The Wonderful 101: Remastered on Nintendo Switch and other current-gen platforms had a surprising (at the time) Kickstarter campaign, which was also the first time that PlatinumGames was self-publishing a game. Though it's been excellent to see a hugely fun title get a second chance in the spotlight after its previous life as a Wii U exclusive, issues around the Kickstarter campaign have lingered.
The key issue relates to physical rewards that have endured a number of delays, especially when you consider that the game has been out in the wild since May 2020. Today Yetee, which has handled large parts of the production and distribution for PlatinumGames, addressed the remaining rewards and their status in an update sent to backers.
First of all, it seems that a minority of backers are yet to receive their 'phase 1' rewards, seemingly due to them not filling in a confirmation form last December; these remaining rewards are now being sent out.
'Phase 2' goods are apparently in different phases of readiness, with some in production or awaiting final approval. The optimistic schedule for the below rewards going out is January, but with the current logistical challenges of shipping and production it may slip.
- Toy Set
- Platinum Trophy
- Full CD Soundtrack
- Wonderful Mask
- Button Display Case
- Acrylic Standee
- Wonderful Pendant
- Vinyl Record
- Custom Controllers
Unfortunately what's now termed 'Phase 2.5' looks set for a longer delay. The comic, Wonder-Red jacket and artbook have no estimates at present, and Yetee has clarified that the artbook doesn't even have finalised design and content as yet.
We are actively working on the comic and are excited to share details with you in future updates.
The supplier of the base jacket lost the original shipment, so we are actively working to produce the goods domestically to avoid this from happening. We anticipate being able to share some photos of this reward soon.
We are still in the process of design and layout for the artbook. We want to showcase as much design, artwork and information as possible. We look forward to sharing more information on the development of this reward in future updates.
While the initial scope of these rewards hasn’t changed, we have underestimated the complexity and nuance needed to produce them with the care they deserve. We will continue to update you on the progress as they are developed.
It's certainly surprising that not far off two years after the campaign ran (in March 2020) there are rewards still not fully finalised and designed. Hopefully the wait won't be too much longer for those backers.
There's no question that it's been a Kickstarter campaign with a number of issues, and it seems the backers who paid the most will need to remain patient.
Comments (35)
Ah well, I think sometimes Kickstarters need kicking harder.
Thankfully, I only paid for the game.
All I got from the Kickstarter was the physical game and a keychain.
I got the physical game in due time, but it took them another 18 months to ship the keychain.
Honestly I think so many kickstarters just think "We'll add a comic/case/keychain/collectible that will be easy!" but each one of those things requires a lot of work setting up manufacturing, supply etc. all at a reasonable cost. When you're business is video games these are each all new skills and business relationships to foster.
Sigh. Platinum, we like you, but please don't self publish again until you've got the hang of it.
I just bought W101 off the eShop around release... And though it has some awesome sections, there are others that slog down the game.
Removed - inappropriate
Removed - inappropriate
not sure what was inappropriate enough to get such quick removal above me, but, glad i only got the game either way
I'm ok with Platinum's "wonderful" video games in general ONLY. Interesting producta but I wouldn't buy them personally.
At this point it’s just become hilarious. How much longer can they go before it becomes a legal battle?
@somebread From what I've observed since joining a few months ago it doesn't take much to get a comment removed on here
Got the physical game and then the keychain seemingly ages after. I didn’t realise people were still waiting for rewards!
@RupeeClock Must be a heck of a keychain
Both The Yetee and Platinum have been utterly useless throughout the entire Kickstarter, and communication has been virtually nonexistent.
There's still no word whatsoever about the new DLC that was included for backers either.
Yeah this kickstarter made me loose a lot of trust in platinum. They caught a lot of people out with the shipping costs
@AcridSkull Yeah, I thought about bringing up the Luka DLC, but kept the focus on the physical rewards instead.
I have a horrible feeling that DLC won't happen, but will be very happy to be proven wrong.
This game actually soured me on kickstarters. I haven't received my game, and all my extras are going to my old address, and I was unable to stop them or change the shipping address.
@somebread Dirty jokes. It’s a family site but worth the removal for the 5 seconds it stays up there 😛
Well this happens when a inexperienced game studio kickstarting stuff. Good thing I didn’t back this lol
What ? This thing still going??
This Kickstarter left a real sour taste in my mouth. The issue I had is that I received someone else's rewards, and despite emailing Yetee to flag this up, I never received a response, so I got stuck with someone else's stuff!!!
And then of course there was the whole issue with hidden shipping and customs charges. Communication from Yetee or Platinum have been nonexistent.
I laugh at anyone who still thinks kickstarter is anything more than just a new way of being scammed. How many times will it take until people realize that paying for something before it exists is a terrible idea? You're especially a chump for backing a game even before any gameplay is shown.
