Latest from the Creator
PROJECT UPDATE
maxwell salzberg
CREATOR
BackerKit Staff
9 months ago
Project Update: Addressing Dog Might Games' Sudden Business Shutdown
Maxwell Salzberg, co-founder of BackerKit, here.
We wanted to address some recent discussions circulating within the industry regarding Dog Might Games. While we have yet to receive official confirmation from the Dog Might Games team, our preliminary investigation leads us to believe that they have unfortunately gone out of business.
First, thanks to all the backers that brought this situation up in the comments of the project.
We wanted to address some recent discussions circulating within the industry regarding Dog Might Games. While we have yet to receive official confirmation from the Dog Might Games team, our preliminary investigation leads us to believe that they have unfortunately gone out of business.
First, thanks to all the backers that brought this situation up in the comments of the project.
This development surprised us and many of their fans. Dog Might Games was well-established in the TTRPG community. They have been around for ten years, launched 26 successful crowdfunding projects, and enjoy a loyal following who have been lamenting across social media.
Unfortunately, we believe they will not be able to produce and deliver the rewards for the d20 Tribute GM Screen project as promised. This is truly disappointing news. We recognize the frustration and inconvenience this situation is causing you, and we share your dismay. The impact of this closure extends beyond our community to many of their e-commerce customers.
As outlined in our terms of service, we require that creators make good-faith efforts to complete projects as promised, and if they cannot do so, they must make reasonable efforts to find a resolution and communicate transparently with their backers. Based on our current (albeit limited) understanding of the situation, the Dog Might Games team does not seem to have met this bar.
We are working to investigate what happened and find ways to mitigate this situation's impact. Below is an accounting of the steps we've already taken and the actions we plan to take in the coming days and weeks.
- The Dog Might Games team never contacted us about their closure. We learned about it through a discussion thread on this project, started by a backer on July 12th.
- We have repeatedly tried contacting three different people at Dog Might Games. We've reached out via email and phone to no avail. We will continue trying to reach members of their team.
- We have attempted to recover the funds through our payment processing partner Stripe. Unfortunately, rescuing the funds in this manner won't be possible.
- We are researching other approaches that we might be able to use to recover backers' funds or facilitate the recovery of funds by backers themselves.
- We are attempting to contact the appropriate Michigan state entities to verify if Dog Might Games has filed for bankruptcy.
- We will refund backers the 5% platform fees BackerKit earned from this project by August 15th. We do not want to profit from projects that don't live up to core tenets of our policy.
- We will publish the findings from an investigation our team will carry out into what happened to this project. We expect to wrap up our investigation by August 31st.
We will provide regular updates every other week until we are ready to share our final findings. If you have any questions, add them to the discussion here, or email our BackerKit’s support team through the Pledge Manager here.
We understand that many of you might be inclined to initiate chargebacks to rescue the funds pledged to this campaign. Keep in mind that money reclaimed via chargebacks will not come from Dog Might Game or your bank; those funds will come from BackerKit. Chargebacks work differently on crowdfunding platforms than on e-commerce sites (or even our pledge manager).
We appreciate your trust and support of our platform, and we ask for your patience as we conduct our investigation. We remain committed to providing a safe and reliable space for creators and backers to join forces to make awesome new things.
Maxwell Salzberg
CEO BackerKit
p.s. If you are a current or prior member of Dog Might Games, we ask that you reach out to me directly at maxwell AT backerkit DOT com to shed light on this situation, and work on finding a reasonable resolution with your backers.
CREATOR
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PROJECT UPDATE
maxwell salzberg
CREATOR
BackerKit Staff
4 months ago
Project Update: Concluding Our Investigation Into Dog Might Games' Shutdown
We have had the opportunity to engage in candid conversations with the leadership team at Dog Might Games. During these discussions, it was confirmed that the company is indeed navigating through formal bankruptcy proceedings. In light of these legal complexities, the Dog Might team is unable to issue any formal comments or statements at this time. They did, however, convey their deep regret regarding the collapse of their business and the consequent impact on their BackerKit project, and to you, their backers.
