Razorfist's Rant on Star Citizen & What to Take Away

Razorfist's video about Star Citizen is a rant, but it's a good one, and he's already more ethical than most games journalists in disclosing that he donated to the Kickstarter.



Razorfist is a good egg. I like the guy, and I like that he's using this rant to give the rest of us a reminder about things like crowd-funding. Let's draw some conclusions, shall we?

• Do your research before you back a damned thing. While it's often said that this is not like buying stock, it should be treated like that; do that drudgery of due diligence so you can spot bad projects beforehand and avoid wasting your money.
  
• Consider whatever you give to be just that, a gift. It's not a pre-order, or an investment. The money you give is spent, and you ain't guaranteed shit. That's why you only back sure-shots.
  
• Past performance matters. Hell, the past of the people--period--matters. You don't back known wankers, wasters, or worse. This--again--is why you do that research, so you can suss those snakes out (because they like to slip in unseen, like the thieves they are) early and blow the whistle. Cull the cultists, sandbaggers, etc. out as soon as you can.
  
• Cultivate and keep constant a network of advisers on matters where their expertise trumps yours, and their judgement is proven to be sound. That will help you to avoid traps like Star Citizen (and its less-spectacular, more common counterparts). This is what journalism should do, but doesn't, and rarely ever has done. (Hint: If you're looking for a niche to fill, this is it.)