15 replies to this topic

[BrosBeforeGardenTools]

[Kickstarter Part 2] Tear my Kickstarter apart... time to wash my hands and redo.

My Kickstarter is in my sig. It didn't get funded, and I don't think it will. The way I see it, this can be for two reasons:

1. The Kickstarter was ineffective.

2. There is no market for it.

I'm pretty sure it's 1.

I would like to reboot my Kickstarter with an improved page and hopefully some improved concepts.

The first thing I'm going to do is introduce an improved version of that game Sorceror and Tom played to be on my platform. Improvements would include having a real model replace the blond-haired girl, bug fixes, making it easier to understand, and an increase in length.

The reason why I should do this and put a focus on this game is because I feel like this is the best-looking game I have developed... that is light enough to be run on tablet hardware.

Sorceror said I should just focus on games and not hardware. I CAN do this, but I feel like I'd only be reaching part of my dream, a mere half of it.

Still, Kickstarter seems to be a bit more welcoming toward games than it is hardware. I think I need to start my page talking about that.

But one of the main things, is that people were confused. I wanted to stress that I was not designing the hardware. And I did, but I stressed it a bit too much. I was told by a potential backer that I stressed this to the extent that they and others will just think I'm reselling a tablet and will close the page before they get to the talk of games, which in their opinion makes the hardware okay once you introduce the new App Store. I need to fix this somehow to be better understood.

My vision was to focus on first-party instead of third-party. However, products like the Ouya focus on third-party. I'm wondering if I somehow need to make some adjustments?

Also, I'm wondering if I should remove this screenshot - I was once told the art made me look like an amateur. I was wondering if it was better not to have it at all:

 

I will also crunch some numbers and see whether I can drop my goal. People need to feel like they are funding this, not throwing money at the wind.

And I'm also afraid there will be some sticker shock to a $299 tablet.

Nevertheless, I feel like I should stick in the footsteps on Nintendo when making a hardware device. Not completely, but I mean, they make money on their business, while Microsoft and Sony seem to take losses sometimes.

What is most important, is I need to make people actually believe.

Now there are some good minds here. If you care to share, maybe you can point me in the right direction. Or if you think it's a total waste, there's a chance I might still listen.

My personal motive is having a project to spend my time at, and doing it well. I might even take fame over fortune.

[KeptMyWiiUAndLeftTheForums]

I'm know pretty much nothing, kickstarter or the likes. I can agree with removing that artwork though. Definitely makes you look amateur (no offence intended, just being honest!).

[BrosBeforeGardenTools]

I'm know pretty much nothing, kickstarter or the likes. I can agree with removing that artwork though. Definitely makes you look amateur (no offence intended, just being honest!).

 

No offense taken.

Yo guys, check the bottom of my sig for my latest Kickstarter draft.

[Leland]

Since you're asking for honest opinions, I think you might have trouble getting this funded.

You might want to consider narrowing your scope a little - maybe focus on getting ONE awesome game demo up and running before you seek funding. You've announced three whole games here, an app store and a tablet, but nothing that looks very high quality (yet).

I'm also curious, why a tablet and an app store? The uplay tablets are, forgive me for saying, kind of craptastic. You might have better luck marketing to more well established tablets like Apple's and Google's.

Anyway, that's just my opinion - good luck with your Kickstarter!

[BrosBeforeGardenTools]

Since you're asking for honest opinions, I think you might have trouble getting this funded.
You might want to consider narrowing your scope a little - maybe focus on getting ONE awesome game demo up and running before you seek funding. You've announced three whole games here, an app store and a tablet, but nothing that looks very high quality (yet).
I'm also curious, why a tablet and an app store? The uplay tablets are, forgive me for saying, kind of craptastic. You might have better luck marketing to more well established tablets like Apple's and Google's.
Anyway, that's just my opinion - good luck with your Kickstarter!

I'll only comment on one area for now - making games for Google and Apple tablets is a pain vs. making games for a custom tablet.

I'll give you an example. Samsung has a blocking feature on their tablets which makes it hard to test your games on them.

Now LOTS of developers do make games for Apple and Google, but it can easily double development time.

Also, how did this get funded? https://www.kickstar...l?ref=discovery

Did people like his drawings or something?

[ChrisD]

First off, I highly agree with Leland. You are stretching yourself out way too thin here. It's difficult to focus down onto your market whenever said market is actually three. The goal of $6k also seems pretty low for so many things; and that can easily drive away interested investors. I mean most games on Kickstarter ask for at least a thousand. Yet here's a guy claiming that for only $6k he can get three fully-fledged games to be a reality, make a new tablet, and open up a brand new ecosytem? It seems far-fetched. I don't think you should choose an exorbitant goal, but you should definitely find something more reasonable.

