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Truth & Trolls |OT| The Brothers Were Right

Zoe

Member
There was no mention of a laptop until after they were already past 20k. She never made any stretch goals.
 

Vaco6121

Member
There was no mention of a laptop until after they were already past 20k. She never made any stretch goals.

I copied that directly from her kickstarter's front page if you scroll down to the section titled "the original kickstarter project."
 
There was no mention of a laptop until after they were already past 20k. She never made any stretch goals.

There were stretch goals, specifically this:

$50,000 STRETCH GOAL: Creative Commons Custom Asset Library Available for Free to the Indie Gaming Community

You asked about a stretch goal and so did we but there was only one logical choice that complied with Kickstarter and benefits as many in the indie gaming community as possible. Young game designers and indie game developers find it difficult to secure inexpensive, legal artwork, content, music and sounds for their games – especially when the goal is to sell the finished game. It turns out custom assets are typically the biggest expense and often limit the quality, success and profitability of the final product. So let’s push hard in these final days to raise as much money as possible to fund an extensive Creative Commons Custom Asset Library.

Found in Update Number 12
 

Dusk Golem

A 21st Century Rockefeller
They ended up getting a free laptop anyways, and if I recal correctly original the laptop was going to be Mac, but RPG Maker can't run on Mac nor can games made with it (unless the games are played through Wine or Wine intergrated).
 
But how would buying a laptop which would presumably be used in the creation of a game be a violation of a policy against funding "life projects"?

To elaborate a little more on the other answers it's because with the original price goal it was known exactly how the money would be spent for the project. They were looking for $829 to pay for a camp that costs $829. Buying a laptop wouldn't be necessary as they already seemingly had a computer/laptop in their home and with how it was originally written all appearances were that the laptop was merely a bonus as something the daughter would want if funds went over the goal.

And I went and found this from my original posts in the thread about the Kickstarter:

""No "fund my life" projects.

Examples include projects to pay tuition or bills, go on vacation, or buy a new camera.""

That's the original Project Guidelines wording from the Kickstarter site but they have since changed it to:

"Kickstarter cannot be used to raise money for causes, whether it's the Red Cross or a scholarship, or for "fund my life" projects, like tuition or bills."

There's a difference between a project that makes more than a goal and in doing so adds new team members that need equipment that's not available and a project with extra funds that has everything needed to complete the project so instead they spend the extra money on goods for themselves.

But this is all part of the old discussion from when the Kickstarter was going and now I only check in for dumb curiosity towards what actually comes out of it.
 

inm8num2

Member
Interesting comment on KS:



I fail to see how this is a "brave thing to do" for Susan however. Brave would be when she'd first of all put her own money in there, and actually support her kids to the fullest.

Don't forget all the brave things Susan did:

- Throwing her sons under the bus.
- Name-calling people who criticized and exposed the nature of her scam.
- Advertising threats against her daughter.
- Using her daughter as a shield against any criticism or questions about the "game".
- Making a secondary twitter account pretending to be her daughter.
- Getting a free laptop.
- etc.
 
How is buying a laptop against Kickstarter guidelines?

From the kickstarter :

Where's the Money Going?

"I really want a new laptop but my Mom said I should start small since I've never done a crowdfunding project before. So the $829 will be used to cover the basic cost of RPG Camp...My goal is to raise $829 to cover the cost of RPG Camp. But my Mom just told me about the Veronica Mars campaign so now I'm secretly hoping to raise more. My Mom said I can put any extra toward a laptop"

Makes it clear that she just wanted a new laptop and not one to use for the creation of a game.

It seems people already forgot about the previous thread. So I will post just this and refer to the OP, where people can re-read all of it.

Also note that Susan edited the KS project text several times, and that the laptop wasn't mentioned initially. It was added after she raised $20K or so, and people started asking what she would use the money for. So she decided to push the boundaries of the KS guidelines even more.

