I was asked by a Patreon supporter to note down some thoughts on what to look for when you’re thinking about pledging to a crowdfunding campaign.
Note: These are my personal thoughts on the matter, so yours may differ. It’s okay not to agree with me on this.
First of all, to make it clear: I am not against crowdfunding at all. I think it’s a brilliant idea that has allowed some truly fantastic games to be made. The problem is that a few bad apples (hello Stainless Games) have spoiled things for a lot of Linux gamers.
The first thing to check: Have they backed anything else on that crowdfunding platform? If not it means they are a brand new user with not a single check done by the platform to check that they are who they say they are. It’s not foolproof, of course, but it’s the only starting point.
The next thing you need to think about: Do they mention Linux and/or SteamOS on the campaign page at all? If the answer is no, then the answer should be obvious. You can contact the creator through the crowdfunding platform directly or their social media channels to make sure. If they don’t answer then take the hint. Obviously give them a little bit of time to respond (2 days at least), since they may be getting lots of questions.
Now, you should look at how far along the project is. The most risky projects are those that only provide mockups (some form of art, not actual screenshots); I would personally steer clear of them, no matter who the developer is. If they cannot provide a video of something, then nothing actually exists, so the risk here is massive. You could argue they don’t want to show a video of something terribly early on, but you also can’t assume they even have anything. The first step towards losing your money is making assumptions like that. Keep in mind that projects have completely failed even when they have had plenty to show you, so if they have nothing — don’t be foolish.
If they have provided something other than mockups, you should next look to see what their actual experience is. I’m not talking about Linux directly here, but have they shipped anything before? If no then, again, the risk is quite high here. If they have shipped something, you then need to see if they have any experience with building something for Linux. It does not matter if they are using a cross-platform engine, as pushing a button to export is never as simple as it sounds. There’s plenty that can go wrong and plenty of platform-specific issues in all game engines. A demo, no matter how basic it may be, is a good indication that they’ve at least tried to make things work on their target platforms.
Leading into the above about their experience, do they mention on their campaign page where the funds will be going? You will be surprised at how many developers don’t realize the costs involved. Things like taxes which can be very complicated!
Is the project big, and if so, do you honestly think the date they say they will deliver it actually reasonable? Think on how long some massive games take to make, if their delivery date seems too soon, then it probably is.
If all of that checks out, then sit on it for a good week or so. See how communicative the developer is to the community. There is no harm in waiting to see if the developer will actually keep up communication.
If you have any more thoughts on the matter, be sure to share them in the comments. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Note: These are my personal thoughts on the matter, so yours may differ. It’s okay not to agree with me on this.
First of all, to make it clear: I am not against crowdfunding at all. I think it’s a brilliant idea that has allowed some truly fantastic games to be made. The problem is that a few bad apples (hello Stainless Games) have spoiled things for a lot of Linux gamers.
The first thing to check: Have they backed anything else on that crowdfunding platform? If not it means they are a brand new user with not a single check done by the platform to check that they are who they say they are. It’s not foolproof, of course, but it’s the only starting point.
The next thing you need to think about: Do they mention Linux and/or SteamOS on the campaign page at all? If the answer is no, then the answer should be obvious. You can contact the creator through the crowdfunding platform directly or their social media channels to make sure. If they don’t answer then take the hint. Obviously give them a little bit of time to respond (2 days at least), since they may be getting lots of questions.
Now, you should look at how far along the project is. The most risky projects are those that only provide mockups (some form of art, not actual screenshots); I would personally steer clear of them, no matter who the developer is. If they cannot provide a video of something, then nothing actually exists, so the risk here is massive. You could argue they don’t want to show a video of something terribly early on, but you also can’t assume they even have anything. The first step towards losing your money is making assumptions like that. Keep in mind that projects have completely failed even when they have had plenty to show you, so if they have nothing — don’t be foolish.
If they have provided something other than mockups, you should next look to see what their actual experience is. I’m not talking about Linux directly here, but have they shipped anything before? If no then, again, the risk is quite high here. If they have shipped something, you then need to see if they have any experience with building something for Linux. It does not matter if they are using a cross-platform engine, as pushing a button to export is never as simple as it sounds. There’s plenty that can go wrong and plenty of platform-specific issues in all game engines. A demo, no matter how basic it may be, is a good indication that they’ve at least tried to make things work on their target platforms.
Leading into the above about their experience, do they mention on their campaign page where the funds will be going? You will be surprised at how many developers don’t realize the costs involved. Things like taxes which can be very complicated!
Is the project big, and if so, do you honestly think the date they say they will deliver it actually reasonable? Think on how long some massive games take to make, if their delivery date seems too soon, then it probably is.
If all of that checks out, then sit on it for a good week or so. See how communicative the developer is to the community. There is no harm in waiting to see if the developer will actually keep up communication.
