Game News Divinity: Original Sin Kickstarter Campaign Begins + Hands-on Preview at RPGWatch

[Brother None]

If this doesn't get enough press coverage and doesn't make it, then there is no justice in the world.

They decided to launch it in the middle of PAX/GDC week, while several big Kickstarters are ongoing, right after the release of a game with a $100 million marketing budget. I'd say the risk of missing out on substantive press coverage is real, and I don't know if I'd blame the press for that as such, there is a limit to how much you can cover at any one time, as non-specialists.

 

[Irenaeus]

Great, more money to spend. How can I get rich with all this incline around?

 

[ghostdog]

Indeed, the problem is that most other kickstarters sell the idea, the hope for an awesome old-school game many people have been dreaming about, so people rush to give the money to make it happen.

After the initial craze things cool off a bit and then the stretch goals appear : Help us make the game 139,5% bigger ! Help create this superdungeon ! And the moneyz start to roll once more.

Then we reach the ultimate seduction : Help us bring these awesome dudes in the game, MCA, Ziets, MCA's lucky hat, random fantasy writer, MCA's underwear !!!! :fap: :fap: :fap: :bags of gold are thrown: :fap: :fap: :fap:


The problem here is that:
- The game is actually reaching completion.
- No PR whatsoever prior to KS
- No selling of hopes... of dreams coming true.
- The pitch seems perpetually stuck in the "Help us make it bigger" phase.
- No PR whatsoever prior to KS
- As VD said, rewards aren't that good and they're expensive for KS rewards.
- Similar, big-name, kickstarters running at the same time.


I believe that it will reach the goal, but they kinda borked it. They obviously need money NOW, else they would have made a much better pitch at a better time.
I mean sure the pitch is perfectly good enough for the average codexer to realize this is definitely going to be a good game, with a good editor... BUT, it's not the pitch that would give you a lot of money from the masses.
Too bad because this looks like a great game, they could have gotten much more money.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Yep. 'Help us make it better' is generic as fuck and doesn't sell at all.

 

[Crooked Bee]

I don't know if I'd blame the press for that as such

Well, I would. No offense, but I'd rather they cover a Kickstarter campaign that has a lot of the game + editor to show than the last days of the Torment campaign, which has had enough coverage already and doesn't have anything substantial to show - even though you know how excited I am for Torment. Nobody asks the journalists to cover everything, but they should cover the best when it appears. I'm fully aware games journalists are herd animals though, and hence my "no justice" comment.

 

[Jashiin]

Also the 10000 tiers are still all available .. where is that fucker notch when you need him

 

[Brother None]

Well, I would. No offense, but I'd rather they cover a Kickstarter campaign that has a lot of the game + editor to show than the last days of the Torment campaign, which has had enough coverage already and doesn't have anything substantial to show - even though you know how excited I am for Torment. Nobody asks the journalists to cover everything, but they should cover the best when it appears. I'm fully aware games journalists are herd animals though, and hence my "no justice" comment.

Torment and SotA don't so much compete for coverage as just cut into interest level (I don't think either one is getting a ton of active coverage right now, though that'll likely change come the end of the drive as it usually does). Competing actively for coverage is the fact that this week saw two of the biggest gaming conferences with a ton of news, details and announcements as well as one of the biggest releases of the year. Sure, you and I find Torment and Divinity a lot more interesting, but we're not writing for the audience these other gaming sites are. You know me, I'm not one to apologize for the videogame industry and sure, they could work on their priorities in general, and in any other week I'd probably agree with you, but again; PAX East, GDC, BioShock Infinite. In one week. That's a tall order.

 

[ghostdog]

It has been obvious from the kickstarters so far that people don't want tangible things, just the promise of old-school awesomeness that will shine among the suck of today's AAA popamole.

Fargo is especially good at that. I mean prior to the W2 KS I didn't trust the guy or his company one bit, and I ended up backing up both of his projects with a stupid smile.

 

[evdk]

I guess I will have to try my hand at a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to take care of the funds imbalance caused by my apparent Kickstarter addiction.

 

[Crooked Bee]

In one week. That's a tall order.

They should all cover it next week, then. There, problem solved.

