2Dark released without a Linux version despite promising it during crowdfunding

Just say no to "crowdfunding" and "early access".

Just say no to "crowdfunding" and "early access".

After two to three years helping muntdefems, flesk and company write Funding Crowd articles for this site, I'm gutted to say that I (mostly) agree with you. Crowdfunding can still be profitable and satisfying if you're careful, but these days, there are few projects I'd feel comfortable backing.

It's great to score Torment: Tides of Numenera for $20, and crowdfunding used to be a pretty instrumental part of the Linux gaming scene - pushing Linux into the limelight for developers. But the risks are too great for me now.

I avoid EA for other reasons - I'm simply too busy outside of my gaming hours to care about using my gaming hours to bug fix EA titles. And my gaming hours are too valuable to waste on half-finished rubbish. Of course, there are exceptions (hello 7 Days to Die), but they're pretty rare. For me, anyway.

If own backed this game with paypal I would suggest using their customer service to attempt to get a refund. Write the developer & publisher politely asking for a refund do to the terms of the Kickstarter not being fulfilled and be sure to to keep text copies & screenshots of all correspondence. Then if your concerns aren't resolved to your satisfaction, use the customer service form at paypal to ask for help obtaining a refund submitting the saved copies of proof of your own due diligence. Paypal successfully helped my resolve a similar issue and I received a refund about 2 weeks after I contacted paypal.

In the future don't back a crowdfunded game unless they say explicitly state in the proposal that they will be offering a Linux version and will be offering a game key to GOG or some other retail site that carries only DRM-free games. Me myself I only trust crowdfunding campaigns by developers that have kept their word on DRM-free & Linux versions of games. Also if you're in the EU try to contact other backers based in the EU for some type of class action renumeration, though I live in the US I've heard the EU has some very good consumer protection laws (much better than the US tends to have).

hmm, it's a shame, looked interesting. but all this talk about broken promises seems a bit odd, because doesn't it quite clearly state in the "promises" that they MAY do a linux/mac versions but are NOT making any promises yet.. ?

or am I reading it wrong? ... just wondering..

.b

hmm, it's a shame, looked interesting. but all this talk about broken promises seems a bit odd, because doesn't it quite clearly state in the "promises" that they MAY do a linux/mac versions but are NOT making any promises yet.. ?

or am I reading it wrong? ... just wondering..

.b

I have literally no idea what you're reading, I specifically quoted what they said in the article and it was very clear.

hmm, it's a shame, looked interesting. but all this talk about broken promises seems a bit odd, because doesn't it quite clearly state in the "promises" that they MAY do a linux/mac versions but are NOT making any promises yet.. ?

or am I reading it wrong? ... just wondering..

.b

I have literally no idea what you're reading, I specifically quoted what they said in the article and it was very clear.

Now you have to update your article - you quite clearly state

Their crowdfunding campaign clearly said in terms that could not be confusing to anyone

And that's just a blatant lie. :D

heh, I read it several times.. and apparently everytime wrongly. only now when I started quoting it I saw it! man. sorry about that, I just crawl back to my cave and continue playing Tides of Numenera that is on linux, is great, and will make me forget this ever happened.

.b

Hmm . . . we've seen articles about the risks of Kickstarter projects, but how about an article on how to successfully get a refund from said projects? I've seen a couple of good examples on this thread already.

As long as there are no penalties (and only rewards) for blatant lying on crowdfunding, this will continue.

Simple game theory, I'm sorry to say, as character and honor do not enter into it.

I think it would be worth noting in the article that it is the publisher, Bigben interactive, and not the developer that has stated the game would not come to GNU/Linux. They are also responsible for the game being on Steam only and being shipped with Denuvo (see the statement on gloomywood website).
I think Bigben is the one to blame in this case, Gloomywood was looking for a publisher after succeeding their crowdfunding campaign (you can argue that it is unethical, but a lot of indie studios do that) and the one that got their interested was clearly a shitty one.

I love Raynal's games (LBA2 is my favorite game ever) and I want to give them the benefit of the doubt.

I'm still quite angry and disappointed though, I really wanted this game to be good and successful... And I can't even play it.

I think it would be worth noting in the article that it is the publisher, Bigben interactive, and not the developer that has stated the game would not come to GNU/Linux. They are also responsible for the game being on Steam only and being shipped with Denuvo (see the statement on gloomywood website).
I think Bigben is the one to blame in this case, Gloomywood was looking for a publisher after succeeding their crowdfunding campaign (you can argue that it is unethical, but a lot of indie studios do that) and the one that got their interested was clearly a shitty one.

