Shadowrun Returns - Update #5 and More
 

There's a new Shadowrun Kickstarter update as they present even more reward tiers (USB "dog tags" look pretty cool) and a World of Shadowrun Primer, for those not familiar with the setting. The pledges are just below $1M, by the way, which gets a second major city in the game.
In other Shadowrun news, Joystiq writes about the setting and playing the PnP rules:
More information.

Hacking someone's brain? In Shadowrun? Doubtfull. With magic, yes, but hacking?

If they start to write about PnP…

Lets see what they can do as a video game. If they follow the PnP powergaming focus…

Absolutely - my brain got hacked all the time. Probably still hacked.

It was a major concern for my PnP character.

Assuming they had appropriate cyber implants, yeah. Think "Ghost in the Shell." If that's unfamiliar to you, then I highly reccomend watching the series. It's rather good.

I remember doing things quietly was HIGHLY encouraged when I played Top Secret. Its like the old saying, always bring a knife to a gun fight.

Is there no decent cyberpunk game without magic? Maybe when the Neuromancer movie comes out it will spawn some interest.

Eh, "backer exclusive" story content linking characters from the past games… it's a nice gesture but they should have realized that this would be controversial to offer as a reward. It's getting somewhat heated mixed responses from existing backers - probably better if these guys (all these kickstarter projects) focus more on what additional content more donations will bring to the general-release game than coming up with new more enticing swag.

Actually I suppose it's a little insufficient just to call the reaction to this proposed stretch-goal item "mixed." It appears the backer reaction to it is overwhelmingly negative (in terms of percentages not emotional intensity) with most respondents saying things like:

1) You already have our support, stop coming up with new swag
2) Don't shoot yourself in the foot by creating what retail/post-release purchasers might see as an inherently inferior product
3) "Exclusive" dlc and bonus items encourages piracy - going back to the inferior product idea, many pirated versions of games will come with or be able to get all exclusive content while paid versions are usually limted to certain subsets based on where and when it was purchased; this makes the pirated version effectively superior to all legal versions feature-wise.

The arguments in support of this idea are mostly along the lines of:

1) Yay more exclusive things for me!
2) Why give those freeloading post-release purchasers anything when they didn't help (besides that they will be paying full price and generate all actual profits for the game)
3) A herp a derp a herp herp derpity derp. (also phrased as "anyone who would care already knows and should just chip in a buck instead of free-loading")

Ok, so I'm a little biased on this one. But really the contempt-driven support of this being a good idea is a little ridiculous. The idea that anyone not savvy enough to know about this now or not in a position to pay now is somehow undeserving of all in-game content is a bit odd considering they will be paying more than most backers and that it is those sales that will actually constitute the profits for this projects while the backers are the ones getting it through development. Yeah the backers like myself probably deserve some swag, a comparative discount, etc. but I don't like the idea of exclusive in-game content (expescially mission and story related bits) because it feels too much like the retailer exclusive pre-order bonuses and such but is also semi-meaningful content.

I also remember reading that you're more likely to be killed when confronted by a criminal (mugger, rapist, etc.) who's carrying a knife compared to one holding a gun. That might just have been made up/fictional statistics but the reasoning behind it sounded believable (someone's more likely to actually use a weapon in the commission of a crime if it isn't going to draw unwanted additional attention - knives are quieter and more concealable than guns.)

perhaps one might get that impression :P

I kicked in $15 and personally, I have no problems with more backer levels, or any kind of limited edition / exclusive stuff, even if I never see it.

It's ultimately not much different from any kind of funds drive. Some new people simply might be enticed to donate $X in exchange for Y.

Is someone going to complain next that the people who chipped in$10k get a pen and paper game session with Mike Mulvihill and that will somehow justify piracy?

I also chipped in, so its not a question of whether or not I'll get the content or not. Swag in collector and pre-order packages have always been received with less of a mixed response by gamers than exclusive in-game content and story, plot, npc related bonuses have tended to receive the most emotional reaction. I don't want them putting in backer bonuses that will in any way detract from the ultimate success and perception of the final product. I am not saying the dislike of retailer exclusive or pre-order exclusive items generates universal negative reactions but its presence does generate more negative reactions than its absence.

I don't think this specific kind of bonus is particularly helpful and I think it will ultimately have an overall negative effect on the success of the game - even if it is likely to be a very small one. So yes, I'm sure most people won't particularly care. Still - why shoot yourself in the foot just a little bit when you have the option not to shoot yourself in the foot at all.

It doesn't bother you personally, but you must be familiar with the sort of negative reaction I am talking about since you are here on this site. Even if your perception of the final product and your likelihood of purchasing it would not be affected, I'm sure you can appreciate how "exclusive in-game content" will be received differently by others compared to swag or out-of-game bonuses like a PnP session or a T-shirt. I will also point out that some of the backer exclusive comments posted on the kickstarter page have included backers intimating that they or "a friend they know" would be likely to distribute such bonus content to other paying purchasers or whoever. I think that's the wrong way to disagree with this and do not support such actions at all myself, but that does not negate those sentiments on the part of others or the actions which follow them.

what the hell is swag?

Swag - in this use it refers mostly to the kinds of promotional items given away at trade shows. I think that's where this specific useage probably originated, but it's meant a few other things in different contexts. It's now often used to refer to collectables and knickknacks given away with promotions or incentives that are mostly ornamental in nature.