 

Now just a few quick opinions. So like... 

 

The Very Unique App Store will be used to buy special games of my vision, created by me, on PC.

 

this line. Right here is where I lost interest. Look at this from a consumer's stand point: everything out there is special, everything is created by someone, and most every game is made on PC. You have already lost the game of garnering interest. Your headlining points are, simply put, nothing special. And that's no good.

 

Sounds boring, huh?

I've probably put you to sleep by now?

 

 

Don't do this. You don't want to down talk your product. Ever. You notice that in ads on television everything is always the best of its kind? That's because nobody wants something worse than what they have. They want the better. They want the best. Don't lie, of course, but talk UP your product. What it brings, what it excels in, why we want it.

 

I also don't think that the potato salad joke is much of a help either. Too much of a meta joke... also it's redirecting attention to other Kickstarters.

 

 

 

If I'm being honest you really should completely re-do the whole thing -- as three separate things. Two at the VERY least. 

[BrosBeforeGardenTools]

Okay, I will see.

Doing all this on $6k IS a stretch, but I'm using pre-engineering and some of my own work to reduce costs. For example, had I not gone with uPlay and went custom, I would need almost 50k - not 6k.

Also, I might get in trouble for saying this, but people LOVE wackiness, gimmicks, and humor on Kickstarter. I and you pretty much don't, though.

Edit: I "axed" the tablet idea. For now.

[Leland]

I'll only comment on one area for now - making games for Google and Apple tablets is a pain vs. making games for a custom tablet.

I'll give you an example. Samsung has a blocking feature on their tablets which makes it hard to test your games on them.

Now LOTS of developers do make games for Apple and Google, but it can easily double development time.

I can't say I've experienced what you're talking about, but three of my friends and I have been writing our first iPhone game over the past 18 months on a couple of MacBooks with Xcode, and it's been exceedingly simple (and cheap). We have a fifth guy who's helping to port the game engine to Android and he's not reporting anything unusual in the way of development difficulty.

All told I think we've spent about $1700 out of pocket. With all the work that it's taken, I wouldn't even want to imagine how much more effort it would take to market and sell our own platform - I don't envy you taking this on all by yourself on $6,000.

Also, how did this get funded? https://www.kickstar...l?ref=discovery

Did people like his drawings or something?

I don't know, but I'm not sure I would assume that this is a good example of the type of result you should expect from Kickstarter.

Anyway, if it's just you working alone, I'd recommend that you might want to spend time just polishing one demo before anything else - you might be surprised how much time it takes for everything to come together. It was pretty difficult to tell what was happening in your demo movie, so I'm guessing you aren't too far along on it.

[BrosBeforeGardenTools]

You might want to check out my Kickstarter (the second link) again guys. I made some minor alterations.

I actually really do appreciate the quality feedback.

[NintendoReport]

I would scrap kickstarter and focus on your games by setting up a campaign on Patreon. Patreon doesn't have a timetable and people who decide to fund you will do so on a monthly basis, not a one time payment.

 

But, to get this working you have to offer rewards or bonuses for people so they are interested in supporting your endeavor. Perhaps you could give certain pledge levels early access to beta testing, name in credits, have characters named after them etc. These are just some ideas but I really think it would benefit you.

[BrosBeforeGardenTools]

I would scrap kickstarter and focus on your games by setting up a campaign on Patreon. Patreon doesn't have a timetable and people who decide to fund you will do so on a monthly basis, not a one time payment.
 
But, to get this working you have to offer rewards or bonuses for people so they are interested in supporting your endeavor. Perhaps you could give certain pledge levels early access to beta testing, name in credits, have characters named after them etc. These are just some ideas but I really think it would benefit you.

Maybe. I'm too rattled up by the thing I posted in my status update to think right now.

[NintendoReport]

Maybe. I'm too rattled up by the thing I posted in my status update to think right now.

 

Check out my Patreon page in my sig below, so you can see how it is setup. Obviously it's a totally different industry but you can get an idea. oh... and don't let that bother you. Keep your head up and take that energy and turn it into a positive. 

[Raiden]

No way with 6k you can develop 3 games and a tablet. Treachery in Beatdown City an 8 bit styled game took $50,000 to fund.

https://www.kickstar...al-beat-em-up-0

 3 people and 50 grand and you all by yourself will make 3 games and a tablet on 6k? Sorry bud not happening.

[BrosBeforeGardenTools]

No comment.

[KeptMyWiiUAndLeftTheForums]

Just came to say:

Also, how did this get funded? https://www.kickstar...l?ref=discovery

Did people like his drawings or something?

 

99% sure this is a joke.

[BrosBeforeGardenTools]

I won't be relaunching.