[Kickstarter] At what point does SJ Games profit from this Ogre print run?

[apoc527]

I find myself wondering just HOW successful this Kickstarter project has become for SJ Games-- it was kind of clear at the outset that SJ was doing this as a labor of love, using income from Munchkin to fund this Ogre 6E project. But with a print run of double the original (6,000 according to Update 25), does that bring the cost per unit down to where SJ Games is profiting from each sale at $100? (I'm assuming that, as good businesspeople, they are making a small profit from each $150 order, swag included--but I could be wrong too--the margins COULD be razor thin on all that stuff too.)

I only ask because I want SJ Games to dominate the wor...errr, I just want them to stick around for a long time and make me GURPS stuff, so if Ogre and now Car Wars (and of course Munchkin) can help them do that, then sign me up!

And even though I have never played Ogre, nor was I born when it came out, I pledged $150 anyway, simply to support Steve Jackson Games. This crowdsourcing thing is BIZARRE, I tell you!

[tomc]

I wonder how much of this mania is about supporting a product and how much is about supporting a cause.

They both work for me.

[D351]

Originally Posted by apoc527

I find myself wondering just HOW successful this Kickstarter project has become for SJ Games-- it was kind of clear at the outset that SJ was doing this as a labor of love, using income from Munchkin to fund this Ogre 6E project. But with a print run of double the original (6,000 according to Update 25), does that bring the cost per unit down to where SJ Games is profiting from each sale at $100? (I'm assuming that, as good businesspeople, they are making a small profit from each $150 order, swag included--but I could be wrong too--the margins COULD be razor thin on all that stuff too.)

I only ask because I want SJ Games to dominate the wor...errr, I just want them to stick around for a long time and make me GURPS stuff, so if Ogre and now Car Wars (and of course Munchkin) can help them do that, then sign me up!

And even though I have never played Ogre, nor was I born when it came out, I pledged $150 anyway, simply to support Steve Jackson Games. This crowdsourcing thing is BIZARRE, I tell you!

Interesting question...

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by apoc527

And even though I have never played Ogre, nor was I born when it came out, I pledged $150 anyway, simply to support Steve Jackson Games. This crowdsourcing thing is BIZARRE, I tell you!

This. I like supporting SJG, and I like the new concepts that Kickstarter brings to small companies that can't afford to guess much. Steve Jackson basically said as much, as well - they're breaking new ground with Kickstarter models. In a way, I guess, it's like the "likely voter" surveys, but with people only getting to vote in the survey if they pony up cash, which takes the casual "yeah, sure dude, big box of Ogre stuff. Is that from Shrek IV" right out of it.

But the more that this sort of "vote with your wallet, but BEFORE we put our company at risk" model is used, the more the niche business model turns to "break even or win" on any given project. That is good for us, and better for them.

[apoc527]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

But the more that this sort of "vote with your wallet, but BEFORE we put our company at risk" model is used, the more the niche business model turns to "break even or win" on any given project. That is good for us, and better for them.

Precisely. I've been going nuts about Kickstarter at work and telling my colleague about it, and she just always smiles in an amused fashion as I rave about how it really is a new phenomenon that couldn't have existed before "social media" and the way that brands, companies, and celebrities can now interact with their communities. In short, the sociological aspects of Kickstarter are both bizarre and awe-inspiring to behold. Who knew that this could happen? (I wish I'd thought of Kickstarter...)

SJ Games has been around long enough to know what the Dark Ages were like -- you communicated with fans at conventions and through the US mail or telephone. Consequently, you reached very few people. The Internet and email and listservs changed that, but social media, Web 2.0 and whatever other trite little term you want to use changed it all again. Now, for me (and likely many others), Steve Jackson isn't just a guy whose name appears on some books I own. He's a person that I want to SPECIFICALLY support so he can make me awesome stuff. That's a very powerful thing to achieve these days and Kickstarter lets me give him money in ways that allow him to make stuff for me even cooler. Win-win situations are rare, but this is certainly one of them!

Anyway, the strange thing about this whole deal is that I would probably back SJ Games projects that I had little to no intention of actually using.

The only question that remains is how does Evil Stevie use this great new power??

EDIT: One other thing, that comes as a result of Kickstarter, is the effect that the knowledge of such support can have on a creator. Rich Burlew, of Order of the Stick fame and the third $1 million plus Kickstarter, said it best:

Originally Posted by RichBurlew

Nine years is a long time to draw stick figures, and I've had days where I just wanted to wrap the whole thing up early and move on to something else. But now that I know I have this kind of support out there, it will be that much easier to keep going during the hard times. So I'll keep working to make OOTS better and we'll keep this spirit going through the end of the pledge drive, through the rest of the year, and on into whatever the future holds. Thank you.

[Luke Bunyip]

This could be a technically a loss for SJGames, but the flip side is that at a time of economic frugality, they have managed to get thousands of preorders on a rather expensive board game, and from some old and new customers. Personally, once I spend $221 for a box sent down here to Australia, I will still be in the market for future stuff. Ditto for the Car Wars reboot. I would love it if I can get my son and/or daughter playing both of these.

I've got most of the GURPS stuff I think I need*, and given that table top gaming is my main form of entertainment, I will be an ironed on customer. If you duplicate my attitude and intent across the broad spectrum of Kickstarter supporters, it should be a financial positive for the Eye-in-the-Pyramid Corp. It will be really interesting to see how they respond to the Car Wars reboot. Just read some chatter on another forum from OGRE backers, where the idea was mooted that there are more former Car Wars players out there than OGRE players. It could be even bigger.


*Dr Kromm's scheming and Rev PK's tinkering aside....

[apoc527]

I only ever played the Car Wars Card Game, but I loved it. I'd be very likely to support the Car Wars project too.

[Buzzardo]

Originally Posted by apoc527

I only ever played the Car Wars Card Game, but I loved it. I'd be very likely to support the Car Wars project too.

Amusing. I've never heard of the card game. I played the original, up through Truck Stop.

[D351]

Originally Posted by Luke Bunyip

Ditto for the Car Wars reboot.

I just hope they don't rush right in to that one. I'm going to need an economic recovery period.

[philreed]

Originally Posted by D351

I just hope they don't rush right in to that one. I'm going to need an economic recovery period.

We won't rush. We need more planning time as well as time to recover from Ogre. There will be months, if we meet the goal, before Car Wars launches.