Kickstarter Update #84 - Preorder, Modes, and Launch Update

Yea, listen I regret you have so little of an opinion of me and my level self respect, but let's be clear, I and other ASKED and wanted the exclusivity to be dropped, this is not a backers vs. non-backers issue, my trust wasn't betrayed I was always against any exclusive content even during the Kickstarter. Now if you want to think that that means I'm a fool or that I have no self respect that's your prerogative. The greater good is indeed subjective but this is in no way viewed as a sacrifice by many, it's no skin off of my knuckles if a non backer gets to play the IGA superboss I actually would be more proud of myself for backing the project that more people get to enjoy that lil extra bit of game along with me, I know a YouTuber who is planning on streaming the entire game and when I watch him beat the IGA super boss I'm gonna say to him and everyone else in the chat... yea I helped make this happen and it's gonna be awesome.

Despite all that I do sincerely regret you feel frustrated and betrayed as you say, I don't share that viewpoint, because you backed a new IGA game being made and your getting that game, your getting everything you expected to get, with exclusivity being dropped is all, that sucks that it bothers you but your still getting everything you expected. I said $32 simply because at the $28 tier you have the non backer version of the game and at $60 you have the backer version there is a $32 dollar difference between the two. Regardless I'm not trying to call you childish or tell you how to feel, I've actually mentioned a couple times since the update that those that share similar thoughts as you are totally free to voices them and feel the way you feel, but I really don't agree that this is an assault on your dignity, not expecting that to matter to you just so you know.

I do really hope that you get your things with minimal fuss and no extra fees. I will be right there with you saying it's not right if anyone expects you to have to pay for extra shipping/taxes because they decided to do it this way. I hope your still able to enjoy our game when you get it.



Cale

I'd just like to point out that getting mad at 505 isn't the same thing as getting upset at the people that made the mistake of making promises of exclusivity, holding 505 accountable to a promise they didn't make is also kinda screwy I understand they inherited the promise but this still seems a much better alternative to me. Game development isn't a smooth ride as we have all learnt but your still getting everything you gambled you would get san's the "exclusivity" factor, I really wish you could consider that a win. Hope you still enjoy the game.

Cale , first of all, the content STILL EXISTS. The lack of it excluding others does NOT invalidate its existence. You can be upset for the loss of the exclusivity, that's fine, but the CONTENT ITSELF still exists, regardless. (I'd also argue the Wii U edition is less gone and more replaced, but that's more accurate than the point about content).

And while the public vote may have been a poor idea, even if it weren't open, I'm not convinced the result would have been that different. Shadowrun Returns put the question to its backers about making an exclusive quest for them and overall, most disagreed with the idea exclusivity (not all, of course). I even remember one of the devs saying after that they thought gamers were among some of the most generous folks around.

Honestly though, I think that was less about trying to avoid excluding folks and more just being sick and tired about being "nickel and dimed" with multiple splittings of content among vendors (the very problem Angel-Corlux ran into which lead to the steelbooks). Regardless, I get the problem, I get how it can hurt. But removing the exclusivity does not remove the content. If you want to be upset about the original wording being rendered inaccurate, that's fine. But frankly, I'm all for inclusivity over exclusivity. And as the saying goes, "Men plan, God laughs." Expecting nothing to change from the original plan is usually an exercise in futility.

Brainiac Yes the content still exists, fantastic. For me, it does come down to being upset about the original wording being rendered inaccurate. But this wasn't some act of God, plans change because people change them. It was a choice. A choice I don't agree with.

Now things that DON'T exist are quite a few version of this game, such as Vita edition,Wii U edition, Mac/Linux edition. What about refunds? Can't do it? Okay well we can sell the PS4 or one of the other versions that have EXCLUSIVE content to recoup the losses right? I guess not anymore. People are being excluded, not just from "backer exclusive" content, but the entire game. Many people didn't have access to the demos, many people don't have a system to play the game on anymore because theirs got axed, many people didn't get Curse of the Moon because of the region SNAFU.

If it was one problem it could be overlooked, but it is a continuous string of either poor decisions or shady practises.

