Welcome to Thunderdome

Posted: **Tue Aug 20, 2013 2:04 pm**

The Code Hero Kickstarter ended on February 24, 2012, raising $170,000 of a requested $100,000. The campaign, run by Peake and his Primer Labs studio, promised a full game in six months that would teach K-12 students how to write Unity code.

Ok, not a bad idea, although the entire "turn learning into pure play" thing always seems a bit bullshit to me, but whatever.

With the over-funding, Peake tacked on "multiplayer MMO" features and a documentary about the crowdfunding process.

That sound you just heard was the train leaving the rails.

Posted: **Tue Aug 20, 2013 2:06 pm**

One of these new employees was David Lopez, a game designer from California; he quit his job at Red Giant Studios after Peake recruited him for Code Hero. Peake offered Lopez $55,000 a year.

"I never got paid for the majority of my work, which was tons of money," Lopez said.

$55K a year is not a huge amount for real dev work.

Lopez said Peake tried to pay him at first, giving him a $400 check from Primer Labs. It bounced. A second Primer Labs check for $800 (to make up for the denied one), Peake didn't sign and Lopez couldn't deposit. Eventually, Peake wrote Lopez a personal check for $800. That's all he was ever paid.

Wtf?

Posted: **Tue Aug 20, 2013 3:13 pm**

Most business ventures fail. Kickstarter just lets them do so more publically.

I do a lot of backing, but every time I do so expecting it will be a failure.

Posted: **Tue Aug 20, 2013 3:32 pm**

I have done no backing, except for friend backing.

I've just found it hard to find a good idea among all the crap.

Welcome to Thunderdome

code hero - when kickstarter goes wrong