Spartan and Kickstarter

[Dakkar]

Some very interesting stuff in here ... maybe the surveys actually mattered!

http://www.gamewire.belloflostsouls.net/views-on-a-kickstarter/

[Landlubber]

As I stated in my survey response...I have no problem with Spartan using Kickstarter. I would likely support a Kickstarter campaign. But it depends on what they are trying to fund.

I'm all on board for them using Kickstarter to grow one of their current games. New models, new scenery, something like that. New factions even.

What I'm not really on board with is them using Kickstarter to launch a new product line. At this point, it would have to be something really, really interesting to me to attract my hobby dollars. About 80% of my tabletop wargaming is already tied up in Spartan products/systems, and pretty much all my gaming "itches" have been scratched.

So I'd rather see them use it to produce, say, Leviathans for all the Firestorm factions, or a Scarab for Halo Dirt Fight, or a new African faction for Dystopian Wars (or even Legions).

[Quickdraw]

Kickstarter is perfect for expanding what they already have. Depending on what they are trying to release they could easily set up backer levels to coincide with different amounts or combinations of ships/tanks/troops.
I think Mantic Games is probably comparable to Spartan Games in size and market share of the hobby. They have been hugely successful with Kickstarter. Their latest Kickstarter blasted through 3 stretch goals in the first 2 hours or something along those lines.
That would be a great model to follow for Spartan Games.

[Charbe86]

I would definitely support a kickstarter to create some more fiction for DW and FSA.  If they really feel they need to diversify maybe they should look at board games based on their IPs, something based on boarding actions might be good. 

[BrdingPrty1]

OPM-Other Peoples Money.

Tends to be the trend. As a participant in a couple of less than stellar KStrtrs, including one of Mantics, I have mixed feelings. KStrtrs R starting to become loans, why back a KStrtr as opposed to wait for retail? One KStrtr that I backed, Dropfleet Commander, has had numerous delays, and is available for retail purchase before all KStrtr backers have received their pledges, the only thing that still makes this worthwhile is the add-ons. Another KStrtr that I backed , very few add ons, and not much difference in price between retail and KStrtr pledge amt. 

As far as spartan is concerned, I would back a KStrtr that would bring several of their "Stalled" projects to life: 15mm FSArmda, 28mm FSArmda and Armada Leviathans, it would just have to make it worthwhile for me to back it as opposed to retail. 

Now about Spartan's Pricing.. 

[Landlubber]

OPM-Other Peoples Money.

Tends to be the trend. As a participant in a couple of less than stellar KStrtrs, including one of Mantics, I have mixed feelings. KStrtrs R starting to become loans, why back a KStrtr as opposed to wait for retail? One KStrtr that I backed, Dropfleet Commander, has had numerous delays, and is available for retail purchase before all KStrtr backers have received their pledges, the only thing that still makes this worthwhile is the add-ons. Another KStrtr that I backed , very few add ons, and not much difference in price between retail and KStrtr pledge amt. 

As far as spartan is concerned, I would back a KStrtr that would bring several of their "Stalled" projects to life: 15mm FSArmda, 28mm FSArmda and Armada Leviathans, it would just have to make it worthwhile for me to back it as opposed to retail. 

Now about Spartan's Pricing.. 

I guess you back a Kickstarter (instead of waiting for the game to move into retail channels) to either help bring a new game to life (Dropfleet Commander, Shattered Void), or to help a game expand (like the Blood Reef expansion for DeepWars). You get rewarded for helping to fund the game/game expansion, and then if it's successful it could turn into a game system that you continue to buy into. Obviously, if it isn't funded, it won't ever make it into retail.

I've only backed two--the aforementioned Shattered Void and Blood Reef. I backed Blood Reef because I enjoy DeepWars and I thought the proposed expansion looked like a good direction for the game. I backed Shattered Void because the models look good and the rules sound interesting (kudos to WDM for giving us a read-ahead version to help make the decision), and I'm hoping it turns into a game for which we'll see new models and factions down the road after the KS pledges have been fulfilled and the game moves into retail. I would back a Spartan Games Kickstarter if it was for a game that I play and if I thought it was a good idea (and of course if it was something in which I was interested). For example--I'd back a Kickstarter for new Dystopian Wars factions (I think it would have to be more than just one faction); I would NOT back a Dystopian Wars role-playing game, as I'm not an RPG gamer.