ST:TNG Kickstarter is (now complete)!

[Fuseball]

I actually thought it was really interesting just because it was so different from the way I usually played the game back in the olden days (or would today at my fairly low skill level). Pinball at the highest tournament level can turn into a completely different game with a more abstract appeal.

I agree that it's certainly interesting. I would never have thought to play the game that way, but then I play for enjoyment rather than score maximising. Even knowing how to play that way I don't think I could resist going for the cool features. That's probably why I don't enter tournaments and content myself with being an above average amateur player.

 

[Pinballwiz45b]

We're halfway through!

 

[Sir_LANs-a-lot]

Yeah, not bad for two days.

Still surprised at just only having 800(ish) supporters considering the number of FB followers and ST fans everywhere.

If they can hit $1K/day they'll be alright.

 

[SKILL_SHOT]

Im guessing it will continue to surge towards the goal and slowly trickle down AFTER the goal is reached. I doubt it will get anywhere near its projected total.
http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/1067367405/pinball-arcade-star-trek-the-next-generation/

 

[Rudy Yagov]

Im guessing it will continue to surge towards the goal and slowly trickle down AFTER the goal is reached. I doubt it will get anywhere near its projected total.
http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/1067367405/pinball-arcade-star-trek-the-next-generation/

Trends are not projections. It even says so right there.

 

[laughing_lunatic]

First off, I donated. I donated to both TZ and this. Why ? Because we're stuck between a rock and a hard place. We want the tables. We can't do it ourselves. We rely on FS to do it. They won't do it if we don't give them enough money.

However, to say that without the Kickstarter, the table wouldn't be commercially viable, is doubtful. Has no-one in the FarSight organization ever considered the concept of the loss leader ? Best example, GENIUS example was Nintendo in the mid 80's when they gave away, arguably the best game ever released for the NES, Super Mario Bros, with the system. Create a killer app, make people buy the system, once they have the system, they'll buy more games etc. Now FS have all of us, obviously, and countless thousands not on this forum, but consider this: how many Trekkies, dress-up at weekends Trekkies, casual Trekkies and Star Warsies that are also kind of Trekkies, would become aware of this and froth at the mouth at being able to play it, purely because it's Star Trek ? There's more than one target audience here, us Pin Heads but also those who want ANYTHING related to Star Trek. These people are SERIOUS about their devotion. And then, have to buy not only the DLC but the original program to play it on ? And then tell other Trekkies, many of whom will think about trying other tables ? It's a calculated risk, yes, but for $45k, make the investment. They are, after all, in their own words (emphasis is mine):

... FarSight has developed many best-selling franchises, such as Game Party, Sega Sports’ NFL games for the Genesis, NCAA college football games for EA, Backyard Sports for Atari, PlayTV for Radica/Mattel, and the Pinball Hall of Fame for Crave. Our NCAA '99 game won an Editor’s Choice award from PC Gamer magazine and was honored as runner-up Sports Game of the Year at the Game Developers Conference in 1999. Our PlayTV Madden Football toy was nominated for Electronic Entertainment Toy of the Year in 2004 by the Toy Industry Association of America. Scarface became a PSP Greatest Hits title in 2007. To date, the Game Party franchise for the Wii and Kinect has sold over 6 million units. Our Williams pinball collection ranks in the top 20 games of all time on the Wii on both Game Rankings and Metacritic. Our games have been published by EA, Sierra, Konami, THQ, Midway, Atari, Crave, Warner Brothers, Mattel, 505 Games, and Virgin - just to name a few.

Given this, I just don't buy it that, with their multi-million best selling games and swish fancy offices, they can't stretch to $45k. Don't get me wrong, fair play to them. I wish I could find a way to get random people to pay my bills for me. I'd do it in a heartbeat and think nothing of it. I predict another Kickstarter in a few months, and why not ? It's free money.

 

[Jazza]

Pledge submitted. Good luck!

 

[bavelb]

Given this, I just don't buy it that, with their multi-million best selling games and swish fancy offices, they can't stretch to $45k. Don't get me wrong, fair play to them. I wish I could find a way to get random people to pay my bills for me. I'd do it in a heartbeat and think nothing of it. I predict another Kickstarter in a few months, and why not ? It's free money.

Since the start of TPA, people on forums and facebook have been requesting, nay demanding kickstarters so they could get their licensed tables asap. If you read that as a company, what would you do?

Don't get me wrong, you raise a fair point, and I've been questioning this a tad myself, but then I shrug.... I think this way we get TZ and STTNG quicker than we wouldve if they had to fund it themselves most likely.

 

[Carl Spiby]

Farsight are only a small studio at the end of the day.

 

[bavelb]

Also, in regards to those well selling titles. Keep in mind we don't know how many they got form that as developers, and how much went to the publishers. If its anything like artists and recordcompanies.....

 

[Fuseball]

I rather think that you need to be in the console game development industry yourself to be able to even guess at Farsight's financial status. They are a small studio and like most small studios I sincerely doubt they are rolling in cash.

