Limited Run Games - New Physical Releases

[m.sniffles.esq]

I was wrong, taking money in exchange for something you don't actually have is completely legal, totally okay, on the up and up, and something that every respectable, honest business person partakes in.

Btw, in case you missed it, Switch port of Batrider that I'm releasing is now open for pre-orders! $80 for the LE including collector's coin and 180g vinyl soundtrack LP (subject to change). Releasing the next year or two (subject to change). 2% stock remaining (subject to change)!!! Get your order in NOW (card will charged immediately to secure order)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Offcial Box Art (subject to change)

[XtraSmiley]

I was wrong, taking money in exchange for something you don't actually have is completely legal, totally okay, on the up and up, and something that every respectable, honest business person partakes in.

Btw, in case you missed it, Switch port of Batrider that I'm releasing is now open for pre-orders! $80 for the LE including collector's coin and 180g vinyl soundtrack LP (subject to change). Releasing the next year or two (subject to change). 2% stock remaining (subject to change)!!! Get your order in NOW (card will charged immediately to secure order)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Offcial Box Art (subject to change)

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make at all. I mean the WHOLE point of Kickstarter (legal everywhere that I know about) is that companies or people take money for something that doesn't yet exist, with a promise (backed by nothing) that one day they will make the item.

Many projects never get finished, some are scams with no intent to actually make the item (not sure what percent this is, but it's not zero), but it's legal and not something that is not on the up and up. Many honest business people do in fact use this model to make things.

What are you even talking about?

[XtraSmiley]

Nah, unlikely, and it's perhaps one reason they didn't do preorders originally. They had all the games manufactured and in stock up front and then sold them in those staggered click wars over a day or two and as far as I know delivered those in a relatively timely manner though I remember some complaints back then about not overly prompt shipping. As long as they generally sold out of each one, they only had to front the cost of the first one, and then use the proceeds from it to make the next one, etc.

By the time they started the preorder model, they'd been doing that long enough there should have been resources to cover doing the first preorder batch.

Ah, I didn't realize they didn't start with preorders, in which case then I fully agree with you. LRG is annoying with shipping times sure, but they are not a Ponzi scheme and likely never were (based on what you posted).

I'm not even sure the person in here hating on them even makes sense to be honest.

[Sumez]

I don't have any reasons to defend LRG, but claiming their business is illegal is just hilarious

[m.sniffles.esq]

[neorichieb1971]

Some things just work people up the wrong way. Even honest things sometimes.

Once upon a time I got upset because a shop was doing a loyalty scheme that was publicized on a forum by the owner. Maybe I was having a bad day, but I protested it stating its unfair to give cheaper prices to some folk whilst charging higher to others. In retrospect I'm kind of ashamed of myself for that moment. Everyone has a moment.

[Creamy Goodness]

I don't have any reasons to defend LRG, but claiming their business is illegal is just hilarious

LRG and SLG suck, but they seem to be legit. Some of the other smaller limited print companies on the other hand I'm not so sure. I get the vibe like they are way underfunded and get by like on some form of ponzi scheme.

[Koa Zo]

Exactly, and claiming what they're doing is illegal is just ludicrous.

Has anyone claimed what they are doing is illegal? Where is that discussion?

In this very thread; maybe you should read it before asking stupid questions?

Well dude, I searched the thread for the word "illegal" and only found you all arguing that it is not illegal.
Looking closer as spurred by your personal insult, I see it was stated once that in comparison to a Ponzi scheme the business practices in question would be "not legal"

[hamfighterx]

I almost hesitate to revive this thread due to the high potential of becoming a dumpster fire of "ILLEGAL BUSINESS PRACTICES"...

But I will anyway, to note that OMG I finally got shipping notification for the standard edition of Konami Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection. About 11 months after pre-orders closed (Jan 15, 2023).

Seems like they're finally getting through some of these games that have had pretty long waits, like the recent shipping of Radiant Silvergun (which closed pre-orders in November 2022). Just a couple more for me that were late 2022 orders: Neo Geo Pocket Selection Vol. 2 (I got the CE for that one), and the Atari Recharged Collections 1 and 2 (which they better get going on, since they opened orders for vol 3 and 4 today), I ordered both of those in November 2022...

LRG seems to have been noticeably quicker with some of their releases this year though. For example, Castlevania Advance Collection and Quake II both recently shipped to me a little less than 3 months after orders closed.

[Koa Zo]

I almost hesitate to revive this thread due to the high potential of becoming a dumpster fire of "ILLEGAL BUSINESS PRACTICES"...

Yet here you are making all cap references to it, when no one else has been going on about it.
What do you call that when people deliberately stir up the exact thing they say they don't want to?