I don't think this is the way to look at this, imo: the steelbook isn't part of the backer orders. This and other things will be released as Bloodstained merch that we aren't/won't get for free (or for a discount). The 800 was a significant effort on 505 Games' part to secure, they gathered them from international surplus somehow to send to Fangamer who in turn sends them to us. The logistics of that are beyond me, but it's more than I ever expected.

How some are looking at this being greed to make "extra money" off of the cases is crazy. I can't imagine after all of that shipping nonsense they'll make any return off of 800 of these things. If they do, it'd be split between the costs of doing it (seems like out of proportion to what it is), 505, ArtPlay (their game/Mana's art), Fangamer for the execution.

Yesterday we were having someone threaten "legal action" over not receiving the steel case as a backer, and that there were only 800 as opposed to 80k, which again let's make clear: it was never part of the Kickstarter. Miriam shirts, figures, anime, whatever may come will be the same. The value argument is another matter and I have a thread for that.

Cale refunds not offered to most people is not true. The only cases where refunds were not extended to orders was Mac/Linux.

They would have that ability if they let me buy it from them lol. No one ever took me up on it.

Mac/Linux numbers were impossible to say because it wasn't an option on the surveys. One of the reasons/problems with giving out refunds to them. A solid guess is that there were significantly more for Vita and Wii U.

A guess I would bet any amount of money on. Not the perfect evidence, but it might help:



edit: I can't find any other platform polls that mention Mac/Linux here or elsewhere. I do know however that Vita/Wii U previously occupied decent spaces in platform choice polls before, and on the May feedback survey for Vita. iirc about 1/3 of original KS backers (non-slacker numbers) responded and there were 3k Vita votes, so accounting for them +slackers and whoever came later, an up-estimate would be over 10k+ Vita orders. Here's that poll result:

i.imgur.com/4uaLq0P.jpg

Vita is even about double Xbox One there, 11.1%. Cale I don't believe, though I may be wrong and you can prove me otherwise, that Mac/Linux platforms are commonly (or ever? really no idea) higher than 11% of a game's userbase, completely disregarding Wii U's potential share of the numbers.

I kinda figured that that was how the little number of steelbooks for backers was playing out, I know alot of people have been saying that "promise A shouldn't have been made or project B should have been arranged back during the Kickstarter", but the thing is the Kickstarter was all about reasonable goals they felt they had a chance at fulfilling at that time. No one would have been upset about most of these changes/failures if the game had only been announced a year or two ago but because we've seen how the best of intentions don't always yield the best of results from the beginning we sometimes get really disappointed. It's easy to look back and say what should have happened, but I don't think there was much malicious or foul play against the fans/backers these past 4 years, (Wow project launched May 11, 2015) and despite sometimes being seemingly ungrateful in the past myself I am grateful to 505/Artplay/IGA/Fangamer/sighs... and even Inti Creates, for these games as well as the people on the forums.

I'm not entitled to the steelbook because I was a backer, just the same as I'm not entitled to the fangamer t-shirt, and honestly that's a good thing because that means that this franchise is slowly but steadily growing and expanding into a self sustaining creation not a small crowdfunded eccentricity, That means I'll probably miss out on somethings sure, but I don't want Bloodstained to be a one off event that I got everything for, I want to looking forward to hearing IGA and company announcing this winter that they are officially starting preparations on Bloodstained 2.

Hilarious to read through all the comments about "get over it, who cares, you still get content, nothing is being taken away from you, life goes on, 'nontroversy' lol", etc. Missing the main point entirely.

I don't speak for all the people upset about the DLC, and I do agree some people commenting on Kickstarter yesterday were going a bit overboard.

What I do know is people were told they could back as little as $28 for a digital copy of the game, or $60 and up for bonus incentives including only way to make sure you were getting in-game content that was not going to be available elsewhere. A minimum $32 increase in backing amount was required for what we were told would exclusive in-game content.

Here we are 4 years later and find out that the content that was part of incentives many of us put up at least an extra $32 for, would be available day one for as little as $10 more.

If you don't see an issue with people (particularly the $60 backers) feeling a little ripped off and calling out 505 on it, not much is going to change your mind so no need to try.

And those saying Curse of the Moon is a $10 game that backers paid for as part of their pledge, no, it wasn't. It was a free unlock reward for any backer at $28 tier and above. It cost $10 for anyone who didn't back at all. Not the same thing.