From the KS guidelines:
gZGTNIX.jpg


The old thread: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=528903
 
There were stretch goals, specifically this:

$50,000 STRETCH GOAL: Creative Commons Custom Asset Library Available for Free to the Indie Gaming Community

You asked about a stretch goal and so did we but there was only one logical choice that complied with Kickstarter and benefits as many in the indie gaming community as possible. Young game designers and indie game developers find it difficult to secure inexpensive, legal artwork, content, music and sounds for their games – especially when the goal is to sell the finished game. It turns out custom assets are typically the biggest expense and often limit the quality, success and profitability of the final product. So let’s push hard in these final days to raise as much money as possible to fund an extensive Creative Commons Custom Asset Library.

Found in Update Number 12

Imagine if they would have actually reached the $50K! These people aren't even capable of making a 15 minute RPG Maker game in 4.5 months, have done none of the artwork (which likely won't be used in the game anyway) themselves, so imagine they'd have to assemble a Creative Commons Custom Asset Library... Susan would likely offer some indie artist peanuts for their "assets", then try to make a huge profit out of it through copyright infringement lawsuits and such. The games industry'd have a new Tim Langdell!
 

malfcn

Member
It's sad no journalists will report about it. Even if they were to put a positive spin on it, there would be some pressure to deliver.
"The ambitious Kenzie may have missed her release date, but the 9 year old plans on releasing soon!"

Then the shit would hit the fan again. But they are afraid to scrutinize a 9 year old, and that is why Suscam used her as cover.
Maybe a fire can start on Reddit or somewhere else. It is sad how not only did the people that donate $24k not care, but a lot of the gaming community.
 

inm8num2

Member
It's sad no journalists will report about it. Even if they were to put a positive spin on it, there would be some pressure to deliver.
"The ambitious Kenzie may have missed her release date, but the 9 year old plans on releasing soon!"

Then the shit would hit the fan again. But they are afraid to scrutinize a 9 year old, and that is why Suscam used her as cover.
Maybe a fire can start on Reddit or somewhere else. It is sad how not only did the people that donate $24k not care, but a lot of the gaming community.

The only reason "journalists" reported on this in the first place is that it had some controversy with purported threats directed at Susan. They played up the misogyny angle and painted Susan as a brave mother willing to put her daughter out there.

Nobody gives a shit about the "game".
 

Annubis

Member
So what happens to the panel if they don't release anything by then?
Is the success story part only related to getting money?
 
So what happens to the panel if they don't release anything by then?
Is the success story part only related to getting money?

They can still tell that even when they were completely new to game development, didn't even have a story or game concept other than "it's my first RPG", you can still fool 1400+ people into giving you money on KS, and get a free laptop and trip to Turkey along the way, even have people invite you to game dev panels afterwards. You don't even have to make an actual game! The only requirement is to push the right buttons (girls in STEM, she's only 9, ...). Indie game development is just THAT easy, really.
 

malfcn

Member
Going on 2 weeks of "Imminent Release"

The Art Factory said:
supportive Kickstarter backers are really precious.. like your favorite sports coach from college, you all are so awesome.. a thousand person army, supporting in silence, with caring.. beautiful .. the whole time you never missed a beat, never paused, never doubted, trusted,... and still hanging in there.. and 99% of you don't even care about the game... it's only caring for the human beings involved.. compassion.... lovely, and patience too... i imagine God smiles when projects like this happen... the universe is a little warmer from your support.. and someday, you'll get some awesome video games, not that it matters in the slightest bit...

What is this garbage.
 

inm8num2

Member
Susan's too busy retweeting at all the top dogs on twitter to address the game, but that's okay - Art Factory is her PR expert, and his services don't cost her a dime!
 
Susan tweeted from the wrong account (@fundHer instead of @gamerceo) this time.

Again booze related obviously...

belinda parmar ‏@belindaparmar 8h
These are great. Mothers ruin. pic.twitter.com/y8uoT63GmI

FundHer ‏@FundHer 7h
@belindaparmar Can we get these in the U.S.? U have all the innovative parenting tools in UK. For me, BoxedWine+@Codecademy = #MothersRuin

Gotta love her take on parenting.
 
I take the lack of screenshots there is still no game?

Gamers are so spoiled nowadays. Kenzie has posted tons of generic screenshots on PinkieSquare.com, and the preview video here contains no less than 5 screenshots amidst all the window dressing!

Also "Kenzie" has no time to work on the game. Even CEOs need some time off once in a while.

