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VonMisk
Posts: 9488
Location: Hatredland
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 Posted: Wed, 16th Jul 2014 19:22 Post subject: |
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Fuckers doesn't even mention CE on their website or in the new kickstarter.
sar·casm | \ ˈsär-ˌka-zəm \
1: a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain
2a: a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual
b: the use or language of sarcasm
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| Posted: Wed, 16th Jul 2014 21:14 Post subject: |
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Not surprised the least bit by these thieves. I've said it several times over the last few months that this is just a huge scam, every single time they promised an update it was always delayed over and over again.
Oh well so far this seems to be the only kickstarter scam i've felled for so far. Let's hope it stays that way
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| Posted: Wed, 16th Jul 2014 21:31 Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
another great advantage is that we are also borrowing every new vfx technology that Knuckle Club introduces for virtually free, and without any time spent on research & development. We completely understand the frustration due to delays, but a good game is good eventually, and a bad game is bad forever.
Thanks a lot for your support! Feedback is very valuable for us.
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Urgh. It's a shame as the game looked amazing, but yeah... lack of tangible updates and this sudden "extra" project that is now taking priority? It's screaming "scam!" to me.
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| Posted: Thu, 17th Jul 2014 22:17 Post subject: |
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https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kilobite/knuckle-club/comments
Kilobite have completely ignored all the anger and questions over on ConEx KS and went ahead and launched the KC campaign regardless, with absolutely no mention or ties to ConEx *anywhere* on the site or the campaign itself. Naturally people are more than a little pissed and the only "backers" for Knuckle Club are people pledging the least amount in order to gain access to the comments so as to warn off potential backers with information about it being a scam.
Does Kilobite apologise for all the misunderstandings? Do they offer an in depth and fully warranted explanation? Do they do anything? Nope. Instead they just say
"What an embarrassing witch-hunt."
Classy.
15 backers, $101 raised, 29 days to go > incoming "Project Cancelled" and a miserable guilt-tripping post about how a "small subset of backers" were "aggressive and obstinate" who "refused to understand what we were attempting to do" >_> I'll just reiterate what I said above; it IS a goddamn shame as the game looks incredible, I didn't have the cash to back it then but I'd have happily done what I could to buy it when it came out, but this kind of nonsense just sours opinions about indie studios and KS campaigns. I don't want this game to fail, I don't even want Knuckle Club to fail (movement speed aside, it looks friggin' awesome) - but they went about this whole thing in a really messed up way, screwed around with a lot of people who put their faith in the team, and are now just brushing everyone aside with flimsy bullshit.
| WhiteBarbarian wrote: | I pledged $10, would be hilarious if minimum pledge on Knuckle Club will be $15 and for my $10 I will get a wallpaper reward  |
For what it's worth, Knuckle Club's lowest game-giving tier is $10, so anyone that pledged $10 on Confederate Express gets a free copy of Knuckle Club. Which is really generous and no doubt everyone would be ecstatic to be getting a full game for free .. but the way Kilobite (or Maksym, whoever) has handled the whole thing is deplorable, quite frankly.
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| Posted: Sun, 20th Jul 2014 23:40 Post subject: |
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https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/829559023/confederate-express/posts/920492
| Quote: |
Greetings everyone!
In this update I wanted to discuss Confederate Express as a project moving forward.
First of all, I wanted to clear some confusion up regarding an investment group that stepped in to fund ConEx stretch goals.
I have founded Kilobite in 2013, and during that period I have been working by myself whilst outsourcing most of the work via contractors. I have been scouting talent on the internet and offer them small jobs on a contract basis for my video game (Confederate Express). That was my business model - keep margins low and talent pool deep. Finally, when ConEx concept surfaced on Kickstarter, I have been contacted by a small investor group that was very excited about my new pixel art engine tech, and with their own project (Knuckle Club) nearing completion, they saw an opportunity to become the first game with per-texel pixel art post-processing technology (what a tongue-twister, haha).
That was when the investors presented me with an offer to purchase Kilobite and hire me as a their full-time employee; but the biggest concern for them was Knuckle Club becoming the first game with pixel art post-processing tech. That's where an offer for extra funding of my personal project (Confederate Express) and the non-compete clause restrictions came from.
