When they launched the KS, it sounded like they had a plan worked out. In fact, I'm pretty sure they said there was one. So what the fuck happened?
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République |OT| Episode 2 Now Available
- Thread starter chickdigger802
- Start date
When they launched the KS, it sounded like they had a plan worked out. In fact, I'm pretty sure they said there was one. So what the fuck happened?
What a clusterfuck.
It's pretty bizarre to think that I didn't back the Kickstarter, yet I'm still getting to play it before most of their US backers and probably all of their international backers.
I am really confused by what they are doing. People who cannot get iTunes Gift Codes receive a $5 refund. Okay, so they use that $5 to buy the first episode. How are they going to get the rest of the episodes?
I really feel bad for Camoflaj. Even if everybody takes the $5 refund and uses it to buy EP1, Apple is going to skim 30% off the price of that purchase. So for every international buyer they lose $1.50.
It's pretty bizarre to think that I didn't back the Kickstarter, yet I'm still getting to play it before most of their US backers and probably all of their international backers.
I am really confused by what they are doing. People who cannot get iTunes Gift Codes receive a $5 refund. Okay, so they use that $5 to buy the first episode. How are they going to get the rest of the episodes?
I really feel bad for Camoflaj. Even if everybody takes the $5 refund and uses it to buy EP1, Apple is going to skim 30% off the price of that purchase. So for every international buyer they lose $1.50.
Ben Morales
Member
Yeah, they said they had a "plan" to get the season pass delivered, but after this update, I'm not sure how that is going to pan out. Wow...
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Yeah, I guess that's the other thing... everyone is only getting episode 1 at this point? Not the full game? Or are they going to try to figure something else out in time for the season pass?
They also clarified the language on the survey at least. They probably got a lot of confused questions about that.
They also clarified the language on the survey at least. They probably got a lot of confused questions about that.
Apple has obviously no interest in games bypassing their store (and therefore their 30%). You typically only get a very limited number of promo codes. I have no idea how they are even able to gift the game on a large scale to US folks. Does apple receive their cut on gift codes?
Freaky Fred
Banned
instantly thought of
I seem to remember the Apple 30% cut was brought up in the original Republique Kickstarter thread and they said they had it worked out or had it under control. But then again they thought they had international backers worked out as well.
Maybe their plan really was to just give as many gift codes as Apple would let them, and take a 30% hit on the rest. I suppose it's entirely possible that Apple is charging them $5 for every gift code, and they are just eating the difference between the $15 season pass and the $10 season pass they offered to backers. Which would mean they're only making $5 for every Season Pass sold to backers (minus the Amazon/Kickstarter cut) -- damn that would suck.
Out of curiosity, how does Steam handle this issue? What with Kickstarters and Humble Bundles and all, people manage to bypass Steam fees all the time.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
I think Valve doesn't care, because it gets people invested in the platform.
Ben Morales
Member
So... Are they going to have to do this for each episode? Since the season pass is IAP... I wonder if they built in a way to credit it to us in-game? I doubt it.
chickdigger802
Banned
read the OT people
It does seem like they will eventually get something sorted out... watch them have to gift $5 to everyone after each episode.... holy shit, that might be their only option lol.
gawdamn
Well they'd eventually get 70% of those $5 back via payment from apple for the gift codes they bought from themselves.
Really what they should have done is have a code/login system that would unlock the content like an IAP would for backers and make the app itself free. That does require a server and engineering obviously and I'm not sure apple would let that pass.
I'm pretty sure it will be okay, there really shouldn't be any reason it doesn't work, but don't take my word for it.
matt360
Member
I wish they were a little more clear with their wording. They say "international backer" but plenty of international users don't use iTunes accounts from their countries of residence. They should say "people with non-US iTunes accounts." Then it would be clear that it doesn't matter where you live. Even though making a US account is free and easy, I suppose it would be crossing a line if they asked backers with non-US accounts to do so.
Lord Panda
The Sea is Always Right
International backer that pledged $100 here ... have to admit feeling let down.
matt360
Member
What region is your iTunes account?
TheRedSnifit
Member
May get it for PC. Sucks if you backed it, though.
I'm 100% sure you'll be fine. It's for US accounts only. You're right, they could word it a bit better.
For international folks, they are giving back $5 so you get the first chapter for free. They haven't given the season pass yet to any backers, so I'm assuming they are going to either find a way to get that to folks that are out of the US or will refund that amount too when they start sending everyone else their season passes.
ChristianSpicer
Neo Member
Non-backer here. Bought the first episode when I saw in the iOS App Store. Played about an hour. Not hooked so far. I think it's maybe because you, as the player, are supposed to be controlling the cameras and such but you're also controlling the character Hope. I'm not sure if another control scheme or having Hope auto-move would be better but I'm not digging it as much as I would've thought. I also currently find the referential humor a little too on the nose. Just my quick impressions. It's pretty though and the voice acting seems solid so far too.
