Last year, Atari published The Kore Gang in North America, over a year after Pixonauts published it in Europe. So far, so simple, but Pixonauts has just launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to publish the game again.
According to Pixonauts, a "dubious business partner" has "ruin[ed] years of development efforts." The end result? Pixonauts has launched a crowdfunding initiative to get the game back on shelves, as its business partners no longer have the right to sell the game in North America.
Donations run from $5 up to $250, with Pixonauts hoping to raise $150,000 over the next 58 days. If it doesn't meet its target, all donors get their money back.
You can pledge at The Kore Gang website if you want to help Pixonauts bring the game back.
[source koregang.com]
Comments 24
How do they expect the public to pick up the costs after their mistake? OK, so it was down to a "dubious business partner" (do they mean Atari?), but that's their hard bun.
I support the Kickstarter model (I'm currently supporting 3 different games), but I think it should be left to companies who have yet to release the game to the public.
wait, so this isn't a Wii Ware game? Wow - I haven't ever heard of it before now and going by the reviews, it looks like I haven't missed anything.
Um.... My Video Game also got ruined from a bunch of Jerks. Can you give me money as well?
This is a feature of the game, according to the website: "Perfect synchronization with known English speakers."
Good luck, Pixonauts. But my support will be pledged elsewhere.
I forgot about this game! D: GameStops near me still have new copies, if I bought them would the developers see any of the money or just the "dubious business partners"? :/
EDIT: Nevermind, missed that part on the site. >_<
This for me is representative of the insidious side of these kickstarter campaigns. Some projects are clearly deserving of attention and, if the audience is receptive, of donations, but having the audience become a business partner or having them become effectively the publisher is dangerous territory.
On a separate note, I've only seen the Giantbomb Quick Look for this game and have not actually played it, but from what I've seen this game looked absolutely terrible.
For the record, it's not a "Kickstarter campaign" if it's not done through Kickstarter. Do they really think they can generate enough interest running it on their own site?
If this were something done through a crowdfunding site that wasn't run by the company it would see more money I think.
However, asking the community to pick up the pieces because of your bad decisions is a bit iffy.
Re-read the article. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but are they asking for money in order to re-release a game in the States?
Please try The Kore Gang, don't let the review on Nintendolife or other reviews persuade you from at least experiencing the game.
Have you ever played a game you enjoyed that took many years to develop and struggled to be released? The Kore Gang deserves a second chance.
I personally played the game when it was released in the US. I saw mixed reviews, but I did not let that deter me from trying the game. The game has imaginative levels, cool gameplay elements, and a really fun sense of humor.
@Aviator: Taken from the FAQ on The Kore Gang website: "We need the money to pay the costs for the rewards (cost of goods sold, shipping costs, etc), and we need the money to market the Wii version in the North American market. "
I see I was right. Already released in America and it seems as if the whoever made the core game is angry that their contract didn't work out and wants all the money for themselves.
I have never heard of this game before, and it doesn't look like I missed out on anything. It just doesn't seem to catch my interests.
Even though I don't think it's right of them to ask their 'fans' for money, I'd still help a bit if I could.
@Silvercube are you a representative for this company??
I'm so confused by this whole situation. Was there something wrong with the published version of the game or did it just not get enough marketing? And a $15 donation gets you the Wii game if they hit their goal? I'm skeptical.
As it was mentioned before, this is not a Kickstarter campaing, they're just using the same model. Though, to be fair, it's better for them this way. They don't need a "kickstart", they need a "refuel".
Then again, no, I don't think this is a good idea. Sure, you have some nifty rewards if you help them, but they're using Kickstarter's fame for the wrong purposes. I get they had some bussiness problems, but this is not the solution for you. There are many more people and projects out there who actually need and deserve our support.
I'm on the fence.
To the point of needing and deserving our support - I tend to think that any game developer who puts their heart and soul into a project for years deserves my support.
Then again I am a game developer, so it hits close to home.
I love that they did their own thing. However, the reviews point out issues that will likely be game killers for me.
Then again, if they don't hit their goal (and I can't imagine they will) it's no money out of the bank.
If they do hit their goal, it's $15 to get a game I may hate, but it supports the efforts of people who put their everything into a game (which always leads to me at least loving some part of the game).
I think in the end I'll do the $15, and not expect them to be funded, but $15 is little to pay to support people following their dreams. I think we need more game developers doing that. It sometimes lands flat, but if people who put their dreams and souls into games aren't supported, then long-term all we'll have are yearly updates of the same game we've been playing for years with little imagination or heart to be found.
surely there was a contract involved between them and the business partner(s) who wronged them so... if there really was some shady stuff going on, why are they not suing?
@theblackdragon Who do you think has better lawyers? A no-name company that needs support to publish their own games or Atari? If they need our money for this they can by no means afford a lawsuit. Besides, I doubt that there's any actual breach of contract involved here.
Ummmm... No. Why would I give my money for a unfinished and unpolished game and without being a well-known developer?
It didn't sell the first time, why the hell would it sell a second time?
@tat2: If they actually had something actionable on their side, there's probably plenty of lawyers who'd love to take on a big company like Atari — and since the loser usually pays the court costs, they'd have nothing to lose. something about this feels kinda weird to me is all. if they're choosing to blame their problems on the bad deal, take that out on Atari (or whoever the business partner was), not the public at large.
Hey, I have this game.
A dubious business partner? The story gets stranger and stranger by the time!
By the way: Never saw the game in Holland, sadly. If I ever by chance bump into this game, I might still pick it up!
@k8sMum Lol, no I am not a representative. Just a fan of the game and someone who empathizes.
I've never even heard of this game till now.
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