I've backed a few Kickstarter games and know many others who have as well. What's the consensus? Is it worth it to back games via Kickstarter campaigns or are we fooled into paying more for games we might have purchased in other circumstances. I'll explore some of the reasons why I believe Kickstarter campaigns are so popular and my thoughts on if its "worth it" or not. The topic of the increasing use of Kickstarter to fund tabletop gaming projects has become a frequent and often contentious one in the gaming community. Is this rise in Kickstarter funded gaming projects a good thing or is it just another way for companies to take advantage of consumers? I contend that Kickstarter has overall been a positive contributor to the board game hobby. There was a time when the largest toy and game manufacturers determined what the top games would be. Companies like Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley and Hasbro ruled the U.S. market. They would mass produce games like Monopoly, Risk, The Game of Life, and Stratego. Sure there was some creativity out there being generated by some smaller companies producing more original and innovative games, such as Avalon Hill, TSR, and Games Workshop, however the market was dominated by the larger corporations. Their ability to spend money on mass advertising campaigns, marketing, and manufacturing gave them a big advantage. Consumers were simply not exposed to a variety of options. Kickstarter came on the scene in 2009. This was just as board games where seeing a resurgence in the United States. Small developers and people with new ideas could find a way to make their concepts reality by utilizing this new internet sensation of crowd funding. This helped take a lot of the risk away from the developer/publisher. Those who backed the Kickstarter project were fronting the money needed most typically for manufacturing. Once individuals and small board game companies started utilizing this tool, they could publish games that were previously too costly to risk manufacturing and getting stuck with inventory. Now, the board game enthusiasts themselves were able to support and pledge money to the types of games they wanted to play. Early success begat future projects. Fledgeling companies were able to launch themselves with successful Kickstarter campaigns. The big corporations lost some influence over what games were available to consumers. This is one of the main reasons that I believe Kickstarter is a positive force.
More and more companies, even established ones are starting to use Kickstarter to try out new concepts and promote their latest games. Companies such as CMON, Awaken Realms, Kingdom Death, Cephalofair Games, and Restoration Games have all seen huge success through the use of Kickstarter. One could argue that most of these companies may not exist had it not been for the existence of this crowd funding platform. Marketing your game through this medium has proven to be invaluable. It is much less expensive than mass marketing through TV commercials, magazine ads, etc. The growing gaming hobbyist community is paying more attention to the marketing and promotion done on Kickstarter and social media outlets like YouTube and podcasts. The playing field is more level. Little publishers can succeed on the same playing field as the big publishers. In some ways the small and medium-sized companies have turned the table on the big guys. Gaming hobbyists seem to steer clear of the corporate branded mass produced games for the most part. Consumers are now looking for a more personal connection to the games they buy. Are there Negatives? Sure, there are some concerns and issues. Some companies, especially new and startups, which have underestimated costs and production needs, etc... Campaigns have crashed and burned. People have pledged money in hopes of getting a product that never got produced. There can also be issues with the process of pledging money that is essentially a pre-order for a product to come later. The time from when the money is pledged to when product is shipped can sometimes take years. Yes, I said YEARS. Due to a number of factors including manufacturing and over-seas shipping, it can take months to years before a person who pledges will see the fruits of their investment. In recent years companies have improved at this. Most companies do a good job providing up-front time estimates and frequent updates on progress. Sometimes, being a part of the updates adds to the enjoyment of participating in the process of a Kickstarter. It gives the consumer a feeling of ownership in the project. Another possible issue for this kind of campaign is that once it gets shipped to all the backers the company may not have the funds or ability to manufacture additional quantities to be sold at retail. It could end up being a one-shot production run in which others don't get an opportunity to purchase. Aside from the handful of challenges listed above and other idiosyncrasies of this relatively new consumer/vendor relationship generated by crowd funding, I believe Kickstarter has improved the variety and innovation in tabletop gaming. There are many detractors who have their reasons for disliking Kickstarter. I would suggest that in reviewing the overall state of board gaming in the U.S., Kickstarter has provided positive influence and impact on the entire industry. It has created an additional channel for purchasing unique and new games as well as started a number of small businesses. It has helped to facilitate continued growth in this industry. The huge amount of money that board game enthusiasts continue to pour into tabletop gaming projects on Kickstarter is mind numbing and a sign that it will continue to be a force in sustaining the gaming industry. If your interested in learning more about Kickstarter and its mission click here to link to their about page. Thank you for reading my opinions and your continued support of King's GameNight gaming blog. Please add your comments below and send any personal messages via the contact page. Check out Kickstarter game projects and... Game on!
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I want to explore the topic of those elements that effect impressions of board games. What are some of the different elements and how much do they actually effect desire to purchase, play and enjoy board games? There are varying opinions... here's mine. The Elements What are some of the top elements that affect our impressions of a board game? There have been many discussions in the hobby gaming world about this topic. There is no doubt that many different things that can influence how much we enjoy or appreciate a particular board game. Following is my list of items and some thoughts regarding each.
Final Thoughts
When considering the items listed above, I think all have a certain level of influence on each of us. Multiple factors are at play when we decide whether we think we will like a game we're considering to purchase or if we enjoy learning and playing it. There is no perfect formula. Many of the elements are subjective. I believe that the five elements listed and probably several other considerations have a real affect on our impressions of a game. So, when you consider whether you "like" a game or not, stop to note why that might be. Is it the game design and mechanisms, artwork, design, rules, or extras that may be influencing you? Many of my favorites tick most of those boxes. What are the most important game elements that influence you? What gives you the most positive impression of a game? Please share your comments. Thank you for following King's GameNight gaming blog and Facebook page and... Game on! |
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