If you have any more thoughts on the matter, be sure to share them in the comments. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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The comments on this article are closed.
Quoting: iskaputtQuoting: Shmerl... I'm willing to take some more risk as a Linux user than usual, just to demonstrate said demand.
But there lies a problem, you *cannot* demonstrate Linux demand. Not until there is some "Linux or money back" checkbox when you pledge.
You can, when developers ask for it, and you comment to them about your Linux interests. For example, developers of Underworld Ascendant collected that info, and based on feedback announced Linux support.
And, as a Linux backer, no one stops you from commenting. Developers are paying attention.
Last edited by Shmerl on 29 January 2017 at 9:32 am UTC
3 Likes, Who?
Quoting: uraeusI think if people look at crowdfunding as a version of pre-ordering then supporting a crowdfunded game does not makes sense. However if you look at it as 'Do I want to see this project that would otherwise not go forward happen bad enough to put some money into it and maybe it will succeed' then supporting crowdfunding campaigns make sense. I have personally supported probably 25 projects and due to doing some serious evaluation of each project I only had 4 of them go bad so far. I also never put in more than 15-20 dollars so that if the project fails I can write off the loss without regrets. But just before the crowdfunding tend to offer you a copy of the game as a reward don't start categorising this as 'buying' in your head, because if you do then of course it doesn't make sense.
Yeah, the article sums up the risk side--what you should watch for to maximize the chance of a game, with Linux on it, coming out the other end. But of course that's just one side of the equation--the other is, is it worth the risk to you? If a crowdfunded game is just something pretty normal but incrementally better/different from what's out there anyway, there's no point accepting much risk to get it. If on the other hand it is exactly your personal game fetish and there is no hope of normal game publishing corporations making such a thing because it's outside their radar of what a "game that sells with a genre we understand" is supposed to be, then it might be worth it to take a bigger risk.
1 Likes, Who?
Pre-ordering doesn't make sense to begin with. Why would you pay for something before it's ready? That's why I never view crowdfunding as pre-ordering, but as investment. When you enable its creation, that's something I can support. Pre-ordering on the other hand - I see no point in.
Last edited by Shmerl on 29 January 2017 at 7:09 pm UTC
Last edited by Shmerl on 29 January 2017 at 7:09 pm UTC
5 Likes, Who?
Quoting: GuestBasically, if they're going to talk about cross-platform, we should all have the right to know what their technical plans are for making it run cross-platform.
That is a very good point. Unless they use Unity and have ported other games to Linux and they promise Linux of x amount is pledged I think they should have to list the api, engine and middleware they use.
Quoting: iskaputtQuoting: Shmerl... I'm willing to take some more risk as a Linux user than usual, just to demonstrate said demand.
But there lies a problem, you *cannot* demonstrate Linux demand. Not until there is some "Linux or money back" checkbox when you pledge.
I asked for a refund for Kingdom Come Deliverance cause they couldn't promise a Linux port anymore. I got my money back.
Quoting: iskaputtQuoting: Shmerl... I'm willing to take some more risk as a Linux user than usual, just to demonstrate said demand.
But there lies a problem, you *cannot* demonstrate Linux demand. Not until there is some "Linux or money back" checkbox when you pledge.
Quoting: ShmerlPre-ordering doesn't make sense to begin with. Why would you pay for something before it's ready? That's why I never view crowdfunding as pre-ordering, but as investment. When you enable its creation, that's something I can support. Pre-ordering on the other hand - I see no point in.
If people had stopped with their pre-orders we wouldn't get games pushed out the door broken and full of bugs. We wouldn't get these day one dlc schemes either, and pre-order bonues. Consumers who pre-order are telling the developers and publishers that it's okay to keep going with their anti-consumer schemes.
1 Likes, Who?
monsieursauce Jan 30, 2017
Does a reverse crowdfunding exist for Linux? The potential buyers "virtually" pay for the product until there is a project holder willing to handle the port, because of the game's popularity?
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Quoting: monsieursauceDoes a reverse crowdfunding exist for Linux? The potential buyers "virtually" pay for the product until there is a project holder willing to handle the port, because of the game's popularity?
Never heard of it, though I proposed it to few people in the past. It's an obvious way to measure demand.
Last edited by Shmerl on 30 January 2017 at 3:50 pm UTC
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monsieursauce Jan 30, 2017
Quoting: ShmerlQuoting: monsieursauceDoes a reverse crowdfunding exist for Linux? The potential buyers "virtually" pay for the product until there is a project holder willing to handle the port, because of the game's popularity?
Never heard of it, though I proposed it to few people in the past. It's an obvious way to measure demand.
I do agree. It is clean, transparent and goes straight to the point: it is a live market study for companies.
Instead of having "+1 for Linux port" threads on Steam Client.
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