I think FC are opportunists. In one sense. I think they very much lucked into acquiring this license from BitComposer, and snapped up the opportunity like a trout taking a fly.

The difference between the JAF kickstarter and the other ones is that they don't already have the game half-designed before they started the KS. And this is what is pissing off a lot of people -- apparently Shanga among them -- that they are asking for support before they've produced anything. I can understand why they wanted to do that, bacause as Javier pointed out, the studio needs to have another project in the pipeline to keep everybody eating while production of Space Hulk finishes. Hell, isn't Inxile doing the same thing? Wasteland 2 hasn't even reached a playable alpha yet, but they funded a whole new project already. Of course, they have the rep to pull that off, whereas FC are unknown. But it is proper, sound business practice.

But everybody keeps asking for hard data when there isn't any yet in place. This KS has begun in pre-production. All they have are ideas, and they want to involve the community to see which ones work, and which ones don't, and maybe to garner a little love for the project along the way. I wonder, in re the Kickstarter, not if it is financially what they expect/hope for, but rather if the storm of controversy (and sometimes outright hostility!) they've stirred up surprises them. It kind of surprises me, but I guess a lot of people are blaming FC because BitComposer killed their puppy.

An old friend of mine, now dead alas, was fond of reminding me that "timing is everything." While it may have made business sense to start the KS now, the timing may have been a bit off. Setting aside all the other Kickstarters that have drained the wallets of contributors, proposing the game in pre-production probably was a mistake. Especially in light of how BitComposer screwed the pooch over BIA, people need to see concrete proof that this game will fulfill its promises. Once burned, twice shy and all that. It would be sad, though, wouldn't it, if this Kickstarter failed because BC wanted to involve the community from the beginning?

What bothers me the most about the people who won't support the Kickstarter yet, though, is this implicit attitude of "Nah, I'm too smart to fall for that shit." They'd rather be right, than blow a small piece of change on the chance that FC can deliver what we all want. Enough of that, and this Kickstarter will fail, and then those who refused to contribute can wrap themselves in their smug sanctity and tell us all they told us so.

-- Mal