We fully recognize that this result is far from ideal, and in an effort to extend our support to the backers of this project, we are glad to announce that the companies Elderwood Academy and Wyrmwood have generously offered exclusive discounts on their products, specifically for the backers of this campaign. While this is not provided as a replacement for the original pledges, rewards, or add-ons of the Dog Might BackerKit project, our hope is to show acknowledgement and appreciation for the commitment and support from the project's backers.
BackerKit recognizes that crowdfunding campaigns and small business failure is an inherent risk in new or ambitious endeavors, and we will always be committed to empowering creators with the resources and support necessary to maximize their chances of success. While it is an unfortunate possibility that a project is unable to proceed as expected, we want to ensure that we still uphold the values of honesty and transparency within the BackerKit community.
BackerKit recognizes that crowdfunding campaigns and small business failure is an inherent risk in new or ambitious endeavors, and we will always be committed to empowering creators with the resources and support necessary to maximize their chances of success. While it is an unfortunate possibility that a project is unable to proceed as expected, we want to ensure that we still uphold the values of honesty and transparency within the BackerKit community.
Additionally, as a reminder, we have ensured that BackerKit’s platform fee was refunded to all backers, back in August 2023. Our team is dedicated to maintaining transparency and support throughout these rare circumstances, and we thank you for your understanding and patience.
Maxwell Salzberg
BackerKit CEO
Maxwell Salzberg
BackerKit CEO
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PROJECT UPDATE
maxwell salzberg
CREATOR
BackerKit Staff
9 months ago
Project Update: Investigation Updates: Dog Might Games' Business Shutdown
Dear Backers,
Maxwell Salzberg from BackerKit again. As promised, I am checking in to share updates about our investigation.
First, I want to thank you for your patience as we continue investigating the situation. We appreciate all of the responses we received to our last update and acknowledge your frustration and disappointment with Dog Might and BackerKit.
Since our last update, we've contacted multiple industry contacts who might be able to help shed some light on what transpired with Dog Might. So far, we haven't been able to uncover anything newsworthy.
We spent a lot of time combing through Dog Might Games' recently rebranded Discord server to try to piece together what happened. As Ryan R. pointed out, the only official announcement from the Dog Might team was:
We have been investigating Dog Might's legal status by searching court records in Michigan. We can confirm that they have not filed for bankruptcy yet. However, since foreclosures are often nonjudicial, we cannot verify if this process is ongoing.
Our search for alternate methods to recover backers' funds has not borne fruit. We continue to investigate other approaches but don't have any promising leads.
As promised in our previous update, we will refund the 5% platform fees BackerKit earned from this project by August 15th. We do not want to profit from projects that don't live up to the core tenets of our policy.
We will continue to update you every two weeks until we have exhausted our investigation. We urge you to continue adding your queries to the discussion here or email our BackerKit support team through the Pledge Manager.
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we navigate this complex situation. Our mission at BackerKit is to provide creators and backers a safe and reliable space to create amazing new things together.
Maxwell Salzberg
CEO, BackerKit
P.S. If you are a current or prior member of Dog Might Games, I encourage you to contact us directly. Any information you can provide will be extremely helpful in resolving this situation and finding a reasonable resolution for the backers.
Silver Tier
This user contributed to this community!
Are there any updates as to refunds?
Silver Tier
This user contributed to this community!
Good day to you all. I just went to visit the live production on your website and received this message. DMG is Closing Shop After 10 years of crafting gear for this fantastic community we are crestfallen to have to close the business. Thank you for the wonderful support over the years. A bit concerning. What does that mean about the items that are paid for and this kickstarter? Please tell us, at the very least you are going to complete your current obligations.
Silver Tier
This user contributed to this community!
Dog Might Games has shuttered its doors. You will most likely not be receiving your DM screen as they weren't going into production until August.
Gold Tier
This user is a top contributor to this community!
I just saw that Dog Might Games have shut shop. What does this mean for those of us here who backed this screen?
Repeat Backer of Dog Might Games
Previously backed this creator's crowdfunding project
Previously backed this creator's crowdfunding project
Bronze Tier
This user contributed to this community!
I am only interested in the metal initiative markers. I am being charged $18 for shipping and handling. That seems really high for this small light item. Is the amount correct for this item?