'Cause everyone on here who wanted to play the game is a backer still waiting for their copy! :lol
matt360
Member
Yeah, while there have been some oversights for sure, it seems like they are doing the best to remedy everything. And it seems like most of us here in this thread are being pretty understanding about the whole thing. It's kinda nice to see. Who knows where it'll go from here, though.
Zeouterlimits
Member
Both backers and the team, I feel real bad for them. I can only imagine how it feels. Oof.
Hopefully the critical reception is a comfort.
I'm going to buy the game and not wait until the refund arrives.
Hopefully the critical reception is a comfort.
I'm going to buy the game and not wait until the refund arrives.
It's the chance you take when backing something I suppose. It seems as though they are trying their best and were going as far as to manual send everyone codes since their plans fell through, shows they are committed. It must be bittersweet for them.
I did at least get the link to DL all the digital extras that I have coming to me. I feel for the international backers. I really do hope that a $5 refund isn't the extent of what they will do to try and make things right. I would be seriously surprised if it was.
I did at least get the link to DL all the digital extras that I have coming to me. I feel for the international backers. I really do hope that a $5 refund isn't the extent of what they will do to try and make things right. I would be seriously surprised if it was.
Though I'm not an iOS backer, if I were, I'd actually be paying 13% tax on the $5 price of the game, which makes it kind of a bummer to receive a $5 refund.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
At the very least, they need to be transparent with how the season pass will be delivered. Will international backers receive a 15 dollar check in the mail or something? They're probably more worried about the immediate problem I suppose.
Paul Alexander
Member
Just a quick clarification: we have not rolled out our plans to issue season passes. The logistics associated with providing them aren't a concern. The hard part is actually getting episode 1 out to backers :/
firehawk12
Subete no aware
That should probably be in bold somewhere in the latest update, at least for international backers.
Ben Morales
Member
I can't imagine how stressed the team must be right now. =(
PizzaFarmer
Member
Just finished episode 1. Wow, that was surprisingly great.
Started on an iPhone 4, but load time wasn't good and the small screen made it tough to aim. Switched to iPad Mini and am thrilled with the results. The visuals are beautiful, the soundtrack is still stuck in my head and gameplay mechanics are perfectly designed for touchscreen.
The narrative was entertaining, moved quickly and never bored me with long scrolling text (AC4: Black Flag, I'm looking at you)
Started on an iPhone 4, but load time wasn't good and the small screen made it tough to aim. Switched to iPad Mini and am thrilled with the results. The visuals are beautiful, the soundtrack is still stuck in my head and gameplay mechanics are perfectly designed for touchscreen.
The narrative was entertaining, moved quickly and never bored me with long scrolling text (AC4: Black Flag, I'm looking at you)
You can try making a free US iTunes account. Not the most optimal solution, but it would still get you the game.
I edited my post. The game is now up on my local AppStore.
And what good would the US iTunes account do me? How am I supposed to juggle two separate accounts on my phone. I don't even know if that would work.
Pretty simple really, you login to the US account, initiate the download, then sign out and go back to your own Apple account to resume normal operations. That's pretty much it
You'd probably need to go back on the US account again depending how the season pass thing is done but other than that you wouldn't need to touch the account again unless you want to redownload it
I'm juggling like 5 accounts right now
It's actually very easy to juggle accounts these days. You just sign in and out. Many people do that to get early access to games (a lot of online games are tested several months earlier in Australia/NZ, and almost all apps are released like 24 hours earlier in NZ), play Japanese games, redeem US Starbucks codes, etc. I do it to get access to apps that are only available in specific countries (a lot of Chinese apps for example, are only in the Chinese App Store).
Interesting... I might have to look into this once I want some of those better games that have never been released on my local shitty store.
And that elusive PlayStation App, which isn't on my local AppStore either. I suppose I need a UK account for that one.
Lord Panda
The Sea is Always Right
AU (Australia, mate)
HIGH DEF JEFF
Banned
I like Ryan Payton and always intended to buy Republique when it came out.
Went to buy it yesterday on my iPad mini and saw this:
Requirements :
Requires iOS 7.0 or later
Sorry. I don't like iOS 7, never upgraded, cant play your game.
Oh well.
Went to buy it yesterday on my iPad mini and saw this:
Requirements :
Requires iOS 7.0 or later
Sorry. I don't like iOS 7, never upgraded, cant play your game.
Oh well.
jimbobsmells
Member
Damn it didn't even think about the other episodes. Are they going to send us another $5 when the second one is released?
UK backer.
UK backer.
Well...ugh.. goddamnit. Glad I didn't do an impulse buy tonight. I was so close :{
Quick edit: It's $5 per episode? I'll wait for more extensive impressions before jumping on this one.