VG Publishers Accused of attempting Kickstarter Exploits

"If a known developer is using Kickstarter to fund its next game, be careful -- the money might end up getting used to ostensiblygivea major publisher a new game for free. Obsidian CEOFeargus Urquhart has revealed that publishers tried to use his company for that very purpose.

"We were actually contacted by some publishers over the last few months that wanted to use us to do a Kickstarter," herevealed on his team's own KS page. "I said to them 'So, you want us to do a Kickstarter for, using our name, we then get the Kickstarter money to make the game, you then publish the game, but we then don't get to keep the brand we make and we only get a portion of the profits.'

"They said, 'Yes'."

It's a shame Obsidian can't name names, though one can easily understand why. In any case, this is really low, even for videogame publishers, and I certainly can't wait until one of them is finally caught trying to ostensibly steal IP for free. The sad thing is ... it's just soobviousthat it happened. Just once, I'd like to think publishers wouldn't do the **** thing I fully expect them to do. Just once. Maybe for Christmas.

Can't even say I'mmadat this. It is predictable, pathetic, and just disappointing."

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Via Gaf

If I knew the publisher behind this, they're going to get a load of flaming dog turd on their front step.

If I knew the publisher behind this, they're going to get a load of flaming dog turd on their front step.

Vesica_Prime

Buisness like to get money any way they can. That's why it's important to be smart when you're small devleloper (or any buisness) so you get to keep as much profit as you can.

The main thing to celeberate is Obsidian is doing their own game without any known publisher controlling them. And I wouldn't praise kickstarter as the "saviour of indy" just yet, we have yet to see a big game released form it, so we'll see if they still have AAA quality without the usual huge money a publisher would help with, plus the marketing.

[QUOTE="Vesica_Prime"]

If I knew the publisher behind this, they're going to get a load of flaming dog turd on their front step.

ionusX

Well I can give you two good guesses...

It wouldn't be stealing if Obsidian agreed to the deal (whose terms sound sh!tty for Obsidian). Also, assuming the story is true (its within the realm of possibility Obsidian is spinning it out of whole cloth in order to drum up attention and sympathy for its kickstarter project), its strange Obsidian isn't offering up names. The confidentiality has been broken, the publishers he claims approached him won't do any business with him in the future.

People shouldn't swallow claims without examining them just because they fit a favored narrative.

Thing is it's not just exploiting Obsidian, it's exploiting the gamers who in some cases are donating generous amounts of money in good faith that the money (and resulting profits after release) is going entirely to Obsidian funding a project that both themselves and Obsidian want, under no profit-led terms of a major publisher.

I can understand them not naming and shaming though, it wouldn't be clever for them to burn bridges with publishers who own the IPs to many of the games they've made (and will hopefully continue to make).

I don't care as long the game is made, I've bought the game already with my "donation". Kickstarter is dying anyway with the boarder between its original purpose and the current state pretty much crumbling. kaealy