(KICKSTARTER) Prodos Games Aliens/Predators: Recent developments pp.35ff

[CptJake]

And today I have received an email saying my order is to be shipped.
Will it be true? I'm not holding my breath...

If everything you ordered has been approved you'll probably get at least the majority of it.

Good luck!  (not meant in a sarcastic manner)

[Ajsalium]

I've had a look (because it's been so long I didn't really remember), and everything I ordered is approved.

Will this be the end of this ordeal (for me)? We'll have to wait and see. I'll keep you updated.

[harleyface]

Received this email 6th of may
Nothing...absolutly nothing happened since then....

[Elk101]

It took about two weeks after I got my email before I heard anything regarding shipping so there is still time.

[tnjrp]

always had answers within a 24h turn-around time so far. Contacted them three times for different reasons, always got polite answers. But then, I did talk to others then the higher echolons

Prodos has always been somewhat selective as to who they answer quickly (or, it seems, at all). I only had to contact them once luckily but had to prompt to several different addresses IIRC before receiving a rather annoyed response. To be frank, my messages at that point were somewhat annoyed as well over a fairly minor point so I suppose I had that tone coming. On the other hand, I've seen quite a bit of praise for their customer service as well so my working hypothesis is as per italicized above.

BTW are they shipping from Britain? If so, there could be something outside of their control slowing the postage down since I've got two parcels coming from over there on an "unsusually slow boat" (that is to say, from companies that normally deliver quite quickly and now the delivery drags on).

[Sgt. Scream]

No, the depot seems to be in Poland. At least my stuff came from there.

[CptJake]

Yeah,it seems everything is shipping from Poland.   Which shows another lie, at one point some company in the US allegedly had the US KS box game packages and was waiting on some wave 2 items or something before shipping to US backers.  Of course, unless we are to believe Prodos (lacking shipping funds) paid that unnamed company to ship the pallet load of games back to Poland so that Prodos could ship everything from there, that proved to be less than accurate (outright dishonest).

But now as Load Board Game of Chicago, IL/Archon of Poland, I'm sure they are better.

EDIT:   From an 27 October 2015 KS Email from Prodos:

As for USA backers, the Board Games have made their way through customs and are now in a dispatch centre, awating the add ons.

What I did receive was shipped in Dec 2015 from Poland...

[Verderer]

Prodos is well aware that the information we are about to share with you, in normal circumstances of business management would not normally be shared publicly however we have been put into a position where we must clarify some issues with the backers who believed in us so strongly that they put their hard earned cash on the line for a product we committed and still commit to deliver.

You might remember in the December update, we provided a screenshot of the funding that we had set aside for shipping. You may also remember our October update about Prodos seeing the licensor, and discussions being held about the future direction of the game for the next 2 years. We also spoke about potential releases of new models, rules etc. The plan and subsequent deal was agreed and secured with no additional payment required.

In March 2016 we were informed that we had reached “minimum guaranteed” scope and timeframe of our contract with licensor and that they were now looking to renegotiate the contract going forward. For us this raised serious alarm bells as we were in the process of shipping Wave 2 to many backers, with some Wave 2 and Wave 3 items still outstanding for approval.

To allow us to ensure that Kickstarter deliveries will be met, as there are still outstanding items for approval, and to support the future of this product, we had no choice but to sign a new agreement at significant cost. In short, had we not agreed with the terms of the new contract, the KickStarter would have died there and then with no further approvals being given. For us at Prodos, this was not an option. We have always promised that we would see this KS through to the end and this, despite the stress and financial strain, is what we will do.

http://postimg.org/image/jr6qyauuj/

Looking at silver linings however, it does mean that Prodos will be supporting this game until June 2018 at a minimum!

The cost of this contract, combined with the increased cost of postage previously mentioned, this has again depleted our funds and has again derailed our shipping targets. As a consequence of this we took action and offered expedited shipping as seen in the last updates, so that you could purchase a model and have it shipped with your approved Wave 2 products.

