This is funny! These two guys want to push Valve into making Half-Life 3 with a crowdfunding campaign. We Want Half-Life 3 Good idea, but probably isn't going to work.
If only crowdfunging was what it should be. Ask me about the producer credit that cost me a grand. I didn't get it nor a copy of the movie that I was promised. I'm done with crowdfunding. Please don't ask, it gets me blood a-boilin'.
I have crowdfunded 3 projects on Kickstarter and bought two in-progress beta games. So far the Kickstarter projects have been less than desirable. Two of them I haven't heard any updates and the third is a great game, but obviously will never read AAA status. The two games I pre-purchased the beta are totally awesome! I think crowdfunding is a GREAT idea, but obviously has to be used in a way that will get attention and provide what the funders want. There are a few kickstarter games that I wanted to fund but didn't because I knew they would definitely make it. Crowdfunding just seems like another niche marketing trick to get money from us. Some are totally successful but most aren't
I wouldn't mind crowdfunding my own self. For all of your pledges, I will send an autographed photo of something. Any takers?
I'm up for that, how much for the limited special collectors edition pledge tier? I am admittedly making fun of myself right now. I've pledged to five crowdfunded projects. The thing with crowdfunding is that just about anyone can start such a project, and it really is up to the backer to decide if the project is run by trustworthy people. And yeah, with all those projects I kind of went a little overboard to get those limited collectors edition rewards. It is weak point. The projects I backed were mostly veterans from the gaming industry so I felt confident that the projects were sincere and in fact reliable. I think that the idea for crowdfunding is great, and a lot of people use it for the right idea. They don't need to rely on money from a publisher which could force them to make changes to a project. Instead they can get the funding from people who want the project as it is proposed. Of course, there will always be the less reliable people who can't deliver the promised work, or even those who are actually just out to get easy money. So one should always try to look into who is asking for this money, does it look reliable or not. Crowdfunding is after all an investment, you are not actually buying a product. You are pledging money for a project without any promises.
I ended up backing games that were indie-made because the game looked cool and I wanted to support them. They really needed the money in order to make such a game, but I only donate enough to get a digital copy. So there isn't much loss if the game doesn't live up to the standard.
Kickstarter gladly accepted the money for a documentary film in progress. The movie was completed but the producers lied repeatedly about sending me a copy and never did. So for me, a grand is plenty forever for crowdfunding.
If you pledged money, and the project was successfully funded, you can contact Kickstarter about it. Kickstarter is not responsible for the projects that try to raise funding there, Kickstarter simply provide a place where people can ask for funding. This is stated on the Kickstarter website. When you give money to a project on Kickstarter, you are trusting whoever is doing that project to be truthful and honest. If they don't deliver the promised goods, Kickstarter is not responsible since they are not affiliated with any projects. Also, it was not Kickstarter who got your money. Kickstarter is the "middle-man" who ensure your payment is forwarded to the project you chose to pledge to. This all is in their FAQ and the rules section of their website. So if you didn't get promised pledge rewards, you need to contact the project people. There is always contact details on the Kickstarter page for the project. If the people behind the project are not cooperative or does not respond, you can contact Kickstarter to let them know about the issue. They do not offer refunds, but they can prevent those people from using Kickstarter in the future for more fundraising.
