Too many Kickstarter projects

Something I've been noticing recently, is the increasing number of successfully-kickstarted indie projects.  Lol, why am I complaining?  It's all good, right?

Well, it sets a dangerous precedent, where people can expect to pay you based on a promise rather than a final product.  Why should I support people who haven't yet created a prototype, instead of the already completed game of some person who quit their day job, took out a massive loan, finished a game but it's not selling so they're thousands of dollars in debt?

The positive aspect of crowdfunding is that you can already see which projects and concepts are popular, so if you're a developer, you can decide to abandon a project if it doesn't have enough fans, thereby saving yourself time and headache.  By keeping on top of the kickstarter scene you've also done your market research.

But the negative aspect is that this is eerily similar to two things:

The first is network television.  I gave up on network television ten years ago because I realized they were only broadcasting shows which had enough ratings.  The unpopular gems which I wanted to watch were no longer offered, that's why I moved to cable, and later pulled the plug entirely and subsisted on DVD rentals and now streaming.

The second is the shady business practice of many businessmen in asia... where they take up risky projects without putting up their own money.  Unlike the west there's less of a venture capital spirit, so what they end up risking is the money of wealthy families who don't have the expertise in the current business landscape whether it's outsourcing or something else.  In other words, if the investment is a success, the businessman wins.  If it's a failure, the people who lose money are those who were gullible to listen to his business proposal.  Have enough of those failures occurring, and what ends up happening is people who have the capital to get things moving are even tighter with their purse strings then ever before.

If many of these Kickstarted projects are completed to above average satisfaction, that is not a problem.  But what if most of these projects are completed, but the end result is a disappointment?  This will increase the number of jaded former supporters who would then be even less likely to support the indie scene.

Okay, now here is the part of the blogpost where I go "Oh hey, I'm not like these groups, I'm awesome and responsible!"  Well for starters...
* I pay my artists in full based on agreed rates.  I don't promise them royalties which may never materialize.  It means that I respect the amount of time they contributed towards various assets.  The only people who are going on royalties basis will be the writer and battle engine programmer, since the game is designed around the structure they create -- without them, this game won't exist because it won't have a backbone.  If for the small chance this game achieves success, I will want them to share in its success.  In the meantime, they are contributing from their own free time which they generously give towards various projects.
* I have not, and will not accept donations.  Everything is coming from my own pocket from my day job and family savings.  I will want to say "All the risk is mine".

I don't go posting pretty concept art, because the way I have always done projects, is to start with the core structure, the blood and guts, not the hype.

Then again, perhaps it's me who is doing things wrong.  After all, with a hyped project, you attract the best artists who want to be associated with a popular project!  So it's even more likely that you get to finish the project because of all the willing people ready to either join your team or throw you money!  That's another way of looking at things.  Why choose to slave away when no one gives a shit about your sacrifice when you can have a win-win scenario?

Probably that's a lesson I can take for my next project.  After all, all it takes is one popular piece of concept art by Huke and bam, you get an anime and video game franchise.

But, no.  No, no, no.  I will not succumb to that.  I'm not out to make the next K-on!, I'm out to make the next Haibane Renmei.  We're talking about entirely different genres here.  For the latter, almost ten years later and the work still affects me.  No second, third, fourth, fifth seasons needed.  Over and done.  The only thing that mattered was that enough people cared to fund the project to completion, so it existed.  For Elspeth's Garden, the only thing that matters is whether I still care, then it will get made.  Once finished, whether I recover my capital or not, it will be out on the internet, and I hope people will be thankful that a work like that exists and was made.