Shipping continues, and is funded by Prodos Games profits from sales, and the services it provides, and the additional purchases made by backers over the last number of weeks.

I am again assuring you that I and the rest of the Prodos team are doing everything possible to have your pledges reach your door step as fast as possible. Currently we have a number of wave 3 items with licensor awaiting approval including the ,much anticipated, dropship however we don’t have a timeframe on the approval of these items as of yet.

The previous Wave 2 shipping offer still stands and includes a 5% discount. Thank you to you who have availed of this offer to date.

I hope most of you have seen the efforts we have put into getting this product to you. To those still awaiting, all I can do is apologise (again) for the delays.

Yeah, so the heroic efforts of Prodos continue as they struggle against the dasdardly licensors. 

[Elbows]

I see these mails/messages and all I really read is: We're not a very smart/capable company.

 

[CptJake]

I like this paragraph:

To allow us to ensure that Kickstarter deliveries will be met, as there are still outstanding items for approval, and to support the future of this product, we had no choice but to sign a new agreement at significant cost. In short, had we not agreed with the terms of the new contract, the KickStarter would have died there and then with no further approvals being given. For us at Prodos, this was not an option. We have always promised that we would see this KS through to the end and this, despite the stress and financial strain, is what we will do.

I'll point out that there were other options.   They could have refunded backers for items they could not get approved before the license ended.  Of course, since cash flow is obviously a major problem they decided to not go with that option.   

I'll also note that the massive slimming of Prodos as a company (down to 4 employees) and the growth of Archon smells suspiciously like a legal mechanism to protect assets and keep existing debt isolated.   If something does go wrong with the license, Prodos can go under and Archon has already picked up manufacturing assets.   Very smart move, I don't blame them for it at all.  But as an AvP backer it does send up additional red flags.

[NurgleHH]

I think it is still the same problem as it was at the beginning: Bad communication. This last mail confused more than it helped. They are good artist, but bad buisinessmen. But in the end - as one of the biggest hypercritic - I will wait. I got nothing, so wave one and two is licensed and they can send it to me...

[Verderer]

All I get from these newsletters really is that Prodos has been trying to shift the blame to anyone else but themselves for a year now: they've covered everyone from print shops to shippers, and now even the licensor. I am sure they've managed to accuse us the backers as well, if not in so many words?

Love the way the author of that message is apologising with the added (again)... as if they're annoyed by having to apologise doing such a poor job. Seems very arrogant, even if that wasn't the intention. And apologies do not work anymore.

They really ought to take a real hard look in the mirror, and just send the remining stuff (in my case everything is missing), no matter how much it hurts them. They're run out of excuses long ago.

[Maledrakh]

yes, it reeks of asset protection, but I would counter that if they were planning to let prodos go under to get rid of the liabilities, they would not have entered into further contracts with fox. Such contracts usually require pretty hefty five-digit  licence fee payments up front, and this is actually a believable exuse (for once).

I did the "buy a mini from our webshop to get your pledge" option, on the grounds that "better get the pledge in hand in case they shut down".

So now I have my pledge. (Well most of it). And I can attest to Prodos having one great redeeming feature: they make wonderful minis to a very high standard.

Also the unicast mini I bought was very detailed and 3 dimentional with undercuts, holes and all. And cast in one piece! How do they do that?  Qualitywise fully on par with many both metal and resin minis I have seen, and far better than bones and restic.

Has anybody else got their pledge, and if so, did they get the (promised in the KS) 8 facehuggers or just a pack of 5 like me? Has anybody seen any info about this?

[rwwin]

So I paid the blood money on the 14th and got my package yesterday.  I didn't go big on the original kickstarter, so the only wave three items I've got outstanding are the alternative marines and the cloaked predators.

[NurgleHH]

I got the message, that a big part is sent out. I didn't pay anything more. This Kickstarter was a disaster, but in the moment I think, they are on a good way to come back. And one thing is very good: they seems to get in contact with the pledger in their FB-Group for backers.