But I have never seen the situation this way in my head. The only thing I wanted was to make Confederate Express the best game it can possible be, and being high on amazing feedback from the vast Kickstarter community, I have foolishly started chasing an impossible dream. Budgets got bigger and bigger, work kept piling up, and deadlines kept getting delayed.
A lot happened since; Kilobite is now employing a lot people from my collected portfolio on a full-time basis. They have also split my engine tech into a different brand (False2D API), and are currently planning to release it as an SDK toolset for Unity.
With recent update it was my lack of business expertise and poor decision-making that has led to a major outrage of ConEx backers, which have also affected my employer's reputation as a brand; I made an oversight by delaying my personal Kickstarter project in favor of getting extra stretch goals funding for it. I wanted to sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart for an apparent lack of communication and poor planning on my part. I take full responsibility for recent events.
Moving forward, I am now focusing my efforts full-time on making sure Confederate Express gets delivered promptly. I am also keeping a record of every expenditure made, and notify backers accordingly in order to make my decisions as clear and transparent as possible. I am now aiming for a December 2014 release date, with a closed beta starting in November 2014.
In the end, it was my poor decision-making and lack of communication skills that led to this unfortunate situation, and I will do everything in my power to prevent such incidents from happening in the future. I apologize profoundly and hope to regain your trust by delivering the product I promised.
On a final note, I wanted to thank all of our backers for support and interest in mine and Kilobite's games! You are the sole reason of my motivation.
Sincerely,
Maksym Pashanin
P.S.: the next update on Confederate Express is coming up next week, please stay tuned!
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It's about time though I fear the damage may already be done, the silence over the last four days has been catastrophic .. I do hope they recover and can get ConEx out to people in order to restore faith in the company/developer, but man... this explanation/etc took too long, especially off the back of "What an embarrassing witch hunt" What worries me though is how he still doesn't explain why Knuckle Club needs a Kickstarter when his company was supposedly bought and paid for by an investor.
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| Posted: Sun, 20th Jul 2014 23:48 Post subject: |
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All these Kickstarter horror stories make me glad I've only pledged to InXile and Obsidian.
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| Posted: Mon, 21st Jul 2014 04:35 Post subject: |
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| randir14 wrote: | | All these Kickstarter horror stories make me glad I've only pledged to InXile and Obsidian. |
I can understand that. It's a gamble as it is but giving people with little or no prior experience is just begging to get ripped off. I've backed only a few games myself and thisn con-ex is one of them ( fitting name btw) and all other projects seem to be moving along fine.
Personally I don't buy into this explanation at all, just feels like a desperate attempt to save face
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| Posted: Mon, 21st Jul 2014 04:39 Post subject: |
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Last edited by Interinactive on Tue, 5th Oct 2021 01:55; edited 1 time in total
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| Posted: Mon, 21st Jul 2014 08:49 Post subject: |
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Oh, it seems he unstuck his head from his ass and remembered he's not a leader of a big company who can say and do shit like that. Or maybe the PR guys from that undisclosed investment group straightened him out. Still, it was a nearly suicidal move to antagonise your kickstarter backers.
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Il_Padrino
Posts: 7600
Location: Greece by the North Sea
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Werelds
Special Little Man
Posts: 15098
Location: 0100111001001100
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| Posted: Mon, 21st Jul 2014 11:05 Post subject: |
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| sabin1981 wrote: | https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/829559023/confederate-express/posts/920492
-snipquotebecauseseebelow-
It's about time though I fear the damage may already be done, the silence over the last four days has been catastrophic .. I do hope they recover and can get ConEx out to people in order to restore faith in the company/developer, but man... this explanation/etc took too long, especially off the back of "What an embarrassing witch hunt" What worries me though is how he still doesn't explain why Knuckle Club needs a Kickstarter when his company was supposedly bought and paid for by an investor. |
You know what's good about this one is though?
| Quote: |
...
I have foolishly started chasing an impossible dream.
...
...
With recent update it was my lack of business expertise and poor decision-making that has led to a major outrage of ConEx backers, which have also affected my employer's reputation as a brand; I made an oversight by delaying my personal Kickstarter project in favor of getting extra stretch goals funding for it. I wanted to sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart for an apparent lack of communication and poor planning on my part. I take full responsibility for recent events.
...
...