[hamfighterx]

Uh, almost all of the previous dozen or so posts (none by me) is discussing legality or ponzi schemes. It kinda took over the topic.

Anyway, not the point. I'm just reporting that the Konami shooter collection is finally shipping after a long delay. Yay for those who ordered it.

[m.sniffles.esq]

FYI: If you've ever bought something from this company, check your inbox for a class-action notification. I guess they were selling customer's personal info (personally, I'm shocked. They always seemed to have so much integrity), and you'll probably get a few bucks for what amounts to two minutes of your time (sometimes more than few bucks. One of these paid off like $60. Just saying)

[Faith]

FYI: If you've ever bought something from this company, check your inbox for a class-action notification. I guess they were selling customer's personal info (personally, I'm shocked. They always seemed to have so much integrity), and you'll probably get a few bucks for what amounts to two minutes of your time (sometimes more than few bucks. One of these paid off like $60. Just saying)

Wow. Just... wow. This company already have bad reputation... and now this?

I guess for anyone unlucky enough to preorder from them... I guess we can all assume... that this 2.7 million US dollars will make things... EVEN WORSE?!?!?

This company use every excuse ever on why everything ship late... many (most? all??) super lame... and now, I guess they will tell everyone: "sorry, we now less 2.7 million US dollars... so because of that, we will be unable to ship on time!!!"

[Steven]

$2.72 million? That's it? Leaking personal information should add a few zeroes to the end of that. Aren't these assholes owned by those other assholes Embracer? That's all the more reason to tell them to fuck off.

[m.sniffles.esq]

$2.72 million? That's it? Leaking personal information should add a few zeroes to the end of that.

When determining these things, the lawyers have to look at what the company is actually worth (at least, on paper). In that, if you win 20 million in damages from a company that's worth 2 million, the company will just declare bankruptcy and no one will get anything.

Seeing that Limited Run's entire method of operation is collecting money for a future-promised product to pay for production of a past-promised product, I doubt they're worth that much on paper, since the money is moving out the back door as quickly as it's collected in the front (minus their cut, which is easily skimmable, since the entire operation is of dubious legality anyway)

[Ms. Tea]

Looking up the actual lawsuit, it doesn't look like they were *selling* data. They were using Meta Pixel for ad targeting without disclosing it, and in the US there seems to be some kind of video privacy act specifically where disclosing private information about your *video viewing* is illegal unless you consent. That's why all the stuff on that page is specifically about if you watched any of their videos or bought a game with cutscenes in it.

IMO online ad tracking stuff is all pretty scummy, but this specific lawsuit is kind of weird - it's a very technical "they fucked up in a very very specific way" kinda thing, instead of a cut and dry "they sold your data" thing.

[m.sniffles.esq]

Looking up the actual lawsuit, it doesn't look like they were *selling* data. They were using Meta Pixel for ad targeting without disclosing it

In interest of full disclosure, I'll include the explanation in the email received

This notice is to inform you that a settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit claiming that the Defendant, Limited Run Games, Inc., disclosed its subscribers’ personally identifiable information (“PII”) to Meta Platforms, Inc. (the “Third Party”) and others, without consent and in violation of the Video Privacy Protection Act (the “VPPA”), 18 U.S.C. § 2710. The VPPA defines PII to include information which identifies a person as having requested or obtained specific video materials or services from a video tape service provider. The Defendant denies that it engaged in any wrongful conduct or violated any law, and the Court has not decided who is right. The Parties have agreed to settle the lawsuit to avoid the uncertainties and expenses associated with continuing the case.

In the US, 'PIL" is defined by "address, birthdate, Social Security, or financial information (such as credit card or bank account numbers)", so somehow one or more of the following got from limited run to meta's targeted ad company (seeing it's tied to video, it's probably safe to assume birthday, due to video age verification). And it's entirely possible Limited Run did this not for fiscal gain, but out of the kindness in their hearts.

Also noteworthy is that Limited Run settled, and claims no guilt. So it's possible they paid close to three million dollars to not be bothered by the whole thing. Lengthy court cases could effect the speed and efficiency of their releases, and lead to customer dissatisfaction.

[dai jou bu]

This explains why they don’t have a retail presence in the US anymore and they’re relying on clear river or their publishing partners (ie- trails in the sky FC) to do the heavy lifting.

Really mad they copped triggerheart enhanced. Prolly butthurt they couldn’t get the first release of it.

[Steven]

$2.72 million? That's it? Leaking personal information should add a few zeroes to the end of that.

In that, if you win 20 million in damages from a company that's worth 2 million, the company will just declare bankruptcy

Yeah that's kind of the whole point.