(KICKSTARTER -- February 27, 2018) Monolith: Batman - Gotham City Chronicles

[BadgerTheBrave]

Again, this statement is a response to questions that everyone is always asking.
"Will it go into retail?"
"Can I get this game without going to KS, because I don't do KS?"

[Basement Dweller]

That's fair.  Honesty is nice even if it isn't what I want to hear.

I am good with Kickstarter and not concerned about retail...but understand that is not how everyone feels.

[mellis1644]

It's fair but the statement of 'if it does not make $X on KS then we'll pull the project' really does not help the make that target...Sort of defeats the point of KS target funding goals.

Its one thing to say unless it does well or even to a certain funding level we won't likely take it to retail. Another completely to say there is a real life hidden goal in the KS much higher than the funding levels.

[tnjrp]

It's only a secret funding level if they don't start off at 3 million... But that's quite a lot to ask from the jaded KS crowd for just the basic box with no tasty free stuff (AKA stretch goals) so I don't believe it will be anywhere near that level

Anyway, I suppose we'll have to wait until February or thereabouts to see how secret their secret goal will be and what the public goal will be.

[ced1106]

Weren't Conan and Mythic Battles big enough successes to keep them going?

Don't remember MB, but with Conan, they lose money on every retail box they sell.

Creators should say that they do not expect distributors to carry their product because they expect their product to have an MSRP of whatever. If a creator pledge level is $120 and they tell potential backers that the expected MSRP is $250 with no guarantee that distributors and retailers will carry the product, that should be information important to a potential backer whether or not to wait for retail. Distributors are under no obligation to carry a game publisher's game, and will cherry-pick which ones will turnover the fastest, such as Magic the Gathering, and Star Wars Destiny. I'm pretty sure that these games have a faster turnover than a $200+ game would.

[BadgerTheBrave]

Conan and Mythic were successful. And that success was invested.

Each time, Monolith invest into artwork, research, demo testing of their next games. This comes at a price, nothing is free. If you you want the best looking, well produced, playable and enjoyable game, they have to work very hard and get the best people in the business to help them. They have costs and fees to pay...Batman is not public domain! Warner want's their cut of the most popular superhero

[Redmao]

Don't remember MB, but with Conan, they lose money on every retail box they sell.

That's a shame. But I'm curious why?
At retail, a Zombicide Black Plague base game and the Conan base game have about the same numbers of miniatures, with about the same number of different sculpts. Zombicide sells for about $100 and Conan $120.
They both have more or less the same amount of components in the box so why aren't they both bringing in money for their creators?
Is it the cost of creation/art that was higher on Conan? The rights to the franchise?
I'm not trying to be annoying, I'm just trying to understand the business that brings us so much joy.

[BadgerTheBrave]

Zombicide has not rights to be paid off as Zombies are Public Domain.

I am not aware of monetary values, but Conan is own by the Estate of Robert E. Howard and not some big conglomerate.  I can imagine that was not cheap. Also Monolith worked heavily with the Estate to make sure that the scenarios and story's were correct in keeping to the original writings. So I believe that had to wage for a person or team that Estate, and may still be paying them for the scenarios that are coming out.

Additionally, Conan was the first project for Monolith, so that had to have a substantial gain to continue working afterward. That way they could invest in the next project. (get artwork, make prototype, minis...) Where as CMON had nothing to loose as I believe Guillotine Games were already in line to publish the game here in France. CMON just helped out with the publishing to the rest of the world.

[leonmallett]

I am in for this one.

It feels as though the creators cannot win on the honesty front re: funding - damned if the do, damned if they don't - but regardless I can understand why they have cited needing to hit a high target to make this a success.

[tnjrp]

Yeah me too. After all, it's


This is a project to keep an eye on tho, if it starts to look they only pass by a small margin (unless the target really is 3 mil*) then I bow out after the "now it's funded, no matter what" deadline (which was 48 hours at some point).

---
*) they obviously may well have factored the cost of everything they've planned on producing for it into this disclosed true funding goal, in which case they can start off at a lower level and get in those stretch goals that keep the early pledgers in

[supervike]

I'm a miniatures guy.  As much as I'd like to think myself a gamer, it's always the miniatures for me.  I'm glad to throw 130 bucks at Monolith to grant me access to some seriously cool minis.

The business aspect, while I understand, I just really don't worry myself about.  I'm just so stoked about this kickstarter, in fact, I am ignoring all current KS's to work for this one.

I kinda wish I wouldn't have funded MB:Pantheon now, and poor Conan just languishes on my shelf.

I could only be more excited if this happen to be a Marvel Comics venture....(please make that happen)

[Munindk]

This looks too good to pass up.

I might never play the game (unless its really good), but the miniatures could be used for all sorts or skirmish games. Will there be a Harley Quinn miniature?

[tnjrp]

I can almost promise to never play the game

Well, as it's a board game I might be able to get some of my non-miniature-gamer buddies to try it but it's unlikely I'll bother.

[BadgerTheBrave]

I could only be more excited if this happen to be a Marvel Comics venture....(please make that happen)

This would be nice. But I don't think we will see for a while.
Why?
Most of the characters in the Batman universe are slightly augmented humans. Either they have trained themselves that way of have been pumped with a substances. This makes balancing the game and scenarios easy. Where as if Wonder Woman or Superman popped up, The Joker would be defenseless against them, unless he built a big Joker robot. (which would be a cool  Bigature) The Marvel universe is made up of every character having over the top powers (unless you do a DareDevil game) which I believe is not impossible but would take longer to sort out their powers then create balanced scenarios that tell story's.
And I know that Heroclix gets away with it through a points system, but they have been in print and play tested for decades now.
Little steps...Maybe one

[BadgerTheBrave]

On a side note, Monolith are re-running a short Kickstarter for Conan. For those who missed out.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/806316071/conan/posts/1977826