Why do you back Kickstarters?

[DMZ2112]

Look at self aware / self disparaging Alzrius post was. Many folks who feel that way won't admit to it.

Why does it matter? The Kickstarter still gets your money. It's not like they're asking people to donate hugs. It's a mercenary operation.

Frankly, considering the alarmingly high percentage of Kickstarters I've backed that are failing to meet their goals OR deliver rewards, it seems to me there ought to be another option in this poll:

Gullibility: I donate to Kickstarter to get jerked around.

 

[Henry]

I've only ever actually got off my butt and backed one -- and that was the Chris Pramas "cadaver bone" one, because I really liked the guy and empathized with his position. (Well, maybe empathized more with Nicole than Chris, because my wife was the on who had the same type of surgery.) one of these days i'll happen on a crowdfund that really pushes me to help see it through -- so far every one i've wanted to help out overwhelmingly made its funding handily before i came along.

 

[frankthedm]

Gullibility: I donate to Kickstarter to get jerked around.

Yeah, gotta balance the supposed goods with the annoyance of having to haul someone into court and testing the legal waters if they fail to deliver.

 

[Dice4Hire]

I back kickstarters to get stuff. Cheaper than elsewhere and exclusivity is a plus, but my main goal is to get things I want to have. Yes, I could get them elsewhere, but I see a lot of cool stuff on Kickstarter.

As for the wait, I do not mind so much.

I know there are other kinds of kickstarters out there, but I do not wander much into that part of KS.

I did support EnWorld, but not for the PDFs.

 

[Lord Mhoram]

Depends on the project - I voted value, but it is a combo of Value, Patronage, and Altruism.

When I pledged for the Kitchen Safe or the OUYA the funding goal had not yet been met. I funded because I thought they were neat ideas.
I pledged for the unsuccessful Mythic Hero (Steve Long's take on Gods for the HERO system) I wanted to see it, but the stretch goals never entered my mind.
The last two Pathfinder books I pledged for I really liked the idea, and wanted to get them, but when the stretch goals hit a certain point I funded for the extras.

 

[gamerprinter]

I suppose if there was a kickstarter to help somebody out with medical bills or something I might throw some money at it without expecting anything in return...

KS doesn't actually allow true donation type projects - it has to be about creating something. Indiegogo on the other hand allows most anything to be funded.

 

[Wicht]

I chose Patronage, but there are other considerations. I most certainly backed Reaper Bones because of value, and I do back a few things out of altruism.

 

[Agemegos]

Naturally it is often a mix of motives. I chose "patronage" because that is most often my main motive when I back a kickstarter. Timing is the my main motive other times. Though in principle I would back a Kickstarter mainly to benefit the creators (either out of actual altruism or becasue I felt I owed it to them for their previous free work) it happens that so far I've done that with bundles of holding and with on-line tip jars and so forth, but not yet with an actual kickstarter .

 

[Ell-Egypto]

I don't back them any more; too many failures, too many dead game sytems.

 

[TheOtherTracy]

I back because of patronage. I love knowing that I'm helping stuff become real for a creator. The value aspect can come into to, too, as there are stretch goals that can add a crazy-good amount of stuff to lower tiers of a lot of campaigns.