Beneath a Steel Sky 2. Is this a smart KS strategy or blackmail?

Revolution Software just recently reached the $400k needed for Broken Sword. Cool, right? Well, they also announced that if they are given $1,000,000 funding they'll greenlight Beneath a Steel Sky 2. And remember, being greenlit will almost certainly mean all they'll do it start a BASS2 kicjkstarter, not actually make the game with that extra funding. While I'd love a new BASS2 this seems really shady. "Give us a million dollars and we'll let you fund another game for us too!". 
 
So what do you think? A good kickstarter idea to encourage more funding or is this going over the top?
 

I would very much like to see another BASS; the first game is one of my all-time favourite adventure games. Although, having said that, I'm not exactly sure it needs a sequel...

How is this blackmail exactly? You should probably look up the definition of the word, dude.

How is this blackmail exactly? You should probably look up the definition of the word, dude.

No it's not blackmailing. What it is though, is testing waters which is all Kickstarter is really about anyway if you think about. It's not exactly shadey if they're being upfront though. Also, it does cost money for certain pitches. Take the Broken Sword pitch, getting those people together, pre-production, actually making the pitch videos, all that takes talent and money. So it's not that crazy to say, "Hey wanna be a hardcore fan and give us money to get the next one rolling?".

@Metal_Mills said:

@Oldirtybearon said:

How is this blackmail exactly? You should probably look up the definition of the word, dude.

Because it's basically demanding a high amount of money for one game just to get a chance it funding another you might want. "You want BASS2? Well pay up and we might greenlight it so you can properly start funding it"

But that's not blackmail. It's a pie in the sky 'reward' if they hit an arbitrary number that they probably don't expect to hit. What happened to David Letterman was blackmail. The studio saying "if we hit a million bucks, we'll do Beyond a Steel Sky 2 as well" doesn't even come close to the same galaxy, let alone the same star system, planet, or ballpark as blackmail.

It's only blackmail if I don't like it.

@Ravenlight said:

It's only blackmail if I don't like it.

Otherwise, it's extortion. The X makes it sound cool.

Blackmail means you lose something if you don't pay, not you don't get something if you don't pay. Not getting something by not paying for it is the opposite of getting something you paid for, and that's a transaction. This is just the promise of a potential transaction. No one is forcing money from your hand and you weren't paying for BASS 2 yesterday and you also weren't getting it. If someone reminding you that sequels happen is enough to make you buy something you don't want in hope, then that's your problem!

It's not going to happen anyway, so who cares?

It's greasy but it's not blackmail.

It's not cool, but not blackmail.

It might not be blackmail, it might not be shady, but it's a total dick move.

Could someone explain me why is this a dick move?

Knee-jerk, sensational thread title and ending it with a question to avoid controversy? Kotaku will hire you!

You could ask them on the Kickstarter or Charles Cecil's twitter, though if you're so worried about "blackmail".

Either way, I don't think they'll make it that far. $800 maybe, which is great because I love me some developer commentary :)

It is an odd choice for sure, and probably a first for Kickstarter. I personally thought they if Broken Sword can get greenlit then a BASS sequel would obviously be the next step.

It helps build hype though, and I did just up my pledge.

Could someone explain me why is this a dick move?

@MikeGosot said:

Could someone explain me why is this a dick move?

Because some people didn't read enough and thought that the game wouldn't get made unless they hit $1.000.000? At least that's what it looks like to me on here. Other places have gotten the message though, long ago

@Mackinder said:

No it's not blackmailing. What it is though, is testing waters which is all Kickstarter is really about anyway if you think about. It's not exactly shadey if they're being upfront though. Also, it does cost money for certain pitches. Take the Broken Sword pitch, getting those people together, pre-production, actually making the pitch videos, all that takes talent and money. So it's not that crazy to say, "Hey wanna be a hardcore fan and give us money to get the next one rolling?".

Who are they pitching the game to? They are independently releasing the game. They don't have to pitch anything to anyone but themselves.

Honestly, if BASS2 can happen, then I'm behind it!

@ZeForgotten said:

@MikeGosot said:

Could someone explain me why is this a dick move?

Because some people didn't read enough and thought that the game wouldn't get made unless they hit $1.000.000? At least that's what it looks like to me on here. Other places have gotten the message though, long ago

So this is just overreacting? Ok, that's cool.