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Street Fighter board game
Topic Started: Apr 5 2018, 11:32 AM (265 Views)
lgm
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Demogorgon
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There's currently a Street Fighter board game at Kickstarter. It caught my attention because I thought Lynx may be interested. Looking into it, they also have breakable stuff that was in the game's background (sf2). Being for up to four players, it looked better than just trying to mimic the video game. They also allow for 3 v 1 boss fights.

Sounds pretty cool but I'd advise waiting for a general release instead of Kickstarter. It's basically a YouTuber handling 400k cash backed by a company that screwed up their previous boardgame Kickstarter.

Street Fighter Kickstarter :link:
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Andrul
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Ancient Wyrm
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It looks good, but even if they had a well-known and successful backer I don't think I could be convinced to shell out $140 - $280 on a product that doesn't exist yet. The figure concepts look good but I'd want to see the final product available to purchase, not 3d image designs or unapproved prototypes. I do like the idea of the larger size though, as long as you have enough room to play it!
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lgm
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Demogorgon
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That goes for Kickstarter in general. People seem to use it a a pre-order and I'm starting to think some creators are too. It's supposed to be inesting in something you want to see made. Instead of having a stake in the company, you get some sort of "reward" or product. If you can't afford to lose that money, don't buy in. Or at least do additional research on who you're giving money to.

Like you, I'd also want to see more completed before tossing money in. For books, you better have it 100% written with a PDF to show. Miniatures better be proofed and ready to be manufactured. Basically the creator needs to have already shown completed effort where the money is needed for making it, and not continuing prototype or needs income while writing more.
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Lynx Cat
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IMO, what people communicate when they open a Kickstarter is "I have the capability to deliver a really great product, but don't have the money/funding". And, of course, what you have to decide whether or not to trust is whether that capability is real. Which is why, aside from there being as much completed product as possible with limited/no funding as LGM points out, the proponent's previous experience/accomplishments in the field count a lot. Have they actually done something on this scale before? Which other finished, commercial products are there where I can see their talent? Otherwise, you're putting a lot of trust in them.

I don't really do Kickstarter, because... eh, I dunno. Most stuff that really matters either doesn't ship to Brazil or there's too much of a hassle. Ironically, the only crowd-funded project I've joined (not Kickstarter, but a Brazilian equivalent named Catarse) was by some folks without previous experience in the project's field - it was a game created by the people behind a gaming podcast, called 99vidas. (You can find it on Steam in English, and in a number of consoles as well, it's a pretty decent 16-bit-style side-scrolling beat-em-up.) I ponied up largely because I love this podcast and would like to help them somehow (as I'm not in their Patreon), but also because they put up a pretty good demo version when they launched the campaign. To me, that was enough to show that they really could accomplish what they set out to do with sufficient funding. Besides, the minimum pledge to get the full game (BRL $20) was pretty accessible.

As for this Street Fighter board game... eh. I get why you thought I'd like it - the basic idea is pretty similar to the d10 Street Fighter RPG, which I've spoken highly of in several occasions. And yes, this might be fun to play. But... first, I haven't really played board games in a while, mostly for a lack of opportunity. My geeky friends are back in a town I moved away from, I haven't seen them in a long while, and haven't really made new geeky friends that like this sort of stuff. Second, I'm not sure I'd be as interested in this now as I'd be back in my SFRPG days. Dunno, I'd have to try it out to know for sure. Third... looking at the initial video and the info on what you get, the "basic" version is waaay limited. Just 4 out of the 8 original SF2 PCs (including both "shotoclones") and 2 bosses?? C'mon. You have to pony up a lot to get some real variety, which brings me to my fourth point - the price sounds outrageous to me. Maybe I'm not used to modern board games, but... really? 80 US dollars for a bare-bones, stripped-down version? 140 bucks for a decent version, and 280 for the full product? You're kidding me. I understand that you're not just buying the product, you're "helping the dream come true" or whatever BS... but screw that noise. That involves a lot of Kool-Aid I haven't drunk. Especially involving a project, as you guys point out, that has little in the way of actually finished product. When/if this is out commercially, I might possibly have a look at it, considering price and reviews, but I don't see why give it a second glance right now.
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lgm
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Demogorgon
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Board games have gotten to be big business in the last decade. There are companies like Fantasy Flight that use high end cardboard and plastics so their games will last forever. They also created a reputation in which customers know dropping $60 will get them a great game with lots of quality minis, cards and other bits. An little known Kickstarter shouldn't be going this route. They should get decent materials and concentrate on delivering.

I've seen Kickstarter buy-in costs grow as time goes on. With so many add-ons causing them to fail, I wonder if the increased initial cost is supposed to buffer add-ons. I was paying attention to the rules of this SF game that I paid no attention to the pricing. The game could be just as good without fully painted, large minis.

I've always wondered how people justified add-ons. Just because you sell more units, that somehow means you have excess money to give away free items? Taking some profit and putting towards a PDF is reasonable. Promising additional physical pieces is a big cost sink unless you're the one doing the actual manufacturing.
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Benevolance
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Ancient Wyrm
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lgm
Apr 6 2018, 11:49 AM
I've always wondered how people justified add-ons. Just because you sell more units, that somehow means you have excess money to give away free items? Taking some profit and putting towards a PDF is reasonable. Promising additional physical pieces is a big cost sink unless you're the one doing the actual manufacturing.
Presumably, they expect the cost of additional units to be less marginal cost than the potential advertising gain and additional sales. The more of the primary product they can produce, the cheaper the per unit cost. Some of the smarter companies do the add-ons as pay-for additions. But I don't think a lot of the companies doing kick starter really have that kind of financial planning, which is also why lots of kick starters fail, or are seriously delayed.

A lot of web-comics that do print omnibuses use kickstarter as a pre-sales system. They're going to do a print run and sell stuff anyway, but it gives them a simple venue to handle pre-sales and they don't have to commit their own funds up front. Girl Genius does that for every chapter book release, and I've noticed a few others do it over the years. But again, like you say, the product is done. It's just gotta get paid for.
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lgm
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Demogorgon
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I remember you jumping on the Bones minis and the add-ons we're crazy good. They knew what they were doing on top of being the actual producer. It can definitely work out as you say with quality people. I don't remember seeing a Kickstarter as good as that one.
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