43 year old Kenzie Wilson said:
Kenzie ‏@GamerCEO 10h
YES! Baltimore ComicCon w/my Dad, brothers & Pikachu knapsack to store my loot! #ComicCon @baltimorecomics #Cosplay pic.twitter.com/U7n0c8WIYY
 

Emerson

May contain jokes =>
I forgot about this for a few weeks there. What a fucking joke this is. Can't believe a measly 15 minute piece of garbage still isn't out after a month of imminent release. All the people and outlets who spun this positively despite the overwhelmingly negative evidence should be ashamed of themselves.
 

Dusk Golem

A 21st Century Rockefeller
Oh my... the prophecy comes true: Truth Changes Trolls! ;-)
But trolls cannot change the truth; the game is still not out a month after its supposed release date.

I know it's
suposingly
a nine-year old's first game, but it's not really hard to make a quick 15 minute game in RPG Maker.
 
D

Diggeh

Unconfirmed Member
I really want someone to record that panel. That's gold, Jerry! Gold!
 
I really want someone to record that panel. That's gold, Jerry! Gold!

Maybe Kenzie will exclusively unveil 3 new generic screenshots on the panel. Which is why she hasn't released the game yet. Being the CEO, she's signed an exclusive NDA with Indiecade about her DRM free RPG. (Which acronym did I miss?)

People are way too focused on the game anyway. This is so much more than the game. Susan is changing lives as we speak. Like for example her new shoes she just bought, they are a lot more comfortable than those $1,500 Louboutins. Now she's can stand for hours without getting sore feet. See?

Crowdfunding math: (her + new shoes) x small change = BIG DIFFERENCE
 

inm8num2

Member
C'mon someone, make a new story about this..Kotaku, anyone..what about the outlets that supported it? Step up.

I doubt many people who wrote about this affair remember it let alone care to revisit it. The ones that "supported" Susan blindly without checking basic facts wouldn't have the balls to admit they were wrong.

The only way anybody will revisit the Susan Wilson fund my life campaign saga is if she makes noise for being threatened again or the game actually gets released and becomes a cult hit.
 
C'mon someone, make a new story about this..Kotaku, anyone..what about the outlets that supported it? Step up.

If any of the gaming sites do an article about it it's just bringing it all back in the open. This whole Kickstarter is basically alive in a very few areas now. No one cares anymore and that's a good thing. She "stole" the money and is a crappy person but it's actually best for sites just to ignore everything about it. They aren't reporting on delays, they won't report on it coming out. And that's good. Let it die out. Maybe when the second Kickstarter comes along it will be filled with just people who want to give the kid (aka Susan) money and everyone will be happy. The average gamer will ignore it, and parents will think they're doing something good, and Susan will have her money.
 

Geniuzz

Member
It's almost three weeks after the final update (update nr 20) and still nothing. Not that it matters, the backers seem very passive and any form of criticism will be deflected by Susan. The game journalists have better things to do than expose this scam, they have free games they need to hustle. It's a shame, but she got away with it and there's nothing we can do about it.
 

Geniuzz

Member
" I am currently in the process of being brave enough like Kenzie to do my own Kickstarter project. I was inspired by her to try and make my own visual novel because of her. :) I honestly don't care how a game turns out because it is about the experience of seeing a young girl make her own RPG game happen."

Really? So, now someone else is inspired? This is going in the right direction I see.
Don't care how the game turns out? You'll be lucky if the game turns out at all. SMH
 
Don't forget all the brave things Susan did:

- Throwing her sons under the bus.
- Name-calling people who criticized and exposed the nature of her scam.
- Advertising threats against her daughter.
- Using her daughter as a shield against any criticism or questions about the "game".
- Making a secondary twitter account pretending to be her daughter.
- Getting a free laptop.
- etc.

Don't forget the shoes.
 

BGBW

Maturity, bitches.
I would honestly be tempted to put together my own joke RPGMaker game based on this. A 15 minute game should take a day to make.
 
" I am currently in the process of being brave enough like Kenzie to do my own Kickstarter project. I was inspired by her to try and make my own visual novel because of her. :) I honestly don't care how a game turns out because it is about the experience of seeing a young girl make her own RPG game happen."

