Request Actual, offical doc. with breakdown of TZ $55k licensing costs, signatures.

[starck]

So first of all, WE paid for this upcoming license. Not Farsight. I don't care how much it costs to develop blah blah blah. We're supposidly paying for the license of this table. Shouldn't we be able to see the license, the breakdown of licensing costs, signatures, etc.? Or am I just supposed to take Farsight's word for all of this?

If you're proposing a business model, you generally break down such costs in a verified manner for your investors. This hasn't been done here.

As someone who donated to the kick starter, I'd like to see some sort of confirmation/proof that the license for the TZ table was actually $55k. Otherwise, I have no idea where my money is going. None of this is transparent at all.

I find this to be very disconcerting.

Why don't I start a kick starter for my 'company,' claim I need an arbitrary $X dollars to take my game to the next level, and then do what I see fit with the money I've raised. Who's to say the licensing costs are actually $55k? Why doesn't someone contact CBS to make sure they are aware that this is going on, and to verify this is legitimate? -(or rather, why isn't farsight doing this for us?)


We have blindly trusted a software company with over $70k and have not seen any proof as to how the $55k would actually be broken up into the licensing fees. Give me some reasons to trust a bunch of people I've never met over the Internet? Simply posting a picture of you posing, pretending to sign some document which says CBS on the top is insufficient. Let's see actual signatures. Let's see actual scanned copies of the breakdowns of the licensing costs. We have a right to see this information; WE are paying for the license. Not farsight.

So, let us see the licensing documents and the breakdown of the fees (in an official document) that we're paying for. Let's see the signatures too.

 

[PiN WiZ]

As someone who donated to the kick starter, I'd like to see some sort of confirmation/proof that the license for the TZ table was actually $55k. Otherwise, I have no idea where my money is going. None of this is transparent at all.

I find this to be very disconcerting.

Why don't I start a kick starter for my 'company,' claim I need an arbitrary $X dollars to take my game to the next level, and then do what I see fit with the money I've raised. Who's to say the licensing costs are actually $55k? Why doesn't someone contact CBS to make sure they are aware that this is going on, and to verify this is legitimate? -(or rather, why isn't farsight doing this for us?)


We have blindly trusted a software company with over $70k and have not seen any proof as to how the $55k would actually be broken up into the licensing fees. Give me some reasons to trust a bunch of people I've never met over the Internet? Simply posting a picture of you posing, pretending to sign some document which says CBS on the top is insufficient. Let's see actual signatures. Let's see actual scanned copies of the breakdowns of the licensing costs. We have a right to see this information; WE are paying for the license. Not farsight.

So, let us see the licensing documents and the breakdown of the fees (in an official document) that we're paying for. Let's see the signatures too.

Do other people/companies running a Kickstarter Project provide this sort documentation? I'm not sure if CBS would allow their legal documents to be displayed publicly.

By the way, if you don't trust someone, why would you give them your money?

 

[jrolson]

 

[Jeff Strong]

All I need to SEE is TZ later this year on my PS3, 360, and iPad.....and everyone else's too.

 

[starck]

I hardly think this is an unreasonable thing to do given the amount of money involved.

Break down the costs for us.

If you're not allowed to break them down because CBS had you sign some bizarre confidentiality agreement, tell us that is the case. We know nothing and can assume nothing- responses such as those are speculation.

Why would I give them my money? Well, I originally trusted them. Now, I don't. And it's not like I donated $5k to the damn thing; I could care less about the money I put forward for this. That's not the point.

 

[dtown8532]

I paid 25 bucks to get to play my favorite pin over and over and over again. Basically until I'm so sick of it that I wouldn't care if I ever saw one again. That's all I care about. If some of that money goes towards Bobby King's lunch, good for him. Have some Boar's Head on me!

 

[PiN WiZ]

I hardly think this is an unreasonable thing to do given the amount of money involved.

Break down the costs for us.

If you're not allowed to break them down because CBS had you sign some bizarre confidentiality agreement, tell us that is the case. We know nothing and can assume nothing- responses such as those are speculation.

Why would I give them my money? Well, I originally trusted them. Now, I don't. And it's not like I donated $5k to the damn thing; I could care less about the money I put forward for this. That's not the point.

Bottom line is, if you lack trust in FarSight for whatever reason it may be, you have the option to pull your pledge at any time before the Project ends and you pledging money is the point or you wouldn't be making such a request. Good day.

 

[RetroBlast]

One thing is for sure, Farsight has had to agree not to disclose what they paid for any individual license in the agreement. Why? That is becasue those who hold the rights sell it to different people at a different price and if ever a price is revealed, it would undrmine future sales of that right and it would null and void FarSights Right to use that content.

Just look at Star Trek The Next Generation Table .... you have to pay every actor who appears on the artwork and who's voice or liking to their voice is used ... You have to play who ever holds the rights to every star trek sound effect made in the game, you have to pay who ever owns the right for any non human artwork on the table such as ships and such .... geeze, to me it sounds like it would cost a lot more than 55k, sounds like FarSight is getting a deal if you ask me ... and the total of how much money is collected is prublicly displayed via the KickStart program / website, and that, FarSight has no control over ... so I am not in a panic over all this and I want my Twilight Zone and STNTG Pins!

 

[Bowflex]

I figure both ST:TNG and Twilight Zone are both WELL over 55k. They probably shaved off a certain amount and rounded it down. Farsight would be the ones picking up the additional cost of licensing through revenue they are producing. Just like licenses for Ripley's, Universal Monsters and soon to be many other licenses...they were able to obtain the license for a much lower amount and put that money out from themselves. The 55k is probably the amount above and beyond what they would have paid for something like Universal Monsters.

 

[Actionball]

Demanding to see a contract signed by 2 parties where none of them are you? Thats a pretty bold idea, good luck with that. As far as I was concerned the license could have been $29.95 + SH and the rest was set aside for hookers and blow for the design team, the only thing that is important is if you agree you got your moneys worth no matter what level you got in for. You have zero rights to see the documents or any of their financials period.

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

As I promised after the brouhaha in the Twilight Zone thread, I am going to restrain myself and refrain from responding to this with the wrath it deserves, but let me merely state that this whole topic is asinine.

CBS, or any other licensor, would never allow FarSight to disclose the actual licensing costs, because doing so would weaken CBS's position in future negotiations with other potential licensees. I was a software developer at my previous job and was involved in both licensing intellectual property to and receiving IP licenses from third parties. Every last contract had a nondisclosure clause in it, and if it hadn't, we would have dismissed the attorney who drew up the agreement for gross incompetence. That's not being shady; that's common business sense.

 

[brakel]

Even if we were share holders of farsight we wouldnt get to see that kind of document. Share holders get a document at the end of the year that hits the highlights and lowlights of the companies fortunes that year as well as a glimpse to whats ahead for the next year. They do not get to look at contracts.

 

[Gord Lacey]

This was a ridiculous post - thread closed.