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On "Cairn" and "Axes and Anvils": Mike Nystul's Kickstarters

Mike Nystul raised almost $60,000 (minus fees and other stuff) on Kickstarter to make the Cairn and Axes and Anvils gaming products. (There was also a dungeon project, that I don't really know anything about.)  The projects ran into some big problems, which Mike has posted publicly about.  Some people in the community have taken a lot of time to publicly bash Mike in blogs and other places.

Its time for it to be said -- Enough is Enough!  Kickstarters are risky and projects fail.  Though Mike made some serious mistakes, Mike has done the community a great service after the fact by 1) sharing his mistakes publicly so we can all learn from them and 2) by continuing to try to move the products forward, even if it is at a slow pace, to try to meet his obligations.  I understand that people are unhappy and feel ripped off.  Get over it.  Kickstarters are not preorders on amazon.  They are an investment and they have risk.  It isn't like anyone lost their home or life savings by investing in a kickstarter.  Please refer your anger to Wall Street for those issues.

*deep breath*

Personally, I am still excited about the projects.  Mike is still taking his time on Axes and Anvils, and I am still hopeful that someday I might be able to take a print copy of it to a con and get Mike to autograph it.

Cairn has been handed off to a new developer, Ross A. Isaacs, and he has indicated he will provide backers with a copy for free if we can pay for shipping.  I consider that a really good deal, considering the project ran out of money, and I am happy to support Ross on this and in his future work on Cairn.

I hope that Ross and Mike both can get a little boost of positive energy knowing that some people are still excited about seeing these projects come to fruition.
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Comments

  1. BlakeJune 13, 2015 at 3:14 PM

    I call bullshit. Nystul did nothing about explaining what went wrong-- in fact, he NEVER gave any idea where all the money he raised went (hint: sending him off to this or that convention, living expenses, etc.) His supporters, on not just one Project, cut him as much slack as they could, but the final word is--- he did NOTHING. The only thing Mike did was serve as a posterchild for what a grifter looks like on Kickstarter. He did the gaming world a huge disservice, because his raising of funds took away from other potential Projects that could have used that money (most Backers can't back all of those Projects they'd like to, so they pick and choose). To date (as of June, 2015) NOTHING has been done, and the matter has since been referred to the Federal Trade Commission. Mike is currently a cubical monkey at some on-line company, but here is a hint: interstate fraud is a Federal matter, and they have a whole lot more tools in their box than the Kickstarter guys you stiffed. Enjoy, Mike.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TherisnospoonJune 16, 2015 at 3:12 AM

      Cairn has been published and Axes and Anvils is under development and player test. Perhaps you should get your facts straight before you rant about this nearly two year old post?

      Delete

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