PROJECT UPDATE
Dog Might Games
CREATOR
11 months ago
Project Update: Surveys are Out!
Happy Friday Wonderful Backers,
Surveys have all gone out and 68% of Backers have completed their orders already, huzzah! We intend to lock completed orders on Friday, June 9th, and pull them into our production system. If you want more time to complete your order - no problem - we can lock individual orders at a later date with the caveat that you may get shuffled in the production timeline.
Please take a moment over the coming week to review and finalize your order in Backerkit. We are excited to get the D20 Tribute goodies onto your gaming table! Speaking of which, this screen is the star of the show on our new Game Tables:
Surveys have all gone out and 68% of Backers have completed their orders already, huzzah! We intend to lock completed orders on Friday, June 9th, and pull them into our production system. If you want more time to complete your order - no problem - we can lock individual orders at a later date with the caveat that you may get shuffled in the production timeline.
Please take a moment over the coming week to review and finalize your order in Backerkit. We are excited to get the D20 Tribute goodies onto your gaming table! Speaking of which, this screen is the star of the show on our new Game Tables:
As always, thank you for the amazing support,
The DMG Team
Silver Tier
This user contributed to this community!
The new strongholds you guys released today looked really nice - any chance we can get those in the pledge manager as an option for this campaign?
PROJECT UPDATE
DMG Konas
11 months ago
Project Update: What an Ending!
Wooooo Hoooooo!
We are excited to cross the finish line and begin the process of getting the d20 Tribute Screens out to everyone! This has been by far the cleanest project we have created and look forward to finalization and fulfillment.
Please take a moment to note the items below before the project closes.
Finalize your pledge. Please take a moment to finalize your pledge. You can add shipping costs to your pledge now, or wait until the Pledge Manager becomes available in two weeks.
Pledge Manager. Two weeks after the project closes the Pledge Manager will be available so you can add any additional items you want, update your address, and finalize your order. The Pledge Manager serves as a buffer for those who wish to add to their pledge, and allows late backers to get on board in case they missed the project. (You will receive an invitation to the Pledge Manager two weeks after the project closes.)
Pledge Manager. Two weeks after the project closes the Pledge Manager will be available so you can add any additional items you want, update your address, and finalize your order. The Pledge Manager serves as a buffer for those who wish to add to their pledge, and allows late backers to get on board in case they missed the project. (You will receive an invitation to the Pledge Manager two weeks after the project closes.)
The SCRY System. Once the Pledge Manager is finalized and the majority of orders locked, we will pull everyone into our SCRY (See Crafting Results Yourself) system, allowing us to monitor individual orders and the entirety of the project fulfillment in real time. It's super cool. You're going to love it.
Aggressive Fulfillment. We intentionally minimized complexity on this project so we could knock production out of the park. Fulfillment officially begins in August, but we are always looking to start earlier if possible.
Thank you amazing backers!
The DMG Team
Silver Tier
This user contributed to this community!
Hey folks! With the updated D&D 5E rules coming out next year, do you anticipate updating the plexi reference materials? I've found those, especially the conditions, to be super helpful to have at the ready behind the screen.
Silver Tier
This user contributed to this community!
I'm backing the mosaic screen, and was wondering if it's possible to get the inside of the screen stained a different color? I was thinking rather than black, a purple-y stain would look nice.
PROJECT UPDATE
Dog Might Games
CREATOR
12 months ago
Project Update: Accessory Deeeeeep Dive!
What an awesome launch!
We are thrilled at your support and excited to bring this project to life. We crossed 20k in just 48 hours, Huzzah!
New Deep Dive Video
We put together a three minute video going over the included accessories as well as the add ons. Let us know if you want to see more detailed information about any particular item and we will include it in the next update.
We are thrilled at your support and excited to bring this project to life. We crossed 20k in just 48 hours, Huzzah!
New Deep Dive Video
We put together a three minute video going over the included accessories as well as the add ons. Let us know if you want to see more detailed information about any particular item and we will include it in the next update.
What's Next?
Next up is a detailed video of the player accessories. This will include the Player Pad, Vanguard, and Dragon Sheath.
If you have any questions we will be lurking in the comments :-)
That's all for now!
The Dog Might Games Team
