Skullgirls Developers Detail What's Going On With The Linux Port

The Skullgirls developers have finally written up an official blog post on the status of the Linux port.

A couple of notes from it:

QuoteSome have misinterpreted our inclusion of a free download of the Linux port for campaign backers at the $30 tier and above upon its completion as a promise that we, Lab Zero, would handle its development. However, it was included as a backer reward only – one that we hope we’ll still be able to deliver with the help and support of volunteers willing to work on it.

The above misconception regarding the Linux port has also led some people to believe that we are soliciting volunteers to do work on a port that we promised we would do ourselves, which is also untrue. We strongly believe in due pay for work done, and wish we could pay someone appropriate wages to port the game to Linux, but we simply don’t have the budget for that.

I take issue with things like this as if you're going to include something as a backer reward on your official crowdfunding page then that does suggest you are helping to fund the port.
Putting it on your official page with no intention of officially doing it seems more than a bit backwards.

Not only that, but their official tweet sounded pretty official:

#Skullgirls is coming to #Linux! Support us and get a download code and more characters! http://t.co/642MqVir91

Skullgirls (@Skullgirls) March 15, 2013

That tweet certainly seems like it's drawing in Linux users to help fund it no?

QuoteWhy is the Linux port a volunteer effort? Didn't you make over $800,000 in your crowdfunding campaign?
The Linux port started as a volunteer effort because someone approached us volunteering to do the port. The extra money raised beyond our initial $150,000 goal went to more content for the game and not to ports. That means none of the extra money raised went to the PC port either.

If you think that’s enough money to develop all of the extra content we promised, and produce all of the rewards for campaign backers, and still fund a proper port paying proper programmer salaries, then we don’t know what to tell you.

I still think that they had more than enough money to fund the port properly, but this is how it's going down now. Considering before the crowdfunding campaign began the game was already available for sale, and the campaign was only for DLC with massive over-funding I still struggle to see why they couldn't afford a Linux port. Do voice-overs and character models really take that much money to create?
This is coming from someone with no experience on the developer/business side of things, but still they didn't communicate it very well until now, and that was mainly the problem.
EDIT: They have noted in our comments that the extra funding went right back into their stretch-goals for more content.

It took ~18 months for them to come out with this. Why is it so hard for even indie developers to be open and honest with customers who help fund them? I just don't understand it at all, and we on Linux seem to be on the receiving end of this rather a lot. 7 Days To Die anyone?

It's another reason why I tell people not to buy a game until a developer confirms a Linux version exists, and why I don't personally fund anything using crowdfunding any more.

My pessimism aside: In the end I just hope the volunteers can come together and bring a Linux version out, as the game does look fantastic. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.