I have no pity for anyone who backs a kickstarter project and ends up with a garbage game or undelivered rewards and promises. It's happened too many times now and there are far too many examples of it. Just stop being a consoomer and stop backing kickscammer projects.
Me, also an OMORI backer:
Welcome to the waiting club. I've been here since 2014.
(Not saying what's happening here is fine, just finding some humour in both situations)
@Dingelhopper To be fair, yes, it is a bit of a gamble, but Kickstarter also allowed for absolute bangers like Shovel Knight, Undertale, Hollow Knight, Yooka-Laylee, Monster Crown, Colors Live!, Bloodstained, and more to exist in the first place.
While what's happening with this established studio is slightly different, at the very least, Kickstarter is great for supporting new indie developers and makes the reality of how difficult the game-creating process really is visible to others.
@ThomasBW84 I get the impression they had no idea how many people would actually jump on board to make that DLC a reality. That studio has way too many projects on the go at the moment, and it makes me so sad because I really enjoy this game and this whole thing does not bode well with its public percption
The jacket looked good
Sorry to hear that for all the fans who paid money in years ago. Kamiya and the crew don't really give off a vibe they care about fans at all.
I tried Kickstarter once for Ritual of the Night and it was a bad experience. The majority of money raised was for the Switch version but the developers treated that version with the least amount of care. The project would not have gotten off the ground with funding raised for PS4 and XB1.... but.... those version got all the love!! Switch fans helped that project so much but go so little in return. I felt very jaded and bitter about that experience because the Switch version was a buggy mess at launch. That was my first and only kickstarter experience. I just don't trust developers who use kickstarter.
All this fuss because Kamiya didn’t want Nintendo to publish the game again, even though Nintendo fans were pretty much the only ones wanting it to get ported. I got the game and a kickass sleeve for it but I am disappointed in how the whole thing has been run. Where’s my keychain, Kamiya?
@Nintendofan83 I think because Iga thought Symphony of the Night was the most popular and on PlayStation that those would be the sort of people who would want the game (console bound, most popular console at the time, hardcore audience, etc). Of course that’s completely ignoring the fact that Nintendo fans treat Castlevania with a lot of reverence since it was a classic NES series as well having the other 6 Metroidvanias on Nintendo handhelds. The fact they were surprised that the Switch version was the best selling version by far just shows how far off the pulse they were.
@Minfinity While I agree that it's a great opportunity for actual indie devs to develop an otherwise impossible project, I still think it's too much of a gamble to bother. Too many of these "indie" devs COUGHveteran devs already in the industryCOUGH scam people with fake promises and goals. Hell, even Undertale never delivered on all the Kickstarter goals and Toby Fox was an actual indie dev. He's a millionaire now and already developing new games. What's his excuse?
I backed Yooka-Laylee and it looked promising, but it was still a severely disappointing end result in my opinion (and many others would agree). It's completely unknown if the end product will be good, no matter how much you believe in it. It's also a really bad idea to pay for anything more than a digital copy.
Don't get Kickscammed. Don't back games and just let other chumps waste their money doing so, thinking they'll be receiving physical rewards and a quality game (LOL). Wait for the game to release, see reviews, then buy the game if desired.
Does that sound cheap and unfair? Who cares? I need money for actual important life things. I don't need to waste it on faulty products and broken promises. But that's just my two-cents, and the salty after taste of Yooka-Laylee.
@Dingelhopper Not completely disagreeing with the heart of what you're saying, but technically, despite them being experienced devs, they are still indie devs if they are operating on their own rather than with the funding and benefits of being in a company, just like how a senior member of Pizza Hut could leave the company, make his own pizza place with his own cash, and call himself a small business owner.
Yeah, I also backed Yooka-Laylee and agree it was quite mid in-light of how it was hyped, but its success also allowed for The Impossible Layer to come into existence, and that is a high tier platformer imo.
If that's your experience, then sure, obviously it's your money. That said, if everyone thought that way, none of these games would ever happen. I think it's more fair to just be cautious and expect delays to happen - especially on the projects that max out on stretch goals, which usually aren't factored into the original date. Sure it's the responsibility of the dev to be clear with their communication, but bottom line, with any job, stuff happens. And I say this as someone who has backed about ten games and has had a full range of experiences.
@Supaguy That's a good way to frame the problem. They entered into a public space (kickstarter) without really knowing what the public wanted and then they didn't course correct with the information they received. They had tunnel vision and backfired on them (to a degree).
Forgot about this. Wonder who got the custom controller...
Hmm this does not look good, I hope the rewards are more real than the 3DS version of mighty number 9.
@Dingelhopper Yeah I'm sceptical of "kickstarter promises". Like you said Toby Fox is a millionaire but he isn't fulfilling the kickstarter goals for Undertale.
But what he will do is sell you merchandise for the still unfinished Deltarune. There's total lack of accountability.
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