Dev Offering Refunds, Planning Lawsuit Over Kickstarter Physical Edition Fiasco
Kickstarter disappointments and disasters are not uncommon in the realm of videogames--and sometimes, even when a campaign is successful and a game is released, there will still be issues with fulfilling backer promises like physical goodies and stretch goals. One such campaign experiencing these woes is Chained Echoes, a 16-bit style RPG that has received excellent reviews and a generally positive player reception. By all metrics, this game would easily go down as a Kickstarter success story--if it wasn't for backers who purchased a physical copy of the game not getting what they bought after years of delay.
Creator Matthias Linda partnered with German limited-edition publisher First Press Games to create physical copies of Chained Echoes for for PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. While certain tiers of the Kickstarter were promised physical goodies like an artbook related to the game--which Linda sent out himself--the editions by First Press were their own thing that backers could purchase as an add-on to their pledge. Non-backers could also buy directly from the First Press Games store. As of the time of writing, the order page for Chained Echoes on First Press Games's website is still live, with most products listed as "preorder" and editions costing anywhere from $50 USD for a basic PC/PS4/Switch edition to $354 USD for a massive collectors' edition box.
Despite preorders having gone live in November of 2022, however, all but the basic PlayStation 4 edition of the game have yet to be shipped to backers and buyers, with complaints abound and little explanation for the lengthy delay. Buyers have become incredibly frustrated--and so has Linda, who today announced that he is planning to file a lawsuit against First Press Games and will be offering refunds to backers who bought the physical version.
Continue Reading at GameSpot
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