Backer Exclusive Content?

Good idea, m0nkf15h . It's probably better to have a separate thread about this. So let me summarize the arguments both against and for making the IGA boss and Swordwhip available to all.

Against:

1: As sleyer and m0nkfish have noted, many people did go for the higher tiers on the understanding that they would be getting something exclusive. Making those features non-exclusive, even if in an innocuous and honest way, is still delivering something different than what was originally advertised, and it's understandable folks would be suspicious.

2: The principle that one's word is one's bond and that promises are always to be kept. As m0nkfish noted, even if it might be profitable to release the backer-exclusive bosses as DLC, IGA did promise that they would be exclusive. The profit of making it available to all and spreading IGA's brand might be outweighed by the cost (perceived or real) to his integrity.

3: Respecting the nature of the backer's commitment and the risk they took on IGA. As m0nkfish has also noted, the game wouldn't have been launched at all if it weren't for backers putting their faith in IGA and giving him money when he really needed it--even if players buy the game after release, and I certainly hope they do, the nature of that later support is qualitatively different since the project will already have been established by the time they support it. The support of the early backers, however, provided the very foundation of the project as a whole, especially since at the time the chances of success for Bloodstained were still very much up in the air. Thus, it's only right that the early backers receive some token of exclusive appreciation to mark their particular, exclusive importance to the endeavor.

For:

1: As stoltverd and a guest implied, many people couldn't back the game when it was first announced because their financial situation didn't allow it. This was back in 2015, so maybe they hadn't found jobs yet, or the economy in their region was poor, or whatever. Now that 3 years have passed and their financial situation is secure, they'll be able to purchase the game when it's out on Steam. However, keeping certain features backer-exclusive is essentially penalizing them for being unlucky back in 2015, even if they're equally devoted fans of IGA as any other member of the Army of the Night. It runs afoul of the principle of egalitarianism or fairness: Ideally, no fan of Bloodstained should be denied the same experience as any other fan due to circumstances beyond their control, as that would be unjust.

2: As Angel-Corlux (who also made the next several points) noted, any sort of exclusive content will irritate new fans who'll come on board after the game is fully released, and we want to welcome those people, not alienate them.

3: Any sort of exclusive content that's not physical will inevitably be hacked by pirates and anyone using online features anyways. It also provides some degree of incentive, no matter how small, for people to pirate the game rather than buy it (this point was also raised by the guest). It would certainly be wise to avoid such incentives, for reasons of both pragmatism and profit.

4: Everybody wants to see IGA, so keeping the IGA boss "exclusive" would mean that only 60 thousand people would be exposed to his brand and get to know him (in a fun, amusing way, of course) as opposed to over a million if it's available to all buyers.

5: My own (gunlord500 's) observation, which I've picked up from other crowdfunded ventures such as Phoenix Point, is that any sort of locked digital content is a bit too reminiscent of shady "big publisher" practices for comfort. Physical goods are one thing, since they necessarily take actual physical resources to produce and ship (paper for books, plastic for action figures and figurines, etc). There's no corresponding scarcity for any sort of digital content. What's the point of keeping an extra boss or weapon behind a "paywall" so to speak that's actually just a few lines of code? Many gamers consider that akin to big publishers like EA nickel-and-diming their fans for DLC, even if in this case the exclusive content is supposed to commemorate backer support.

As you can probably surmise, my own position leans on the side of Angel and Stoltverd, even though I can very much understand, appreciate, and sympathize with m0nkfish's. As a 500-dollar level backer from the earliest days of the campaign, I would of course like to know my early support of the project, even when it was only a dream, would be given proper credit. However, making the IGA boss and swordwhip available to everyone wouldn't take it away from me; I don't derive any particular pride or satisfaction in having "exclusive" access to something. Having access to the features themselves is enough for me, and I consider my physical goods to be my reward for early backing. However, I don't have kids, as m0nkfish does, so I don't have to worry about my physical rewards being messed up or painted over XD

So I think there are some reasonable compromises raised in the first thread.

1: m0nkfish mentioned special costumes or skins for either characters or bosses not available to non-backers. This seems reasonable to me. Pirates might be willing to hack the game for anything that actually influences gameplay, like weapons or bosses, but there's not as much incentive to go through the trouble for just some novelty skins.

2: My own suggestion, in addition to the above, is admittedly contingent on features that have yet to be fully revealed. I was thinking of special titles or graphical perks for the online features. For instance, during time attack or other online challenge modes, backers would have special little flairs above their name, like "Backer # XXXXX) or something. I actually think this might be even better than having an exclusive boss, since only backers would be able to see and play exclusive content, but having something show up online would show the entire world you were an early supporter of the project.

The floor, of course, remains ever open to everyone else's thoughts Go on and share 'em!