likely, office space, and if there's a physical copy, still having to do the printing stuff on top.