Comments on: Interview with Order of the Stick creator about his record-breaking $1.2M Kickstarter campaign http://boingboing.net/2012/03/13/interview-with-order-of-the-st.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Mon, 20 May 2013 17:25:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: impboy http://boingboing.net/2012/03/13/interview-with-order-of-the-st.html#comment-1370309 impboy Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:12:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=149027#comment-1370309 "we should ask ourself how many people got to try it out, how many audiences were served, how many creators reached audiences, and how diverse the gatekeepers between audiences and artists have become, so that one tastemaker's prejudices don't end up warping discourse and markets. I think on all of these metrics, the Web is doing very well by creators." Well, this is the long-tail argument writ large - if the aggregators of content prove they have a lucrative business model, then the serfs that create content for them should rejoice in having the privilege to participate in this. That's hardly something to celebrate in my eBook. You listen to Jaron Lanier, he's probably the only guy in tech who feels there needs to be some giveback written into the structure of all of these social media enterprises which profit from their audience's participation. But believe me, this WILL change, as people begin to pull away and create their own networks that are collectively owned and operated. It's happening now as we speak. “we should ask ourself how many people got to try it out, how many audiences were served, how many creators reached audiences, and how diverse the gatekeepers between audiences and artists have become, so that one tastemaker’s prejudices don’t end up warping discourse and markets. I think on all of these metrics, the Web is doing very well by creators.”

Well, this is the long-tail argument writ large – if the aggregators of content prove they have a lucrative business model, then the serfs that create content for them should rejoice in having the privilege to participate in this. That’s hardly something to celebrate in my eBook. You listen to Jaron Lanier, he’s probably the only guy in tech who feels there needs to be some giveback written into the structure of all of these social media enterprises which profit from their audience’s participation. But believe me, this WILL change, as people begin to pull away and create their own networks that are collectively owned and operated. It’s happening now as we speak.

]]> By: wysinwyg http://boingboing.net/2012/03/13/interview-with-order-of-the-st.html#comment-1370286 wysinwyg Wed, 14 Mar 2012 16:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=149027#comment-1370286 <blockquote>Want to appropriate another brand?  No problemo!  The folks at kickstarter don't do any research on who you are,  where you're from or whether the brand is already in use.</blockquote>Has this actually been a problem or are you just looking for stuff to complain about?  (There are probably worse things going on the world, just sayin'.)

Want to appropriate another brand?  No problemo!  The folks at kickstarter don’t do any research on who you are,  where you’re from or whether the brand is already in use.

Has this actually been a problem or are you just looking for stuff to complain about?  (There are probably worse things going on the world, just sayin’.)

]]> By: Michael J http://boingboing.net/2012/03/13/interview-with-order-of-the-st.html#comment-1370034 Michael J Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:40:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=149027#comment-1370034 Ah kickstarter, an easy way to gain funding for, well, anything. Want to appropriate another brand?  No problemo!  The folks at kickstarter don't do any research on who you are,  where you're from or whether the brand is already in use. I also have to wonder whether or not they're filing CTR/SAR reports for income over 10k. Ah kickstarter, an easy way to gain funding for, well, anything.

Want to appropriate another brand?  No problemo!  The folks at kickstarter don’t do any research on who you are,  where you’re from or whether the brand is already in use.

I also have to wonder whether or not they’re filing CTR/SAR reports for income over 10k.

]]> By: politeruin http://boingboing.net/2012/03/13/interview-with-order-of-the-st.html#comment-1369757 politeruin Wed, 14 Mar 2012 01:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=149027#comment-1369757 Of course most of it will go on the game. Do you know how much cash goes into developing a mainstream game these days? This is but pocket change. Anyway, are you aware of who tim schafer is? It's not like this is someone with no respected history in the business and according to him the budget for psychonauts was $13 million. Of course most of it will go on the game. Do you know how much cash goes into developing a mainstream game these days? This is but pocket change. Anyway, are you aware of who tim schafer is? It’s not like this is someone with no respected history in the business and according to him the budget for psychonauts was $13 million.

