D&D on Kickstarter?

[Paul Middleton]

Any ideas what this is about folks? I appreciate it may not be a deck, so we can move this if it's not.

[Strag]

Wow, this may mean that playing card projects on KS have really "jumped the shark".

With all the problems I've had with KS projects lately, I might well be completely done. Although one of the coolest pieces of kit I've ever bought came from KS.... my Pebble watch.

[Paul Middleton]

Wow, this may mean that playing card projects on KS have really "jumped the shark".

Well the thing that makes me unsure that it's a deck project is how easily they can fund a deck themselves. So whilst they are not a huge company, it must be a fairly ambitious project to need KS? Or maybe they are just using the exposure it brings that Russell eluded to in the white Allure thread.

You'd be surprised how much of the pledges you get that would never have seen or heard of your deck otherwise.

To give you an idea, about 70% of the money pledged on KS was from people who just came across it from either another backer or by random. KS give the designers some analytics on where the pledge 'came from'. Only 6% came from UC and Aether. The audience reach is HUGE on KS and even with a few successful decks I can't match what they offer (eyeballs).

[Encarded]

This is interesting. I too would assume this is not just a deck. They can make dozens a year with no problem. Recall they just put out a 6 deck reprint collection but say this is their "biggest project ever"

Exposure is definitely a plus on Kickstarter and I'm sure they have noticed that. It will be quite interesting to see what this is about!

[MagikFingerz]

Maybe their deck sales have been going steadily down with every deck release (which wouldn't surprise me), so this might be an attempt to expand their fanbase. The teaser does suggest more, but I would expect a deck to be part of it.

[Paul Middleton]

I definitely think expanding their fanbase is behind it - without a doubt.

But i'm not sure how I would feel if I was a small company using Kickstarter to actually KICK START a new business idea, venture or product.

[Strag]

It's pretty clear that Kickstarter (the company) doesn't give a shit about their own rules, they break them all the time.

They also don't stand behind anything, they just take their fee and they are done. At some point I have a feeling that their business model will be challenged legally and they will wind up in trouble.

[BMPokerworld]

I definitely think expanding their fanbase is behind it - without a doubt.

But i'm not sure how I would feel if I was a small company using Kickstarter to actually KICK START a new business idea, venture or product.

But in fairness, it is no different than all these people who started their companies for FREE by using kickstarter over and over again to fund their next deck. They are risking nothing but their time. Kickstarter was not designed to constantly launch campaign after campaign of the same item, it was designed to help you launch a company. Unfortunately that is not what it has become. It has become a way to achieve an almost risk free business model.

Thanks!

[Paul Middleton]

True, Elite Playing Cards are an example that springs to mind.

[Magic_Orthodoxy]

i'd actually be surprised if it were a deck at this point. A deck would not be their "biggest project" and in the past, they don't seem to have any trouble printing or selling decks on their own.

[BMPokerworld]

True, Elite Playing Cards are an example that springs to mind.

There are many more than that. Most everyone one who has blown past their goal, has had multiple decks on kickstarter.

Thanks!

[RandyButterfield]

I'm surprised it's taken the larger card companies this long to get onto the Kickstarter. Back in 2011 my cousin, Tim, roped me into doing a ton of work on a Gladiator Combat board game. I told him if we're gonna do it, we should go for broke and get a booth at GenCon 2011 to try to sell it to a big game company (plus without a deadline, I didn't think I woud get it done). We finished the prototype just before GenCon and got a booth in there cheaper first-time exhibitor's section. The first day just about half the people we talked to told us about Kickstarter! Even a few of the larger game companies stopped by to check out the game and liked the theme, but said they use Kickstarter now to reduce the risk factor. And that was back in 2011!

A couple months after that we launched on Kickstarter but it didn't do so well (http://kck.st/nJcdyd" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). I was relieved because my cousin is computer illiterate and I would've had to deal with the nightmares of getting the game produced in China. Plus, before the project ended I was already working on the ORNATE Sapphire and Scarlet designs (inspired earlier at GenCon when I saw the Revision 1 KS Project).

Now that Kickstarter is larger than ever it seems like even hollywood's getting in on it. I remember seeing a bunch of stuff about a Veronica Mars KS project making a ton of mony. And just last night I saw online that Zach Braff launched a Kickstarter project for his next movie (http://kck.st/12fyTSa" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). It's already at 1.5 million!

thanks, Randy

[alric]

*yawn* Just more D&D hype...

[CBJ]

Well... it's not a deck...

[alric]

My money is on this NOT getting funded. I'm not sure the general public is all that interested in what magicians have to say about each other to each other. And most, if not all, of the "big" names are people the general public ever heard of. Maybe if they featured names like David Copperfield, Lance Burton, or David Blaine, the general public might have a better recognition factor and interest in.....

Bottom line: there's no deck of playing cards associated with this so I don't give a rat's ass (not that I do about any D&D project anyway).

[Sharpie]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if this gets funded.
There are some rich magicians out there.

[Magic_Orthodoxy]

Dude any of the "big guys" could drop $$$ this in their sleep

[sinjin7]

If these "big" guys are so loaded, why don't they produce this themselves? I agree $40k isn't a huge sum, so why the need for public help? If the goal is sales of the documentary after the production, then D&D has ample ability to hype it up and sell this on their site to their target demographic anyways, and they wouldn't have to split proceeds with KS and Amazon.

[Sharpie]

If these "big" guys are so loaded, why don't they produce this themselves? I agree $40k isn't a huge sum, so why the need for public help? If the goal is sales of the documentary after the production, then D&D has ample ability to hype it up and sell this on their site to their target demographic anyways, and they wouldn't have to split proceeds with KS and Amazon.

I'm sure this was discussed. They probably just want to distribute some of the financial risk.
I doubt this is all the money they'll need to produce the film.

[DukeBoy]

I would not be suprised if they are planning on doing this even if this is not funded. They are hoping for the big overfunding that Veronica Mars got.

[Magic_Orthodoxy]

By BIG guys I mean Vegas Magicians, Copperfield alone could fund this entire film and it's right up his alley being that he is sitting on all of that history in his private museum - heck, they already have one 5K donor, it's only been 8 hours and they are 30% funded.

[MagikFingerz]

They are hoping for (the) big overfunding (that Veronica Mars got).

Yeah, this is what I think too.

[Magic_Orthodoxy]

looks like they'll get over funded - they are already at half their goal. The DVD might be a cool thing to pick up