So I have been watching a few things on kickstarter, I won't list them as this is not about those companies or developers but the relationship of kickstarter and retail outlets.
This may at first seem a random thought process, but I will explain. Hopefully.
A games developer be it independent or big company used to go to banks or rich folk to invest. But a new trend started to appear, that being fan creations and fan financing. I have always thought this is brilliant, we can show our fondness of a film, game or whatever. Kickstarter is an expansion of this, but maybe it's gone to far. As a fan its amazing the amount of input we can have or hands on we can get.
But look at the other side of the coin, the retailers, I am thinking more of independent or small chains, not large chains. I fund a project, my donation gives me maybe a free copy of rulebook of the game. If I fund enough I get rule book and complete army or 2 teams etc. For me that's brilliant, but if I have my rules and models, I don't need to buy them. Here lies the problem, talking to an independent retailer, he was saying that he can't be seen to encourage people to kickstarter as it takes away vast sales. Recently a new product should of flown off shelves, yet it didn’t he was left with too many copies, all because his customers all donated on kickstarter. Surely there is a way that kickstarter can work to help all parties, the developers, the consumers/fans and the retailers. Because independent retailers are struggling as it is, without the consumers cutting them out of the equation for initial sales.
Maybe for your investment you get limited edition items and then only a voucher for so much off your initial purchase of rules and models.
Just a thought,
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