kick starter, maybe a way to fund indie RPGs?

[Tyler.Tinsley]

http://www.kickstarter.com/

The basic idea is that people who need funding for their project can post it to kick starter and then other people will provide funding in exchange for something down the road if the project reaches it's goal in the set time limit.

so it sounds like a good preorder style system that could be used to help people finish the books they are working on.

[Ron Edwards]

Hi Tyler,

You're thinking in the right direction. This technique has been used by a few publishers active here already, most consistently by Greg Stolze for quite a few projects. He calls it the "Ransom Model." Christopher Kubasik did the same thing in order to fund his current book project called Play Sorcerer. I'm pretty sure some others have done it too, with minor variations.

I'm not sure whether any of them used Kickstarter. I recall that Greg used some kind of charity-type on-line software which held the money in abeyance, officially returning it to the donors if the total threshold was not reached (I'm under the impression that never happened for any of his projects, but I don't know for sure).

This thread might be a good place to compare the various methods and provisional-pay systems that are available.

Best, Ron

[Tyler.Tinsley]

sounds good! i would love to know more about provisional pay systems. So dig up your links folks i got things I need to make happen

[Eero Tuovinen]

Stolze's chosen service is called Fundable. This new one seems like a variant of the same idea. Good to see competition in the market, I guess.

[Seth M. Drebitko]

  I think the trick to tackling the funded model is a dedicated fan base, or some serious PR. Ultimately it would most likely require that your work is some known to be quality stuff for people to invest in. When it comes down to it though the investment model is seriously good for people to use to get their first “real” project off the ground. 
  Is there a particular way you intended to use the model yourself, or question you had on it?
~Seth~

[Tyler.Tinsley]

yeah I don't have a fan base so I I'm thinking about this plan.

Pay out of pocket for around 25-50 copies of the games. Send a good number of these copies to various websites and gaming podcast, and then sell the rest at a convention. this would drive the demand and get people to fund a larger cost effective print run of the project.

I would like to launch the company with a range of titles and could see using the funded preorder model to help determine what products get expanded and even reprinted until I have the operating capital and the balls to just do that stuff in the usual way

One thing I find interesting about kick starter is the various levels of funding.

While I don't expect many LGS to actually pre-order I am going to make a funding level that will give them a bulk discount relatively equal to what the distributors give (maybe a little better given they are going through the trouble of preordering).

what other uses for pledge levels can you think of?

[Tyler.Tinsley]

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2121023188/indie-nerd-board-game-needs-hero-miniature-sculpted

I think this is a good example of pledge levels used properly.

he's got over half of his project funded by 4 people, I think this would be possible for a traditional RPG by offering the original art used to make the book. art prints, singed numbered editions, name placement in the book and so on.

[Seth M. Drebitko]

  Another thought to consider are the idea of contests as possible pre order building tools. I plan to use them in two ways:
1.   I am having a custom epoxy sculpting compound made by a lab for me (man I love me some mini games) with the benefit of being less expensive than green stuff and having some extra desirable properties like drying white to make it easier to paint over. I plan to create a contest in which each purchase of my epoxy gives you another ticket to enter. Post a tutorial of a conversion you made for any game or line with at least 50% being composed of putty. The winner every 30 days will get a free case of putty. I think this will work well as a pr thing because each person entering will be posting all about the contest on a different site to enter so it will generate some pr.
2.   The second thing I am doing for my actual game I am working on is to create a contest in which people who have downloaded the pre release teaser will get the option to pre-order the book as an entry fee in exchange for a numbered signed copy of the book. The people entering must run a play test of the game and post an actual play of the game at a forum they frequent. The winner will be the group that generated the most discussion on their game sessions, and they will get…something I don’t know yet.

  Any way these are the ideas I am working on I think it provides better brood knowledge as I would rather have to wait a little longer and have a bunch of people put a small amount of money but generate more buzz than a couple big donations.

[Wordman]

I am someone who doesn't have much time or talent to design games, but am in a position to fund them. (Part of me would sort of like to become the "Medici family" of role-playing patrons. Part of me thinks that's a dumb idea.) I've been thinking of various ways I might do this. Sites like these are one. Contest sponsorship is another. I'm also wondering about something similar to academic grants.

Suggestions along these lines might be useful. 

[Eero Tuovinen]

Why not just invest in game projects? Loan money to promising designers. Should be cheap if their business idea is sane, and while it's a high-risk investment, that's what you want when you're looking to sponsor art.

[Tyler.Tinsley]

I am someone who doesn't have much time or talent to design games, but am in a position to fund them. (Part of me would sort of like to become the "Medici family" of role-playing patrons. Part of me thinks that's a dumb idea.) I've been thinking of various ways I might do this. Sites like these are one. Contest sponsorship is another. I'm also wondering about something similar to academic grants.

Suggestions along these lines might be useful. 

you could have people send you proposals or business plans? pm sent

[Wordman]

I've also been thinking about offering web hosting, since, well, I've noticed a lot of indie publilshers seem not to use very good servers.

[Clay]

Anybody needs that hosting, contact me via email.  I've been setting it up for people for a while now, including e-commerce.  My servers are good, my hosting rates are low, and you'll get the support you need.