Backing a new Kickstarter, Still Worth it in 2024?

Yeah, you know where this is going… Kickstarter. The need to have more what you didn’t see or don’t even know if you are going to get it eventually. There is a reason I started this topic. All of a sudden, I got a package I didn’t even know I was getting. The product had taken so long to deliver that I lost interest in the product. It got me thinking and had me ask for whom the kickstarted product actually was for? Let’s dive in, but before we start, I have to address something. The fact that these are my opinions in the form of a rant.

Cool new Kickstarter goodies!

Sure, everyone needs more plastic. We love backing product that will get you more than you can paint, and surely you will someday, right? When you look at most of the people that back Kickstarter products out of the wargaming and miniatures category, you will notice something. Almost the whole pile of shame consists of KS products. Why is this? The answer in my eyes is greed. People love it and there is no-one more greedy for more miniatures than wargamers or role players.

I forgot I backed the Kickstarter

The product I got was a one-off for Kickstarter only product. I think that is what me lured into taking the game. I know I had the previous game and I haven’t looked at that for ages. There are a lot of companies these days, that use the platform as a sales platform for selling their so-called “one-off” products as an exclusive to Kickstarters. This lures people like me into backing the product.

Thing is, if a product is purely sold on Kickstarter, is it actually being kickstarted or is it being sold before it’s produced? Some of them even have retailer pledges that promise stock for the shop. As a retailer, I can wholly say these products won’t sell any more, since there is no demand because everyone knows they won’t be coming to retail. Vicious circle trap anyone? To make it even worse, some of the companies even demand brick and mortar only stores to back. As if they haven’t got enough overhead to stock not selling products.

Bad Kickstarters (in my opinion)

basically, the game that I just got in. It has been made for Kickstarter and will never reach retail, where actually sales happen. I’m not going to shame and of course the product delivered is still great quality. It just never reached retail, where I think it would do really well.

Problem is with KS only product, and games in special, that the quality and add-ons to “sell” the product are too high productionwise. This will never gain any profit for the producer and thus will never be sold in retail. If you then add “retailer pledges” to the product, knowing it will never reach “retailers” in the long run. Once again here, the question rises for whom the Kickstarter actually is meant?

Rather good Kickstarters

What if an exclusive of an already available to retail product is sold exclusively via Kickstarter. This gets my doubt, because you know here that you have a chance at consuming the product from retailers. If you want an exclusive product, you can take this. I’m talking about the Star Realms foil release Wise Wizard games did a couple of years ago. There is no NEED to play the game, but at least your greed has a chance here to decide. You don’t have to take the KS-only release to play, you MAY, and that’s important here.

Good Kickstarters

Mantic for instance did it and does it the right way. They try to fund a product to eventually put it in retail stores and push it out via retailers. This makes the retailer pledges a whole bit better, since the retailer knows it will create traffic and demand for the product that was hyped via Kickstarter. One of their most successful products ever (and for me as a retailer this wasn’t bad either), was the Walking Dead wargame they did in February 2016, which lasted for about 8 years of retail and then went on to get a re-release when the contracts with the creator were renewed again.

So, for whom is Kickstarter actually meant?

This is the fine question here, oozing through this article like a sore thumb. I could answer this one rather short, but want to explore it a bit more in-depth. First of, answering the question.

THE kickstarter question

I think the Kickstarter is for the producer. They made a game that they knew was too expensive to produce for retail. They then decide to add more to bring up the “value” of the product, so make an already expensive product more expensive. More expensive exclusive product make the product look more expensive and here you have the answer.

It’s the customer being tricked into something shiny and fancy, with a timeframe and the message that “you won’t get it anywhere else”. Sales 101. Changing something clearly wrongfully produced into an exclusive item, where the customer is an idiot if they don’t buy it now. I say wrongfully produced, because something that is more expensive than itself is not supposed to exist commercially. No-one has benefits with that instead the producer, that can produce it’s too expensive product on demand.

Gamer Greed

The negative side of this gamer greed, is that – like me – you tend to forget you bought the game because it took about 4 years to deliver. The hype is over, nobody talks about it, but the producer has its money because he sold you a really expensive shelf queen. Next to that, because it’s KS-only, you NEED to take the full pledge, with all the unlocks to have the chance at everything, so most of the time you back the biggest pledge. This basically guarantees the high expense price for the production.

The solution is simple

Don’t back any more Kickstarters. But you know, like I do, that greed is more dangerous when it sees new grey or plastic for that matter. Instead of spending money on perhaps, why not look at the local game stores that are doing their best to bring you the best products in your hand, without a delivery time of max 4 years? And if you see a kickstarter-only product that has a retailer pledge, ask your local dealer if he wants to pledge and help him find more customers. You still get the product, but at least the retailer knows he sells what you ask for.

If you just need normal product from brands more known for perfect products and a great in store reputation, be sure to check out our store and take what you want.

This article has been something I doubted too long about to write it, but did it anyway, and I would love to hear your idea’s on my opinion. See you next week for another nice read about our favourite hobby.