Don't Expect Sid Meier To Mooch Cash Via Kickstarter

[RhombusHatesYou]

Of course Sid Meier wouldn't do a kickstarter campaign, Firaxis is a subsidiary of 2K Games so trying to would most likely start a huge shitstorm. Besides, if you're already getting the funding and creative freedom from your publisher that other developers are turning to kickstarter for it seems a bit... foolish. Let's be honest, most of the studios that have done kickstarter campaigns would give their left bollock (or ovary, to be fair) to be in the same position as Firaxis.

 

[Starke]

Coincidentally, someone of his protege would certainly garner more kickstarter money than your average joe wanting to get his project off the ground.

Also to be fair he has the clout to tell publishers what he wants made, not many developers have that option. So yes its nice when the publisher is willing to give you a chance. Not so much when they don't.

But good points nonetheless, good on you Sid Meier. (Love saying his name for some reason.)

Please, please, tell me you meant "pedigree". A protege is someone you've mentored, a pedigree is a background, history, or reputation. Otherwise that whole thing is... weird.

 

[Starke]

In other news; major Publishers/developers don't use kickstarter. If he did use kickstarter, he would look bad.

As I remember it, someone at Obsidian (I think Chris Avalone) said they'd actually been approached by a publisher asking them to basically run a kickstarter campaign for them.

That might have been the same setup that ultimately came around with Veronica Mars, a kickstarter for the privilege of paying for stuff later.

 

[Starke]

EDIT: Captcha got weird and caused a double post... :\

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Well, he was lucky enough to work for 2K, which is a pretty good publisher all things considered.

Indie Devs, those who have not managed to make a name for themselves or make series that define their genres, can't be so selective about who they work for. That is were kickstarter comes in.

 

[Strazdas]

And after all this insanity going around, Sid is still making perfect sense like he did ages ago. I tip my hat to you for your integrity, very well said.

Now if only he returned at another try of Alpha centaury, or eve n better conenct Civilization with Alpha centauri (you build the spaceship in civilization, the game moves towards Apha centauri, if other races lag behind, they still run the civilziation in background for them til lthey build spaceship, sort of a very long civilization with future perspective as well, in toher words pure awesomeness).

Kickstarter is important; Indies aren't at risk if their game fails and new ideas have a place to be picked up.

But thats bad. Indies should be at risk of thier game fails. thats the inventive of making a game not fail. Having no risk in a failed game creates a very lazy development atmosphere, because hey if we fail nothing will happen anyway right.

 

[Entitled]

Wow, all sorts of problems with this. Worst being the title, Meier does not consider those who use Kickstarter "moochers." That is the bias of the person creating the article and not the view of Meier who the article is supposedly about, which is unprofessional.

I kinda feel like the title was a slight jab at Lord British

Which is still a bad title, because it put the jab into Meier's mouth, instead of the writer coming out and criticizing Lord British by himself, for using KS in a way that he doesn't like.

 

[CpT_x_Killsteal]

Can we stop with the "shock value" title for articles? What is this, Kotaku?

OT: I never really got his games as a kid, they always confused me too much, but he does seem like a very level headed guy.

 

[Griffolion]

The headline is a little misleading, no? Meier just said that it's fine but not for him. He didn't anywhere imply that Kickstarters are automatic moochers. Come on, Escapist. You're the place I go to for games stuff because I think you're the best. Please stop this sort of thing.

 

[Entitled]

There is a difference between saying that Kicstarter is not for him because he wouldn't feel comfortable with that form of the creative process, and the implication of the title, that old misconception that Kickstarter can't be for established artists.

 

[TheNarrator]

He's reasonable, but all in all it's fairly easy for him to say that the current publishing model works well enough. He's a senior game developer with a long history of success; so successful in fact that he is one of the few people who get to put their name in the title of their games. So publishers trust him far more than other designers and give him some freedom. I don't think many game designers get that kind of freedom. He's in a very privileged position, and he doesn't seem to be very aware of it in the interview.

Also, why "and here's hoping he never has to turn to the public to fund his next big game idea"? Where does that come from?

 

[cidbahamut]

Finally, a voice of reason reaching out to us across the howling void that is the internet's zealous devotion to Kickstarter.

 

[mechalynx]

To be fair, his publisher is 2K, one of the last shining beacons in the industry being rapidly engulfed in darkness. I'd be praising them too.

