Kickstarter With a Soul- Finally Someone Listened?

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So over the weekend yet another Kickstarter popped up for funding and I just kinda sighed…

Mantic’s got a new Kickstarter called Mars Attacks…..??! Whoopie guess we won’t be carrying that when it hits… sucks to cause it looked kinda cool I thought to myself.

I’ve said my bit about how I feel when it comes to gaming Kickstarters. 

I’m still very much of the opinion that gaming Kickstarters need to stop what I feel is fundamentally unscrupulous double dipping from game stores,  poaching their customers and then expecting the same stores to carry their merchandise that everyone already now has from being poached in the first place.

I think that gaming Kickstaters should offer special incentives to get customers to pledge THOUGH their Friendly Local Gaming Store (FLGS), thusly getting additional perks and unlocking special merchandise that can only be purchased from said games store when the the Kickstarter finally fulfills and delivers.

Sure I get that that’s not going to work for the smaller offerings, but you bet your britches that the big gaming producers who expect stores to stock their other items, should take note and start giving back here shortly.

I also realize that Kickstarters are also a good way to promote new games BEFORE they hit stores, and make it so they’re even worth stocking in the first place.

However if everyone already has all the merchandise from the Kickstarter there will be time lag until demand for the game reaches the point where it should become a regular stock item for a store, and not just some special order thing… That’s what as a retailer I think we should avoid.

Create the hype, and get people into stores to pledge! Then that hype spreads to even more people locally and helps build strong communities before a game even comes out!

So then I get this email this morning from Mantic that there is a “Retailer Pledge Level” and I’m like hmmm whats this all about….

After a little research it seems to be close to what I’ve been campaigning for.  Looks like stores can collect the cash from locals, then pledge on their behalf and get the merchandise for them in store before even the normal pledges get theirs!

Pretty classy Mantic, pretty classy indeed.  So now all we as stores gotta do is a little bookwork on who’s pledging what, and maybe make a flyer or two and reap the reward of a Kickstarter with a soul.

So now do yourself a favor checkout the Mars Attack Kickstarter below, and if you frequent a game store, maybe hit them up about pledging this new game.

Oh and if you’re wondering what the conversion potential is for this game, checkout this army. -MBG

From Mantic’s MARS ATTACKS Kickstarter
Mantic Games, acclaimed producers of DREADBALL and DEADZONE tabletop miniatures games, have launched MARS ATTACKS: THE MINIATURES GAME on Kickstarter!

After just 15 minutes, our funding goal of $50K was achieved and have already begun unveiling the first of their exciting stretch goals!

In this outrageous new game fully licensed from Topps, fast and fun tactical gameplay will combine with over-the-top action and dark humor to create a tabletop experience unlike any other! MARS ATTACKS: THE MINIATURES GAME is played with highly detailed miniature figurines produced using state-of-the-art digital sculpting and 3D printing technology.

After Mars Attacks celebrated 50 year of Martian Mayhem last year, Mantic are bringing the popular sci-fi franchise to a new generation. The initial funding goal will produce a basic boxed game that includes a series of unpainted figurines of Martian troops, U.S. Soldiers and a range of civilian heroes as well as modular city scenery and a color rulebook. By the end of the crowd-sourced campaign, we hope to also fund such exciting add-ons as flying saucers, giant robots, gruesome mutated bugs, dozens of additional figures, new factions and other exclusive rewards including Topps trading cards, comics and other items available only to Kickstarter backers!

Not only that, but Mantic is working with IDW Publishing to produce miniatures based on the popular Comic Book Series by John Layman and John McCrea, with further crossovers such as a Martian Dredd figure teased and an exclusive set of Topps Trading Cards that will never be sold elsewhere.

Backers can either choose one of Mantic’s set Pledge Levels, getting themselves a fantastic deal that will be peppered with extras and upgrades, or they can simply choose to pledge from the add-ons on the page, meaning that if they’re a card collector, a comic book guy or only want models or plastic scenery, then there’s something for them! Mantic is also showing some love to independent retailers, giving them their own pledge levels so that they can purchase products for their stores.

So if you are a hobbyist, gamer or store owner and want to get in on the action of Mars Attacks, please visit www.marsattacksthegame.com to subscribe to updates and view the KickStarter page to read more about this exciting new project from Mantic Games!

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