It’s finally here, the Kickerstarter for Play With This Too is now live. This Kickstarter is going to be live for the next 30 days and there are multiple pledge levels for everyone to get a chance to help back this project. The figures and the quantity and as well as the bonuses made all depend on support you show.
bellpeppers
$71K out of 80? That's still pretty close.
BigGrim78
But there is no fun if the discussion don't go further
I was just trying to start an interesting discussion, and I do believe getting philosophical has it's merits in this case, at least if you read through this whole thread and analyze the different views on the kickstarter that has emerged and changed during the course of the project. A paper in line of someting like "How did peoples view on the kickstarter change by being a part of this thread" would actually be very interesting. Would it solve PWTToo's problem? Of course not. But it would be interesting nonetheless,
Scaleface
I think that would kill more support than it would generate. The average Joe who visit's Kickstarter and isn't on one of these message board already think they are 100% original designs anyways, not homages. There is nothing on the Kickstarter page hinting to it being an homage to anything specific, and only TF nerds like us even remember Pretenders. To the average dude, they never existed.
Also, the limb thing isn't really a play patttern gimmick, it's a side effect of common construction.
Did PWTToo post comments like that? I know fans did, but did the company?
astrakhan
I guess I'll throw my two cents in. I supported at the $55 level and was motivated by the Splatterpuss offer (and like I said, I hope BMOG launches another Kickstarter because their stuff is great). What made me cancel were two factors.
1. Money vs Time. I just don't have a lot of money to put into projects like these. The ones I do support have rewards and products that get to me a lot faster, plus they give you these results without having to spend hundreds. I think it took about six months to get my BMOG set after a $25 contribution. In the case of Rifftrax I received rewards within about two months; I pledged $35 and between the shorts they offered and the gift certificate to buy the Godzilla DVD, it only really cost me $20. This Kickstarter wouldn't have produced anything substantial for at least a year from what I read.
2. Arrogance. Posting threads about "oh, we'll be fine, we'll just get a ton of support at the end" is not a way to endear yourself to backers. It's a sign that you're taking people and their money for granted.
Skrunklemin
This will sound harsh, but I actually hope that they completely scrap the current concept and present something completely new and original. Whether it's robot-related or not doesn't even matter, I just want to see them commit to a real idea that they come up with themselves and flesh it out. There's no need for tired gimmicks like limb interchangeability or shoe-horned homages, let's just see some real passion. I don't mean any of this maliciously, as I genuinely think they are capable of so much more and would love to see it.
LordGigaIce
Interesting strategy of trying to get under someone's skin, so that you can respect them
It's easy to go down the intellectual rabbit hole on any issue. Obviously giving something a deeper level of thought is always going to be better then forming a half-baked opinion based on half-truths and misinformation.
Thing is, there needs to be limits. Which sounds strange, I know. "Limit intellectual discourse? Are you mad?" Yeah, doesn't sound too good, but let's consider the situation.
The issue at play is now Play With This Too. Specifically why their kickstarter failed and ways for them to improve. It's basically a toy company trying to get funded. In the grand scheme of things it's not an issue we need to be delving deep into. The problems are all rather clear. Many people have echoed similar sentiments, and have put forth similar ideas re: how the company can improve. Basic stuff. Not basic ideas because we're shunning deeper levels of thought, but basic ideas because the issue is basic in nature. A company failed to get backing from their potential customers. So let's see what they did wrong and suggest ways for improvement.
The discussion doesn't need to go further then that. Yes, issues of "business" owning "culture" (a huge oversimplification, because both terms as so vague) is related to this on a certain level but it's not really going to address the fundamental issues at play. That PWTToo failed in many basic areas that need to be immediately addressed if they're going to give this another go.
Trying to get philosophical as a solution to PWTToo's problems is akin to answering a question about how to fix a flat tire with a lengthy explanation on how the automobile industry needs to adapt in a more green-conscious marketplace.
I wasn't even going for a dice theme but you're right! Damn, now I want some.
Ryan F
There seems to be a tried-and-tested, almost teasing method of selling 3P toys: render – proto – pre-order – video review – release… all spaced over a good few months. Steadily build up hype over a long time frame until people are falling all over themselves to part with their cash. PWTToo tried a different tactic – immediate information overload – releasing artwork of a dozen or so characters within a relatively short space of time. This had two drawbacks – firstly, there was no real focal point for fans to latch onto or speculate over, as the discussion and hype was fragmented throughout multiple small threads. Secondly, it became a case of ‘too much information’, a lot for anyone to really take in at once. The forest is there but nobody notices the trees.