They made GMG charge Aussies more by charging GMG more for products, and they are notorious for charging us more in every aspect they can get their grubby fingers on. You know those steam games that cost $90 when retail is about $70-80 nowadays? Yeah, that's mostly 2K Games doing it. Whoever is in charge of that aspect at 2K Games should be fired as it's bringing the company's reputation down amongst the global community.

They're the opposite of a shining beacon; they're a black hole, sucking everything down with it.

First of all, I'm from Sweden, the country with insane taxes that are for some reason even harsher on the video game industry than on the rest of the media. I have no insight whatsoever in how the prices are set in the rest of Europe. I'd love to see some proof to what you said about GMG and 2K.

Second, they are not the only ones. XBL's prices are often much higher in Sweden than in retail. It is up to you to blow your money however you want. Think the price is unfair? Find it cheaper elsewhere or hold off buying until the price drops. And drop an email or two to the publisher about how you feel on the subject.

It sucks that the publishers are wasting time on money schemes instead of making better games, but I stick with my opinion that 2K are one of the last on the market that take risks and produce more quality than the rest, that keep churning out the same old crap over and over with increasing digits at the end of the title.

 

[DTWolfwood]

Coincidentally, someone of his protege pedigree would certainly garner more kickstarter money than your average joe wanting to get his project off the ground.

Also to be fair he has the clout to tell publishers what he wants made, not many developers have that option. So yes its nice when the publisher is willing to give you a chance. Not so much when they don't.

But good points nonetheless, good on you Sid Meier. (Love saying his name for some reason.)

Please, please, tell me you meant "pedigree". A protege is someone you've mentored, a pedigree is a background, history, or reputation. Otherwise that whole thing is... weird.

There lol

 

[BanicRhys]

First of all, I'm from Sweden, the country with insane taxes that are for some reason even harsher on the video game industry than on the rest of the media. I have no insight whatsoever in how the prices are set in the rest of Europe. I'd love to see some proof to what you said about GMG and 2K.

I don't know if this is what you were looking for, but I'll just place it here.

Steam as it is for me normally.

[http://imgur.com/IKj2ZH9]

Steam when I connect through a US based proxy.

[http://imgur.com/qXIErZ0]

I don't claim to know much about this stuff, but it seems rather odd to charge Australians almost twice the amount for a digital product.

 

[mechalynx]

First of all, I'm from Sweden, the country with insane taxes that are for some reason even harsher on the video game industry than on the rest of the media. I have no insight whatsoever in how the prices are set in the rest of Europe. I'd love to see some proof to what you said about GMG and 2K.

I don't know if this is what you were looking for, but I'll just place it here.

Steam as it is for me normally.

[http://imgur.com/IKj2ZH9]

Steam when I connect through a US based proxy.

[http://imgur.com/qXIErZ0]

I don't claim to know much about this stuff, but it seems rather odd to charge Australians almost twice the amount for a digital product.

Wow, talk about brain fart. I read Aussies and thought Austria. Yeah, I am fully aware of the dire situation of Australian gamers being shafted by shipping costs AND the government's general attitude towards games as media. You have my sympathies.

That said, I still don't see where 2K is responsible for the price hike. In Sweden, around 25% of the cost of a game is taxes. From what I see, we're paying the same if not more than Aussies. And get this, there is an extra tax on app games. I think this might be the case of you getting ripped off by your own country; I doubt that 2K sees any of those extra dollars from each sale.

 

[nathan-dts]

And after all this insanity going around, Sid is still making perfect sense like he did ages ago. I tip my hat to you for your integrity, very well said.

Now if only he returned at another try of Alpha centaury, or eve n better conenct Civilization with Alpha centauri (you build the spaceship in civilization, the game moves towards Apha centauri, if other races lag behind, they still run the civilziation in background for them til lthey build spaceship, sort of a very long civilization with future perspective as well, in toher words pure awesomeness).

Kickstarter is important; Indies aren't at risk if their game fails and new ideas have a place to be picked up.

But thats bad. Indies should be at risk of thier game fails. thats the inventive of making a game not fail. Having no risk in a failed game creates a very lazy development atmosphere, because hey if we fail nothing will happen anyway right.

No; risk is the entire reason we're in this mess. Publishers won't allow anything new because there's a risk it won't sell. Indies need to be comfortable enough to put out something creative without worrying about how they're going to pay the rent.