Really? So, now someone else is inspired? This is going in the right direction I see.
Don't care how the game turns out? You'll be lucky if the game turns out at all. SMH

What strikes me time and time again is that those people all seem to think that "seeing this experience of a young girl make her own RPG happen" requires $24K.

What is wrong with just liking a Facebook page of that same girl and see the experience happen there? When did this go out of fashion?
 

DavidKS

Neo Member
What strikes me time and time again is that those people all seem to think that "seeing this experience of a young girl make her own RPG happen" requires $24K.

What is wrong with just liking a Facebook page of that same girl and see the experience happen there? When did this go out of fashion?
They are just trying to come to turns with the fact they have spent x amount of money on something which was supposed to be released a month and a half ago, and in their brain they will believe anything except "I was stupid enough to fall for a scam", instead they will justify it that they are simply helping another person, sort of like a charity.
 
They are just trying to come to turns with the fact they have spent x amount of money on something which was supposed to be released a month and a half ago, and in their brain they will believe anything except "I was stupid enough to fall for a scam", instead they will justify it that they are simply helping another person, sort of like a charity.

Well, it does require a special twist in your brain to pull that off, really. Because they all basically paid for something that is free for all to see, even for the dreaded trolls, and something that would've been free for all to see even without their financial contribution. But yeah, if it makes them feel better to believe this fiction (that Susan would no doubt call the Truth).
 
Well at least we now know that Brenda Romero is pulling the strings for Indiecade.

And as for the backers? They just don't care.

What really bums me out is the fact that they are taking a spot on a panel/time at the show that could have gone to an actual indie developer, that could share real insight. Specifically based on the description of the panel, having the Shadowrun guys would have actually been interesting. They shipped a product, had some mixed results with the release and would probably add to the conversation instead of steering it into a river of gender politics.

I continue to feel bad for Kenzie, and really wonder at the ambitions for the panel. Romero's continued involvement in this project is surprising, and disappointing.

What is worse - Girls being paid to be at a party? Or using a 9 year old as a talking point to further an agenda?
 

inm8num2

Member
Anna, bless her heart.

Anna 1 day ago

I'm not expecting a high quality game out of this. I just supported the project because of the fact that she actually was bold enough to try this talent. I have played a lot of less than stellar games over the years, but never ever judged it poorly. I still enjoyed the final product regardless of how it looked in the end.

Game design and such really can be a struggle and isn't for everybody. I am currently in the process of being brave enough like Kenzie to do my own Kickstarter project. I was inspired by her to try and make my own visual novel because of her. :) I honestly don't care how a game turns out because it is about the experience of seeing a young girl make her own RPG game happen.

Nothing says bravery like a mother using her child as a shield from criticism of her fraudulent past and blaming the child for the lack of progress on what is obviously just a fund-my-life project.

So brave.
 

malfcn

Member
What experience has she seen? How to steal money? I feel bad for Kenzie, one day she may realize how she was used.
 
Well at least we now know that Brenda Romero is pulling the strings for Indiecade.

And as for the backers? They just don't care.

What really bums me out is the fact that they are taking a spot on a panel/time at the show that could have gone to an actual indie developer, that could share real insight. Specifically based on the description of the panel, having the Shadowrun guys would have actually been interesting. They shipped a product, had some mixed results with the release and would probably add to the conversation instead of steering it into a river of gender politics.

I continue to feel bad for Kenzie, and really wonder at the ambitions for the panel. Romero's continued involvement in this project is surprising, and disappointing.

What is worse - Girls being paid to be at a party? Or using a 9 year old as a talking point to further an agenda?

Maybe the idea behind the panel is to show the best and worst of indie game development? That must be it, right? Right?

Now let's see, who will get which role?
Chris Avellone -> worst ... best ... worst ... ???
43 yo Kenzie -> best ... worst ... best ... ???

Arrgghhh...so hard to decide between them...
 
What experience has she seen? How to steal money? I feel bad for Kenzie, one day she may realize how she was used.

She has learned how to become an independent female entrepreneur. Why depend on sugar daddys alone, when you can get EVERYONE to pay for your bills, even the non existing ones... this is the beauty of crowd funding.
 
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