Critical Role Critical Role show kickstarter update: Backers have to get Amazon prime to get the show

[thom_likes_gaming]

What exactly was being kickstarted here?

This.

 

[LongTimeLurker]

Yet another reason to stay far, far away from Kickstarter.

 

[Shardstone]

All of your rantings are based one a false premise: "the show" was never promised to the backers. Take a calming breath, man...

If you wanted me to calm down, you should have told me to take a breath three days ago!!! Now I'm all out of breath!!!!!

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Update 23 said "Our lovely Kickstarter backers (hey, that’s YOU!) will still have an opportunity to watch the two-part special that kicks off the series before anyone else AND because you’re a backer, you'll be able to access the first season for free."

They absolutely followed through on the part pertaining to the special, but the access to the first season is really stretching the definition of free and is clearly not because of being a backer.

I read through all of that, but you have to put that in context.

Update 23 (which you quote) ... is the announcement that they would be putting it on Amazon Prime. Update 23 leads with:

Our friends at Amazon have partnered with us to broadcast Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina exclusively on Amazon Prime Video!

Now, that said ...

I read through the comments from two years ago posted after that update. It appears that almost everyone at the time interpreted that update to mean that backers would get the first season free regardless of Amazon status. A lot of people are there defending them and saying, "Hey, at least you get the first season without a paywall." Seriously, it's a giant wave of comments from backers saying that you'd only need Amazon to watch season 2 (which still made some people angry).

And I don't see anyone correcting that impression. Not a single person.* And that was two years ago.

So ... I still stand by my original analysis, but ... CR shouldn't have said that in Update 23, and when they saw how people were interpreting what they were saying, they should have immediately corrected that impression.

Now, if I had to guess (and this is a pure guess), I would say the following was likely to be what transpired-
1. They did the Kickstarter with the accurate pledges and goals, with the assumption that they'd shop it around and it would likely end up on a free platform (such as youtube, etc.) and they'd own the rights. In other words, they never considered the idea of a paywall originally.

2. When they originally announced the deal with Amazon, they assumed that they'd be able to provide the backers with access to the first season for free. Besides- now they get to make more! Everyone is happy! Yay!

3. Unfortunately, that's not how things work at places like Amazon; they want to be able to entice new subscribers. So when they realized that, they did the next-best thing and looked into how people could use a "free trial account" (which Amazon isn't going to mind, because at least some percentage of those people will end up keeping it, or at least forgetting to cancel the auto-renew).

I'm sure it would be interesting to know what happened between Update 23 and today... but the best lesson is whoever wrote that update should have been a LOT more careful, given that they arguably promised something that the original KS never did. Again, IMO, YMMV, etc.


*I don't have the time to read through all the comments and/or any additional clarifications- so if this was officially corrected immediately afterwards, then I stand corrected myself!

 

[Seramus]

Which deal was that again? Just to get your point right...

Where they got enough for 10 episodes and said backers could see the first season for free. This was before Amazon signed on and increased it to 12 episodes and a second season.

Like I said, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. If anything, they just spoke too soon. =D

 

[bennet]

Imagine if you gave up all your extra money to bring about the show, but have no access to Amazon Prime Video.

Finally the "we can do no wrong" critical role screwed up, chuckle.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Imagine if you gave up all your extra money to bring about the show, but have no access to Amazon Prime Video.

Finally the "we can do no wrong" critical role screwed up, chuckle.

What is it with D&D fans and one sided, inexplicable ire? CR, anime, videogames, card games...

 

[darjr]

What is it with D&D fans and one sided, inexplicable ire? CR, anime, videogames, card games...

It’s a general human thing. The ease of posting whatever combined with the ease of misunderstanding combined with large groups which are bound to have a few folks have “takes”.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

What is it with D&D fans and one sided, inexplicable ire? CR, anime, videogames, card games...

D&D Fans?

Have you been outside recently? Everyone is angry.

...heck, I don't even want to get started on the people getting kicked off of airplanes.

 

[billd91]

What is it with D&D fans and one sided, inexplicable ire? CR, anime, videogames, card games...

In this, D&D fans are nothing unusual. Just look at Star Wars/Star Trek/Football/NYC pizza fans/Chicago/etc fans.