Daggerheart Class Packs kickstarter is live.

[Imaro]

No. I was asking you, because you seem to think there is a known connection. I have no idea what the connection is, if it exists at all.

Im going by the stated (by Darrington Press) purpose of the kickstarter... if we assume there's actually no connection then their stated goal doesnt make sense (or they lied which i dont think is the case)... which would give even more credence to this not being a particularly sound way to judge demand for the product, right?

 

[Reynard]

Im going by the stated (by Darrington Press) purpose of the kickstarter... if we assume there's actually no connection then their stated goal doesnt make sense (or they lied which i dont think is the case)... which would give even more credence to this not being a particularly sound way to judge demand for the product, right?

What I am wondering (and it is possible no one really knows, because it isn't knowable) is if there is a reliable relationship between how well a KS does and how that product does afterwards once introduced into the retail market.

Just for example: Avatar did about 10x that Shadowdark did in crowd funding. Does Avatar outsell Shadowdark by 10x in retail? I don't know, but my gut says not likely.

 

[Parmandur]

What I am wondering (and it is possible no one really knows, because it isn't knowable) is if there is a reliable relationship between how well a KS does and how that product does afterwards once introduced into the retail market.

Just for example: Avatar did about 10x that Shadowdark did in crowd funding. Does Avatar outsell Shadowdark by 10x in retail? I don't know, but my gut says not likely.

I mean, unlike Shadowdark, Avatar was sold in Target for at least a while.

But I would expect the relationship is complicated: I have heard from FLGS owners that Kickstarted board games don't always much of a longterm sales tail.

 

[Reynard]

I mean, unlike Shadowdark, Avatar was sold in Target for at least a while.

But I would expect the relationship is complicated: I have heard from FLGS owners that Kickstarted board games don't always much of a longterm sales tail.

My completely unscientific thought is that sometimes the huge KSers see very little "tail." All the potential customers backed it, and there aren't many people left to buy it.

 

[Parmandur]

My completely unscientific thought is that sometimes the huge KSers see very little "tail." All the potential customers backed it, and there aren't many people left to buy it.

Sometimes, probably: much as I enjoy the Kickstarted board game "Chicken Cesar" I doubt it sells all that well.

But other times the game might sell better in the long run. I suspect the Diacworld RPG book might have a better sales tail than the Kickstarter results would maybe indicate.

 

[Parmandur]

Since we are dealing in the realm of anecdote...

@FitzTheRuke any insight on how Kickstarted games have done for your store, historically?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Since we are dealing in the realm of anecdote...

@FitzTheRuke any insight on how Kickstarted games have done for your store, historically?

I can't really speak to longevity of sales. We tend to get minimal numbers with the kickstarter, sell them, and can't justify getting more. Maybe I've anticipated the drop, but it is more likely that shipping and stuff is too expensive to bother going deeper.

I wish Kickstarter was used more like it's original vision - to get the project started before moving to more standard distribution. It happens sometimes, but more often they just do another Kickstarter. AFAICT, it's all about cutting out middle-men, which I understand, but as a middle-man, I think we have our uses.

For example, it is my experience that the audience that would never back a project (don't like, don't trust, or don't even KNOW ABOUT KS) is still very, very large.

 

[definiteFreakyFishGuy]

I wish Kickstarter was used more like it's original vision - to get the project started before moving to more standard distribution. It happens sometimes, but more often they just do another Kickstarter. AFAICT, it's all about cutting out middle-men, which I understand, but as a middle-man, I think we have our uses.

I would argue that not only does it cut out the middle folks, but it also frees them from a certain level of responsibility and risk. AFAIK, with a Kickstarter you don't even have to deliver the product! cough: :Megatokyo Visual Novel: :cough.

(I am assuming KS and Uncle Sam probably takes a cut of the money, so I guess technically there is still some middle folks.)