In the end, it was my poor decision-making and lack of communication skills that led to this unfortunate situation, and I will do everything in my power to prevent such incidents from happening in the future. I apologize profoundly and hope to regain your trust by delivering the product I promised.
...
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He knows how badly he fucked up and wholeheartedly admits so. That's a trait more people should have. |
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| Posted: Mon, 21st Jul 2014 11:49 Post subject: |
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@Werelds
True, he fucked up and admitted it, but there's still unanswered questions and it could just be an attempt to save face. I hope it's not, I hope it was all just a massive misunderstanding. He did an interview with Cliqist to try and explain what happened;
http://cliqist.com/2014/07/20/maksym-addresses-knuckle-club-confederate-express-controversy/
Stuff like this sends off alarm klaxons though;
| Quote: |
Cliqist : If Knuckle Club fails in its funding goals, what then?
Maksym Pashanin : Knuckle Club is completely funded by Kilobite, we are using Kickstarter strictly for market research and publicity purposes. If campaign funding fails, the game will be released regardless. We consider Kickstarter as a great way to follow the game early on at a reduced price, and it will definitely not affect whether the game is going to be released or not.
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If the game is funded, why try to take $25k from people in another KS? Yeah, I'm definitely not comfortable with that. Still, we'll see if this is all on the level or not.. but regardless; that Knuckle Club campaign is FUBAR. Without the ability to delete posts, there's no escaping the overwhelming negativity surrounding it, and that will/does put off potential backers -- which may be a good thing.
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VonMisk
Posts: 9488
Location: Hatredland
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| Posted: Mon, 21st Jul 2014 12:08 Post subject: |
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| sabin1981 wrote: |
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Cliqist : If Knuckle Club fails in its funding goals, what then?
Maksym Pashanin : Knuckle Club is completely funded by Kilobite, we are using Kickstarter strictly for market research and publicity purposes. If campaign funding fails, the game will be released regardless. We consider Kickstarter as a great way to follow the game early on at a reduced price, and it will definitely not affect whether the game is going to be released or not.
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WAT? Bullshit
From their kickstarter page:
| Quote: | | The funds obtained from this Kickstarter campaign will be used towards development and licensing costs, as well as producing audio assets and backer rewards. |
Someone sue this guy.
After something like this he loses all credability even if he would squirm with fake shame. Why would one give money for this kickstarter if the game - as he states - is already financed!?
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| Posted: Fri, 25th Jul 2014 01:11 Post subject: |
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| Posted: Fri, 25th Jul 2014 01:22 Post subject: |
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Well, well, well it was only $10 
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| Posted: Fri, 25th Jul 2014 01:26 Post subject: |
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Last edited by Interinactive on Tue, 5th Oct 2021 01:55; edited 1 time in total
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ixigia
[Moderator] Consigliere
Posts: 65134
Location: Italy
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| Posted: Fri, 25th Jul 2014 01:29 Post subject: |
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Damn, looked so promising. This and the Stalker disaster won't do the KS "movement" any favours for sure 
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| Posted: Fri, 25th Jul 2014 01:30 Post subject: |
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Last edited by Interinactive on Tue, 5th Oct 2021 01:54; edited 1 time in total
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| Posted: Fri, 25th Jul 2014 01:49 Post subject: |
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| Kein wrote: | | Notice it is "product", not "game". |
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| Posted: Fri, 25th Jul 2014 02:09 Post subject: |
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Morphineus
VIP Member
Posts: 24883
Location: Sweden
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| Posted: Fri, 25th Jul 2014 02:33 Post subject: |
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Don't encourage him, he's going to bring that up for years now! 
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| Posted: Fri, 25th Jul 2014 02:39 Post subject: |
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Last edited by Interinactive on Tue, 5th Oct 2021 01:54; edited 1 time in total
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| Posted: Sun, 27th Jul 2014 10:49 Post subject: |
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| Posted: Sun, 27th Jul 2014 11:07 Post subject: |
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Last edited by Interinactive on Tue, 5th Oct 2021 01:54; edited 1 time in total
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Morphineus
VIP Member
Posts: 24883
Location: Sweden
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| Posted: Sun, 27th Jul 2014 12:16 Post subject: |
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Quite stupid to entice people you scammed... dangerous position to take with many weirdo's on the net.
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