What happens when you have to delay or abandon a game project that was crowdfunded on Kickstarter? Do you have to refund all the money you received? How are developers held accountable?
Kickstarter updated the Frequently Asked Questions portions of its site on Tuesday to answer those questions, and emphasize that it's not responsible for making sure creators complete their crowdfunded projects -- that responsibility rests solely on developers.
The company boasts that it doesn't guarantee the completion of any projects --
the FAQ reads: "A Kickstarter where every project is guaranteed would be the same safe bets and retreads we see everywhere else. The fact that Kickstarter allows creators to take risks and attempt to create something ambitious is a feature, not a bug."
Though Kickstarter cannot guarantee that developers will finish their games and fulfill all rewards, the site's Terms of Use requires creators to refund backers if they can't deliver -- so those backers do have a legal recourse if they never receive what was promised to them for their pledge.
Game makers are also expected to post a Project Update (which is emailed to backers) if they run into any problems that would delay or cancel their titles. If it's become impossible to complete your game, Kickstarter suggests you talk with backers to offer refunds, detail how their pledges were spent, and do whatever you can to satisfy donators.
Kickstarter notes that it's making efforts to improve accountability and fulfillment, as it's now requiring creators to list an "Estimated Delivery Date" for all rewards, and has brought in more staff to combat fraud and other guideline violations.
However, the company says it does not intend to screen projects based on whether creators can complete their projects: "On Kickstarter, people ultimately decide the validity and worthiness of a project by whether they decide to fund it."