]]> By: charlie.gibson http://boingboing.net/2012/03/13/interview-with-order-of-the-st.html#comment-1369734 charlie.gibson Wed, 14 Mar 2012 01:35:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=149027#comment-1369734 No the idea is the same behind any normal product. There still has to be profit made in order for it to be worth it. In answer to your original question, he's selling a game and a lot of merch along with it (books, tshirts, etc.) No the idea is the same behind any normal product. There still has to be profit made in order for it to be worth it. In answer to your original question, he’s selling a game and a lot of merch along with it (books, tshirts, etc.)

]]> By: Noctilucent Studios http://boingboing.net/2012/03/13/interview-with-order-of-the-st.html#comment-1369716 Noctilucent Studios Wed, 14 Mar 2012 01:18:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=149027#comment-1369716  Wait...wait...wait...just a "proposal" has earned $3.2 M!?!? What is he giving away for that kind of scratch? I thought Kickstarter funds weren't supposed to be used for living expenses. Surely all of that money isin't going to go just to the game , is it?  Wait…wait…wait…just a “proposal” has earned $3.2 M!?!? What is he giving away for that kind of scratch? I thought Kickstarter funds weren’t supposed to be used for living expenses. Surely all of that money isin’t going to go just to the game , is it?

]]> By: Jesseham http://boingboing.net/2012/03/13/interview-with-order-of-the-st.html#comment-1369714 Jesseham Wed, 14 Mar 2012 01:17:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=149027#comment-1369714 I sure hope they invest a little on some more fingers for those poor guys. I sure hope they invest a little on some more fingers for those poor guys.

]]> By: GawainLavers http://boingboing.net/2012/03/13/interview-with-order-of-the-st.html#comment-1369670 GawainLavers Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:44:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=149027#comment-1369670 If Rich Burlew is happy, then I'm happy.  But Mr. Burlew didn't run a Kickstarter for "Put 1.2 Million Dollars in Rich Burlew's pocket."  Which he deserves!  But he ran a Kickstarter to print books, and I'd suspect with the sudden onslaught of volume he's not going to be keeping costs down by packaging and shipping them himself, so now he'll likely have to tread carefully to come out with _some_ profit after all the pledge packages are honored.  Unless I'm very mistaken, Burlew's "Jackpot" has netted him a huge win for his fans, as he says, a modest sum to bolster the infrastructure of his business...and maybe even a paycheck subsidy.  But that seems paltry in the face of a readership the size of his. If Rich Burlew is happy, then I’m happy.  But Mr. Burlew didn’t run a Kickstarter for “Put 1.2 Million Dollars in Rich Burlew’s pocket.”  Which he deserves!  But he ran a Kickstarter to print books, and I’d suspect with the sudden onslaught of volume he’s not going to be keeping costs down by packaging and shipping them himself, so now he’ll likely have to tread carefully to come out with _some_ profit after all the pledge packages are honored.  Unless I’m very mistaken, Burlew’s “Jackpot” has netted him a huge win for his fans, as he says, a modest sum to bolster the infrastructure of his business…and maybe even a paycheck subsidy.  But that seems paltry in the face of a readership the size of his.

]]> By: corydodt http://boingboing.net/2012/03/13/interview-with-order-of-the-st.html#comment-1369654 corydodt Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:24:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=149027#comment-1369654  Yeah, that's the point--business models don't change that much because they're on the Internet. It's true that you're up against a lot more competition. It's balanced by the fact that you have access to a lot more potential customers, in equal proportion.  Yeah, that’s the point–business models don’t change that much because they’re on the Internet.

It’s true that you’re up against a lot more competition. It’s balanced by the fact that you have access to a lot more potential customers, in equal proportion.

