I was dealt a *dramatic blow* because my "Marketing Expert" had decided to no longer offer marketing resources. Specifically I was hoping to have a group of over 5,000+ gamers (that was the resource) I could pitch my game to.
On the *positive* side of things, making some changes to the game, I was able to drop the Funding Goal from $25,000 to $15,000! Wow! That is a lot!
This was partially because I did not need to pay the Marketing Expert (10%) and I made some concessions with the artwork (and created stretch goals if gamers want all unique artwork, it will cost +$5,000 funding).
We also approved the idea of a Game Mat (which I really like). I can picture players unfolding the mat and it too would be awesome. That's another stretch goal for +$10,000 funding...
Another noteworthy news was that I will be having a *special* KS Campaign for Premium role cards. I also removed those from the base game - because I was trying to trim as much as possible ($10,000 - is a lot of money!) These cards will make it back into the game in either one of two ways:
- We reach the third (3rd) stretch goal of +$15,000 (or $45,000 total funding).
- Or we will add these cards to the 2nd Expansion (Code Red).
Sooner or later, those cards will become part of the game...
That's all the news for now, stay tuned for more information in my next entry!
Comments
Marketing Expert?
I have to ask .. Marketing Expert? That wants 10% and not a flat fee for marketing?
Sounds fishy to be honest. Especially the 5000+ gamers to pitch the game to. Where did you find this expert and what exactly was the sales pitch they went with?
Regarding the rest, congrats on finding ways to drop the funding required. Let us know when the Kickstarter goes live. I suggest sharing the project before it goes live to get advice on the project page as well.
100% legit
Yes that was their fee. It made sense since they would take MORE if they could convince more people to "back" the game. So on $25,000 it was $2,500. The problem is that 10% scales with more backers. So it essentially was eating up all my "budget" or whatever profit was remaining.
It's not fishy at all. And out of respect for the Expert, I won't disclose his name. But this was a very legit person who is actively involved in Board Game industry... He is not a fly by night operation.
His promise was to engage his directory of 5,000+ gamers with promotional appeal for the game and have those "backers" see if they would want to buy an indie game. He also has 2,000+ facebook friends.
Yes it was smart to drop the funding goal - given some realistic shortcuts. I'll be certain to share the project close to the go-live date!
questccg wrote: It's not
It's not fishy at all. And out of respect for the Expert, I won't disclose his name. But this was a very legit person who is actively involved in Board Game industry... He is not a fly by night operation.
His promise was to engage his directory of 5,000+ gamers with promotional appeal for the game and have those "backers" see if they would want to buy an indie game. He also has 2,000+ facebook friends.
The way it was worded initially made it sound like those companies that offer every Kickstarter promotion of their project for a fee, which is what made me think it was fishy.
However, given the info you've provided I can understand better. Unfortunate, but understandable.
Major let-down!
Yes it is very unfortunate. No one else seems to want to help "indie" designer promote and sell their game ideas. You have to go down the KS route ALONE... I don't expect many "indie" designers capable of forming strong networks which can lead to actual "backers" in the KS world.
Being able to just "contact" 5,000+ backers like 1 week before LAUNCH day, would have had a tremendous effect. Instead I am scrambling trying to learn how to "build a community", hope that people "convert" from one platform to another, offer one-time experiences, etc.
We shall see how it turns out. But it's a major let-down!