Interview with Eli Arndt of Loud Ninja Games - The Cost of a Successful Kickstater

By Harold

Today we have an interview with Eli Arndt of Loud Ninja Games about his recent successful kickstarter (Loud Ninja Games - Space Raptors Kickstater) which had 126 backers and $7,499 pledged of $800 goal, hitting all of it's stretch goals.

To see more of Loud Ninja Games please visit his blog at:

http://loudninjagames.blogspot.com/

Note: This interview was conducted over Gmail chat, so please forgive any typos!

Harold

Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions about your experience with running a successful Kickstater!

What initially lead you to Kickstater as a platform to start a new range?

Eli Arndt

I wouldn't say that anything led to it more than I sort of wandered into it. I had talked with other miniatures producers about the viability of a Kickstarter for a miniatures project when there weren't many going on and frankly none in 15mm.

When I finally decided to do my own miniatures line, I had already figured out how to do a bare bones start-up on my own, out of pocket with two packs of minis. Kickstarter had shown its viability for miniatures project by then and so I decided it might be a way for me to take it a bit beyond where my pocket could get it.

Harold

You originally asked for just $800, but finished with 126 backers and $7,499, an almost %1000 increase. Were you surprised by the support?

Eli Arndt

I was.

Having no greens to show and no background as a miniatures producer, I was amazed by the response that the Chuhuac "Space Raptors" received. People really seemed to want dinosaurs with guns.

Harold

How did you originally decide on the $800 and the different pledge levels?

Eli Arndt

I had this big dart board...

Seriously, the $800 was a figure i had come to when figuring out my out of pocket startup. the original number i wanted to put on the kickstarter was a little higher, but with it being all or nothing, I hedged on a slightly lower figure than I was comfortable with.

Pledge levels were calculated on a per miniature cost and I tried to make them equate to playable forces.

Harold

How did the pledge levels end up comparing to actual costs once you started to get everything sculpted, molded and cast?

Eli Arndt

It's hard to say. The project changed a lot as the Kickstarter grew and it quickly became evident that I had made some gross miscalculations based on a number of things, but mostly my lack of experience with this part of the industry.

I had always planned to employ some cost-saving measures that were built into the miniatures designs, but that wasn't enough to balance things in the end.

Harold

Would there have been things you would've changed about the pledge levels if you had to do it again?

Eli Arndt

In a heart beat.

I think whether I knew it or not, I was being influenced by the raging success of the Reaper Bones KS and the buzz it generated. It seemed that any successful KS had to have a slew of give-aways and free shipping and all that jazz. It mighth ave worked for an established name like Reaper, but it's not the way to go for a small fry.

I would definitely have charged shipping and made the stretch goals add-ons at a discount instead of freebies.

Harold

I know I jumped in at the $50 level, and I was actually surprised that it included the stretch goals instead of just "unlocking" them for purchase.

Eli Arndt

Understand that at that point, there hadn't really been a KS like I was trying to do. I was trying to do a cohesive range of miniatures with no accompanying game system. Stretch goals were sort of a thing I had to try to understand as I went along. add-ons hadn't really even registered much on my radar at that time and I was afraid that adding stretch goals without freebies would have put people off.

Harold

Did you have the stretch goals planned out ahead of time, or is that something you put together as you got more pledges and backers?

Eli Arndt

I started out with stretch goals. I wanted to use them for exactly what they are - an enticement to participate.

One thing I had already picked up on is that many people don't start bidding in until after they see the thing grow beyond the initial goal. I know that sounds weird, but with miniatures I think folks want to see they are getting more than the basics.

Harold

With all the stretch goals reached, has it caused delays due to the amount of miniatures needed to be sculpted and cast?

Eli Arndt

Absolutely. I think any miniatures KS is going to run into this. Unless you have all your original models and sculpts done before you go to KS, it is going to take extra time to get all the stuff together. Some of it you cannot even figure out until you have it all done.

Harold

Was there anything that particularly surprised you about miniatures production? Something that you didn't, or couldn't, plan for?

Eli Arndt

Yes, one of the things that still has the project delayed some is something that didn't come up until we tried to mold and cast masters for the troop figures. I won't go into too much detail, but there were some technical issues that came up in the structural integrity of the design of some of the figures. While they looked okay, there was trouble when it came to molding them that resulted in having to backtrack and come up with a new approach to molding them.

I have been told that this is one of the big boogie men in the industry. Even the best done sculpts can sometimes go all wrong in molding and you have no way to find out until it has already happened.

Harold

How was it dealing with the actual Kickstater system? Did you have problems with payments clearing, or getting the kickstarter approved?

Eli Arndt

The approval process seemed pretty light-handed. I felt that it was there to catch those that really wanted to try to pull something over on KS. Payments cleared almost overnight. Most backers really seemed to be ready and those that didn't clear as soon as it ended were there in a few days.

Harold

Is there anything you like to add as advice for someone who might want to do their own miniatures Kickstarter?

Eli Arndt

Be realistic. Save the showmanship and the gizmos and stuff for the big guys. If you can pull them off realistically, great. Otherwise, have a good pitch, some good art and better some finished greens. Be open and honest with your backers.

Harold

About the range itself, how did you come up with the Chuhuac Space Raptors?

Eli Arndt

The Chuhuac are an idea that's about ten years old now, maybe more. I have bounced them off of various companies in the past but there never seemed to be much interest. So, when I decided I wanted my own line of miniatures, they seemed the natural candidate for a first range. Besides, how can you not like dinosaurs with guns?

Harold

The concept art and dollies really drew me to the kickstater. Do you plan on expanding the range once you finished sending off the kickster pledges?

Eli Arndt

That is the desire. I have a lot of ideas in mind for the Chuhuac. Like I said, I've been working on these guys for a while. There are new troop types, weapons, maybe even vehicles and civilians to explore.

Harold

I want to thank you for taking the time for this interview, is there anything else you like to add?

Eli Arndt

Thanks for giving me the opportunity. Really, I think we covered it all though I would like to say that people should really consider dipping their toe in and making the hobby happen the way they want it to. There are plenty of companies out there producing some awesome stuff, but they'll never be able to do it all and not all of them can do it the way you might like it. The times are great for small little minis shoppes and there are friendly people out there who might even offer you some help along the way.