Game development is an expensive business and it takes one heck of a lot of sales to offset that.

 

[BonzoGonzo]

besides i think there is a difference between some 'programming guys' wanting to do a project, and the 'money guys' from the same company... as in "that project is just financially not viable (enough), so we are not giving you any money for it"...

if it were a new guarantied-cash-bringer-cod title, i don't think there would be such problems...

pinball on the other hand...

 

[bavelb]

besides i think there is a difference between some 'programming guys' wanting to do a project, and the 'money guys' from the same company... as in "that project is just financially not viable (enough), so we are not giving you any money for it"...

if it were a new guarantied-cash-bringer-cod title, i don't think there would be such problems...

pinball on the other hand...

COD-pinball?

 

[Matt McIrvin]

As I said back when the Twilight Zone Kickstarter was in progress and XBox DLC was only a dream, I think the Kickstarter funding model for media licenses with high up-front costs will only work a small number of times. Twice, maybe three times if they can actually negotiate The Addams Family. Beyond that, the well's likely to dry up.

 

[laughing_lunatic]

Since the start of TPA, people on forums and facebook have been requesting, nay demanding kickstarters so they could get their licensed tables asap. If you read that as a company, what would you do?

Oh mate, don't get me wrong, like I said, there's a way to get funding done for you, OF COURSE I'd do it. And I don't have any problem with donating, just don't be crying that as a studio that has been responsible for millions upon millions of games sold, that you can't afford $45k.

Farsight are only a small studio at the end of the day.

Indeed. So all that profit that they made from those award winning games, has to be stretched less far. More goes into the bank for investment... unless... we can get people to pay our costs for us. Like I say, I have no problem with the whole kickstarter thing, just the way it's presented.

 

[Carl Spiby]

Have you seen Farsight's back catalogue? No offence to them, but I don't think any of those titles were a huge success.

PHOF wasn't even advertised over here, I just stumbled across it one day on the internet.

 

[laughing_lunatic]

Have you seen Farsight's back catalogue? No offence to them, but I don't think any of those titles were a huge success.

Our NCAA '99 game won an Editor’s Choice award from PC Gamer magazine and was...runner-up Sports Game of the Year at the Game Developers Conference in 1999. PlayTV Madden Football toy...nominated for Electronic Entertainment Toy of the Year in 2004. Scarface became a PSP Greatest Hits title in 2007. Game Party has sold over 6 million units. Williams pinball collection ranks in the top 20 games of all time on the Wii.

We, as in you and I, obviously have differing ideas on what "success" means

Anyway, be that as it may, I hope the kickstarter is a success, and here's to a couple of amazing, BUG FREE tables to enjoy.

 

[Gord Lacey]

I've said this before, and I'll say it again...

EVERY project has to be commercially viable, or a company shouldn't do it. You shouldn't be taking money from project A to fund project B if project B won't turn a profit. If the licenses would mean that table wouldn't be profitable for 2 years, while everything else is profitable in 3 months, then it would be foolish to bring that table to the marketplace. Take the same time and resources and put it into a table that will turn a profit much sooner. The Kickstarter allows them to presell the table to the fans, and gives them the money to "erase" the licensing fee.

I deal with this all the time when it comes to DVDs. People say "Fox made tons of money on selling The Simpsons DVDs, so they should continue to release NYPD Blue, even though they made no money on that." No, that's not how it works. If they're going to release more NYPD Blue sets, they have to turn a profit. That's business.

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

Anyway, be that as it may, I hope the kickstarter is a success, and here's to a couple of amazing, BUG FREE tables to enjoy.

While I agree that it is especially important that TZ and ST:TNG be as error-free as possible, I wouldn't hold my breath. TZ in particular is a very complex table, and even with the 15 extra beta testers from its kickstarter, I think the first round will have its share of bugs. Even the real table sometimes develops issues; the ROM occasionally gets confused about where the Powerball is even when the proximity sensors are functioning properly. The Powerball is also likely to be particularly susceptible to ghosting through objects, as it moves faster than a regular pinball.

EVERY project has to be commercially viable, or a company shouldn't do it. You shouldn't be taking money from project A to fund project B if project B won't turn a profit. If the licenses would mean that table wouldn't be profitable for 2 years, while everything else is profitable in 3 months, then it would be foolish to bring that table to the marketplace. Take the same time and resources and put it into a table that will turn a profit much sooner. The Kickstarter allows them to presell the table to the fans, and gives them the money to "erase" the licensing fee.

There is a possible exception to this, if FarSight was expecting TZ's and/or ST:TNG's presence on TPA to increase sales of the other tables enough to make up for their losses. (As in "I bought this for Star Trek, but I see lots of other tables now that I'm here, let's give them a try as well.") But I don't think that's true, nor do I think FarSight expects it to be true.

 

[Carl Spiby]

Out of curiosity, just how does the table identify the powerball on a real table?