Also, this is games journalists we're talking about. Guys who are paid specifically to keep track of gaming news 24/7, but who are in fact lazy and/or incompetent as fuck because otherwise they would have found a proper job already. Being incompetent, they also cannot think for themselves and always just follow the trends dictated to them by PR/marketing deparments.

I stand ready to take back my words if this project does receive substantial coverage, though.

 

[Jaesun]

Amen.

 

[Jashiin]

In the mean time spread the word.

 

[MicoSelva]

right after the release of a game with a $100 million marketing budget

That's a lot. What game is this?

If Larian don't gather 150,000 in the first 48 hours, they probably won't make it. These Kickstarter projects get 3/4 of their funding during the first two and last two days, with the middle being a dead zone most of the time.

At least they have nothing to lose. If the Kickstarter fails, we'll get the game in the original scope (I think).

 

[Tigranes]

VD is right, there's insufficient magick hand-waving and too much honest, concrete details and practical goals. I think that's fine for their stated goal of $400,000, and if they keep level-headed and realise what they want to do is literally kick-finish their already nearly done project, instead of make millions, spend a few months sending out ten different KS rewards (seriously, it actually worries me that inXile offers so much stuff), expand the scope of the game, push back the release date, etc.... then I think we're in for a success. I can't see it not making 400k, and I'd hope for close to a million.

The Double Fine "fund the whole thing, fund it until there's buckets of cash and seventeen stretch goals" model has taken over game KS but not all projects work that way and they don't need to. I hope Larian's sensible approach to doing what is right for this project is rewarded, though as BN says, it really doesn't excuse the bad timing. Would be interested to hear the story on that when we can.

 

[Grunker]

right after the release of a game with a $100 million marketing budget

That's a lot. What game is this?.

BioShock?

 

[MicoSelva]

I hope Larian's sensible approach to doing what is right for this project is rewarded, though as BN says, it really doesn't excuse the bad timing. Would be interested to hear the story on that when we can.

My speculation is they need to get this money in a month (+KS formalities) or they'll be forced to ship the game as it is, to not go bankrupt (or at least lay people off).

 

[Kz3r0]

I guess I will have to try my hand at a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to take care of the funds imbalance caused by my apparent Kickstarter addiction.

Niggardly.

 

[Kz3r0]

Bad timing and on track to fail, and I was sure that this will get 1 million, thanks for nothing Sven.

 

[abnaxus]

Their kickstarter campaign doesn's look that well organised,like Fargo's for example but I hope they reach their goal,I am in for $25 anyway

Also buckets as helmets?
Sven you sly dog

Swen should get a pumpkin on his head.

 

[Jaesun]

Swen Vincke ‏@LarAtLarian1m
The story of why we had to improvise our Kickstarter launch for Divinity: Original Sin - http://www.lar.net/2013/03/27/larian-on-kickstarter …–an-improvised-start/

 

[catfood]

Wait, so... this might be because it's late and I'm tired but.. did he just say that they launched it because of an article which was posted on RPG Watch (a site that has maybe half a dozen hits per day) too early? What?

 

[Brother None]

Owtch. I can feel their difficulty there. I would've probably gone for c) especially since media coverage runup prior to Kickstarter as opposed to day 1 of Kickstarter is actually a good thing in many ways, but I can understand they had to make a quick decision and perhaps it's the right one. Still.

catfood it's not specifically RPGWatch, but more the cascade RPGWatch may have set off. They could've reached out to every media point they set up to better coordinate this, though, instead of launching. I dunno.

Crooked Bee plz don't be mad at me

BioShock?

BioShock Infinite yes, reported cost $200 million in marketing and production, tho Levine seems to deny it. If it's anywhere close to true, I don't see how that game can be anything but a bomb.

 

[Jashiin]

Fucking Watch

 

[Azalin]

Swen Vincke ‏@LarAtLarian1m
The story of why we had to improvise our Kickstarter launch for Divinity: Original Sin - http://www.lar.net/2013/03/27/larian-on-kickstarter …–an-improvised-start/

So the Watch is to blame for this bad kickstarter launch everything,we should have expected it

Also where is that image of the RpgCodex troll pissing on the RpgWatch tower when you need it?

 

[Black_Willow]

Oh, RPGwatch.
Burn Watchwitz!