I love Raynal's games (LBA2 is my favorite game ever) and I want to give them the benefit of the doubt.

I'm still quite angry and disappointed though, I really wanted this game to be good and successful... And I can't even play it.

Yep, I'm sure it is the publisher decision, but it was the developer who signed the publisher contract without honouring either of these previous "contracts" (Linux and no-DRM). And that's the problem right there - a kickstarter pledge isn't a contract, so you have to trust the developer to do the right thing.

They didn't, in this case, and I don't care at that point if it's the publisher's will that is imposing DRM - you trusted the developer and he shafted you.

The worst part is - the whole point of going for Kickstarter, at least in its infancy, was so that the public becomes the publisher. So this is a double let down - to kickstart with campaign promises, then seek a publisher anyway is itself pretty abhorrent, but then to chose a publisher that forces you to break those campaign promises... well, Gloomywood have lost a potential customer here even if their future titles support us.

Naughty step for them.

@scaine
Yeah, I agree with all of your points, I think I just reached the "acceptance" stage of grief...
Being betrayed by your video game developer idol sucks :(

The worst part is - the whole point of going for Kickstarter, at least in its infancy, was so that the public becomes the publisher. So this is a double let down - to kickstart with campaign promises, then seek a publisher anyway is itself pretty abhorrent, but then to chose a publisher that forces you to break those campaign promises... well, Gloomywood have lost a potential customer here even if their future titles support us.

I disagree that using a publisher is necessarily always abhorrent. A successful crowdfunding campaign reduces a publisher's risk, which increases your leverage in getting what you want. You better be damn sure you'll maintain the freedom to fulfill your promises, though. Failing to do so is no different from promising Linux support, then using middleware that lacks Linux support.

hmm, it's a shame, looked interesting. but all this talk about broken promises seems a bit odd, because doesn't it quite clearly state in the "promises" that they MAY do a linux/mac versions but are NOT making any promises yet.. ?

or am I reading it wrong? ... just wondering..

.b

There is only one use of the word "Linux" on their crowdfunding page and that's the paragraph that Liam copied in this article. Where did you read anything else?

Never mind, I saw your reply now :P


Last edited by Cybolic on 13 Mar 2017 at 7:45 pm UTC

[...]
Their publisher's website says:

Bigben and studio Gloomywood unveil the release date of 2Dark, available on March 17th for PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC.

https://www.bigben-interactive.co.uk/2dark-releases-next-month-on-march-17th

Fuck these guys.

Oh! So it is coming to Linux and Mac after all! ( "PC" ) :P

But yeah, to hell with this publisher.


Last edited by Cybolic on 13 Mar 2017 at 7:48 pm UTC

Honestly, I'm not disappointed at all. Learned that Windows developers are untruthful bitches long time ago. It's not even their fault, really... They just lack knowledge, skill and consistency. Period.

. period. is presumably longhand for an ellipsis?

Honestly, I'm not disappointed at all. Learned that Windows developers are untruthful bitches long time ago. It's not even their fault, really... They just lack knowledge, skill and consistency. Period.

. period. is presumably longhand for an ellipsis?

Not really. If English isn't your first language, then the best explanation I can think of is that the word "Period" as a one-word sentence is to emphasise the utter finality of the previous sentence. It's emphasising that this discussion is over. Nothing more to say.

Like if you do something awesome and exclaim, "Nothing can beat that. Period!"

Honestly, I'm not disappointed at all. Learned that Windows developers are untruthful bitches long time ago. It's not even their fault, really... They just lack knowledge, skill and consistency. Period.

. period. is presumably longhand for an ellipsis?

Not really. If English isn't your first language, then the best explanation I can think of is that the word "Period" as a one-word sentence is to emphasise the utter finality of the previous sentence. It's emphasising that this discussion is over. Nothing more to say.

Like if you do something awesome and exclaim, "Nothing can beat that. Period!"

I was assuming it was a joke. If "period" = ".", then ".period." = "..." = ellipsis.

I think it must be clear that a linux version is not a feature of the game. A linux version is essential for the one paying for it, else he cannot play it. In other words: lacking the linux version in my opinion is not a partial delivery, but actually no delivery at all.
I think kickstarter probably now has contracts that prevent projects from having delivered nothing at all.

I took the time to write to ulule and Bigben a mail about this, it's probably pointless but I don't like the fact that this kind of stuff happens so often so I would like to know if this is the publisher's fault and if we can at least prevent them from pulling this scam again. I'll let you know if I ever receive any answers.