]]> By: Nonentity http://boingboing.net/2012/03/13/interview-with-order-of-the-st.html#comment-1369625 Nonentity Tue, 13 Mar 2012 23:32:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=149027#comment-1369625 Err... Isn't the "most fail, some make a living, and a very small number make it big" pattern pretty much true for any business, creative or otherwise?  And when you're translating the business to the internet, you're up against a LOT more competition. Err… Isn’t the “most fail, some make a living, and a very small number make it big” pattern pretty much true for any business, creative or otherwise?  And when you’re translating the business to the internet, you’re up against a LOT more competition.

]]> By: David Yoon http://boingboing.net/2012/03/13/interview-with-order-of-the-st.html#comment-1369622 David Yoon Tue, 13 Mar 2012 23:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=149027#comment-1369622 "The Web's business models for creative endeavor make virtually no money for nearly everyone who tries them, return a precarious living to a small minority, and, as we see, deliver lottery-ticket dividends to a statistically insignificant few." Amen, Cory! At least in the US folks are hung up by a lottery windfall mentality. "Overnight" millionaires are interesting and all, but I for one would love to hear more about the experiences of hundreds-of-thousandaires, or even the tens-of-thousandaires.  “The Web’s business models for creative endeavor make virtually no money for nearly everyone who tries them, return a precarious living to a small minority, and, as we see, deliver lottery-ticket dividends to a statistically insignificant few.”

Amen, Cory! At least in the US folks are hung up by a lottery windfall mentality. “Overnight” millionaires are interesting and all, but I for one would love to hear more about the experiences of hundreds-of-thousandaires, or even the tens-of-thousandaires. 

]]> By: Ihavenofuckingname http://boingboing.net/2012/03/13/interview-with-order-of-the-st.html#comment-1369584 Ihavenofuckingname Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:37:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=149027#comment-1369584 How'd you access my Google AdSense Balance? How’d you access my Google AdSense Balance?

]]> By: DeargDoom http://boingboing.net/2012/03/13/interview-with-order-of-the-st.html#comment-1369585 DeargDoom Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:37:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=149027#comment-1369585 Brian Fargo has also just opened a Kickstarter fund, http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inxile/wasteland-2 , for Wasteland 2 which is rapidly approaching its 900K goal. Brian Fargo has also just opened a Kickstarter fund, http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inxile/wasteland-2 , for Wasteland 2 which is rapidly approaching its 900K goal.

]]> By: Patrick McGorrill http://boingboing.net/2012/03/13/interview-with-order-of-the-st.html#comment-1369576 Patrick McGorrill Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=149027#comment-1369576 This isn't just a win for Burlew; it's also a win for his fans. The ability to sidestep corporate forces, who would in the pre-internet era mediate the distribution of comics or money using some centralized decision making process, is obviously good for people who make things people want, but, from a utilitarian perspective, this is mostly good because of what it does for all the people who want things. That's $1.2 million of AnCap democracy. And in a fucntioning democracy the real winners aren't the candidates; they're the voters. This isn’t just a win for Burlew; it’s also a win for his fans. The ability to sidestep corporate forces, who would in the pre-internet era mediate the distribution of comics or money using some centralized decision making process, is obviously good for people who make things people want, but, from a utilitarian perspective, this is mostly good because of what it does for all the people who want things. That’s $1.2 million of AnCap democracy. And in a fucntioning democracy the real winners aren’t the candidates; they’re the voters.

]]> By: Edward Borrego http://boingboing.net/2012/03/13/interview-with-order-of-the-st.html#comment-1369569 Edward Borrego Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:15:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=149027#comment-1369569 Speaking of successful Kickstarter campaigns, Tim Schafer's proposal to make a point and click adventure game is over $3.2 million and closes in under an hour. Speaking of successful Kickstarter campaigns, Tim Schafer’s proposal to make a point and click adventure game is over $3.2 million and closes in under an hour.

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