The best way for a company to sell their 3P wares on these boards is by playing it cool – post rarely, but unleash an absolute bomb every time. The guy from Fans Toys that posts here (“dalianjj”) gets it spot on. His updates are sporadic, and sometimes months apart, but when he does deign to post, he drops a bombshell that gets the whole thread buzzing, which makes people hang on his every word. Whilst PWTToo have followed this example to a certain extent (especially with their recent silence in this thread), some of their ‘unofficial’ spokespeople have perhaps gone a little overboard, which has tended to grate at times. Humility is a good thing to learn.
Whovian Zorker
Hmm…let's try a thought experiment.
The tiers ranged from $80K to $420K, which is a $340K spread. Let's halve that to a $170K spread, resulting in a top tier of $250K (the capes) and removing the upper tiers.
The spread on the pledges was from $250 to $900, or $650. Let's halve that to $325, which means a top pledge of $575.
Under the Kickstarter that was, if 150 pledged at $900, that would fund the Kickstarter at $135K, with $145K more needed to get more than $900 worth of unique figures/accessories at $280K.
Under this idea, if 150 pledged at $575, that would fund the Kickstarter with $86,250. It would need less than $94K more, in order get more than $575 worth of unique figures/accessories at $180K.
Might this have worked better?
Predarican
This actually made me laugh, good for you sir.
edgs2099
Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown.
Predarican
Just couldn't help yourself could you?
JT-bob
I'm very turned off by the idea of using other IP in this line, I find it more distasteful given the pedigrees of those involved. That said, a good way to have funded this kickstarter to completion would be a run of 250 or 500 early-bird unpainted white-box versions of the figure for $30 or less. When Super7 launched their ReAction Alien line 2 years ago at Comic-Con, they offered a limited-edition test-shot-style monochrome figure (I think gray or green) in a white mailer-style box and it sold out faster than any SDCC-exclusive I've ever seen, the entire run gone in under 2 hours of preview night. Not only will it feel more exclusive and insider, it'll generate early buzz and more revenue with less expense.
Also, the ridiculous stretch goals were a big joke, that sort of thinking was a negative rather than a positive. And there wasn't a good enough justification on the pricing, that had to be addressed better at the start, lay out where the value for the $55 was for newcomers.
Or you could just go IndieGoGo and take whatever funds you get, risking investors never seeing their returns, but that'd be douchey.
MegaMoonMan
I eagerly await the relaunch, just to see if they listen to the fandom and take a single idea to heart from all the good advice in this thread alone.
If they ignore us this time around, they don't deserve another chance.
Scaleface
Well if it is a "good value" is really up to the person pledging. It was a great value per figure compared to other pledge levels, but only if you were willing to accept large numbers of the same figures, which is probably why some people dropped out of that level, but 16 people stayed in.
PWTToo were kind enough to tell people days before it ended what they would get, so at least they were transparent about what you get before the decision had to be made.
I do wish there was some level BETWEEN $250 and $765. I could have easily signed up for 2 of each figure for $400, but I simply did not have $765 in spare cash when it ended.
Predarican
This was one of my biggest issues. I remember back on Mar 10 someone had asked them if they could elaborate on what the $900 backers would get ifit didn't make it. PWTT's response was they "have a plan mapped out" and "let's worry about that bridge when we never cross it". I sent a message stating how their response and they're "hopefully we'll make it" approach does sit well. That's when I got hit with the $900 value…
I didn't like REPEATEDLY reading how it was STILL a good value and how I'll make my money back when I sell all the extra. So the plan was to wait a whole year then try and fight with the other pledgers who are also getting theirs at the same time? Yeah, not going to happen. What am I going to do with EIGHT Calaminous Haagenti's I can't sell?
axiom
There are a couple options for this type of scenario-
1. Use the ignore feature. (Best function ever!)
2. Report the post (only if it is breaking one of the board rules).
dj_convoy II
Not trying to start anything, but maybe, as a lot of posters have a similar problem, maybe a talking too is in order for one particular party and not everyone.