4 ms·

Can anyone, in a short summary, explain what happened and why people are suing code hero?

ninjin 14y ago
I was equally confused, from what I found using Google [1] the project had a large amount of backing, was alive for a while and then everything went cold. Gradually the backers have now started turning on the project requesting refunds and now this. [1]: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/121069-Code-Hero-Kickstarter-Goes-Bad http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/121069-Code-Hero-K...
elliotanderson 14y ago
From Dustin Deckard (the class suit organiser) - "Alex Peake seems to have run out of money ($170k) after spending it recklessly, and doesn't plan on continuing with this project. There are well over 1000 backers out there who pledged for physical rewards. And, tragically, 6 backers who pledged at the $1k level who thought their money would be well spent on an educational tool for schools."
- FireBeyond 14y ago
  "after spending it recklessly" I'm really curious as to how Dustin came to this conclusion - given that many people have stated the project has had multiple developers at times, and nearly a year or more of development. It's a claim with serious implications - wonder what the backing for it is?
  - veemjeem 14y ago
    It's also a false claim since CodeHero just posted an update saying that the project is continuing. Dustin was essentially lying through his teeth, because he had no evidence. He just wanted to incite a mob.
    - jff 14y ago
      You can post anything essentially for free. I can say right now, "I'm making the real Duke Nukem Forever, sorry it's taken so long but it'll be out Real Soon Now" and it doesn't cost me a goddamn thing. Hell, I can put out a press release to that effect for $50 and it'll go all over the drooling game sites. Doesn't make it true, doesn't mean I've done anything, it just means I posted an update.
      - veemjeem 14y ago
        True, but honestly what do people think is right? People investing in kickstarter project are fully aware that the project could take a year or two to complete, it's not like he can suddenly pull the project out from his ass in a day. If people are going to threaten with lawsuits less than a year from the initial backing date, why did they bother investing in the first place?
  - deleted 14y ago
    [deleted]
GauntletWizard 14y ago
Code hero has had a rocky past; It was an indie darling, after a cool looking demo, but along the way the creator has done all the classic scam-artist things - Gone dark for a significant amount of time, been unclear on status in updates, gave strange and only half believable excuses for lack of progress. These are all trademarks of inexperienced devs, too, which is why it's hard to prove malfeasance. There was a demo at PAX, which I saw; It looked okay, but barely more than the unity dev tools. There was something slightly off about the person I talked to at the booth, they seemed oddly desperate, but I'd put it down to it being a slow day for them. I'm glad to see this fail, actually, if it fails - It was ambitious, and would have been cool, but if it fails it's a good wake-up call that these are, in fact, attempts - Not guarantees. I feel sorry for the ~20 people who put $1k+ into this for essentially nothing, but caveat emptor.
- eli 14y ago
  I know nothing about the situation, but I would hesitate to attribute to malice that which can easily be explained by inexperience.
- chimeracoder 14y ago
  > caveat emptor. Ironically, that doesn't even apply here - 'emptor' means 'buyer', but the whole point of Kickstarter is that you're not a buyer - you're a backer. Your point still stands; I just found the aphorism amusing, since the whole point is - as you said - that Kickstarter projects are attempts, not guarantees (purchases).
  - dragonwriter 14y ago
    But you are a buyer. By the terms of use of the site, you are purchasing the reward offered at the level you pledge, with a right to a full refund if the reward is not provided. The problem is that project creators are treating Kickstarter as if it were a source for speculative investment with no obligation to deliver rewards when Kickstarter's own terms make it a system for purchasing with a commit to deliver or refund.
- dtf 14y ago

I was equally confused, from what I found using Google [1] the project had a large amount of backing, was alive for a while and then everything went cold. Gradually the backers have now started turning on the project requesting refunds and now this. [1]: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/121069-Code-Hero-Kickstarter-Goes-Bad http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/121069-Code-Hero-K...

elliotanderson 14y ago

From Dustin Deckard (the class suit organiser) - "Alex Peake seems to have run out of money ($170k) after spending it recklessly, and doesn't plan on continuing with this project. There are well over 1000 backers out there who pledged for physical rewards. And, tragically, 6 backers who pledged at the $1k level who thought their money would be well spent on an educational tool for schools."

FireBeyond 14y ago
"after spending it recklessly" I'm really curious as to how Dustin came to this conclusion - given that many people have stated the project has had multiple developers at times, and nearly a year or more of development. It's a claim with serious implications - wonder what the backing for it is?
- veemjeem 14y ago
  It's also a false claim since CodeHero just posted an update saying that the project is continuing. Dustin was essentially lying through his teeth, because he had no evidence. He just wanted to incite a mob.
  - jff 14y ago
    You can post anything essentially for free. I can say right now, "I'm making the real Duke Nukem Forever, sorry it's taken so long but it'll be out Real Soon Now" and it doesn't cost me a goddamn thing. Hell, I can put out a press release to that effect for $50 and it'll go all over the drooling game sites. Doesn't make it true, doesn't mean I've done anything, it just means I posted an update.
    - veemjeem 14y ago
      True, but honestly what do people think is right? People investing in kickstarter project are fully aware that the project could take a year or two to complete, it's not like he can suddenly pull the project out from his ass in a day. If people are going to threaten with lawsuits less than a year from the initial backing date, why did they bother investing in the first place?
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]

GauntletWizard 14y ago

Code hero has had a rocky past; It was an indie darling, after a cool looking demo, but along the way the creator has done all the classic scam-artist things - Gone dark for a significant amount of time, been unclear on status in updates, gave strange and only half believable excuses for lack of progress. These are all trademarks of inexperienced devs, too, which is why it's hard to prove malfeasance. There was a demo at PAX, which I saw; It looked okay, but barely more than the unity dev tools. There was something slightly off about the person I talked to at the booth, they seemed oddly desperate, but I'd put it down to it being a slow day for them. I'm glad to see this fail, actually, if it fails - It was ambitious, and would have been cool, but if it fails it's a good wake-up call that these are, in fact, attempts - Not guarantees. I feel sorry for the ~20 people who put $1k+ into this for essentially nothing, but caveat emptor.

eli 14y ago
I know nothing about the situation, but I would hesitate to attribute to malice that which can easily be explained by inexperience.
chimeracoder 14y ago
> caveat emptor. Ironically, that doesn't even apply here - 'emptor' means 'buyer', but the whole point of Kickstarter is that you're not a buyer - you're a backer. Your point still stands; I just found the aphorism amusing, since the whole point is - as you said - that Kickstarter projects are attempts, not guarantees (purchases).
- dragonwriter 14y ago
  But you are a buyer. By the terms of use of the site, you are purchasing the reward offered at the level you pledge, with a right to a full refund if the reward is not provided. The problem is that project creators are treating Kickstarter as if it were a source for speculative investment with no obligation to deliver rewards when Kickstarter's own terms make it a system for purchasing with a commit to deliver or refund.
dtf 14y ago