Update Regarding Newsletter

[Kickapoo 569]

Asylum entertainment detailed in their latest newsletter that they were publishing an up and coming mobile game by another game studio named Phoney games, whilst encouraging people to pledge to it the same way through that people did with identity, through kick-starter. 

 

Now, the link below shows a video of a popular YouTuber looking at the company records for this 'Phoney Games' studio which details that it was registered in December last year, and the director is in fact John Vanderzwet. 

 

This means that Asylum are likely the people behind this new mobile game. So why would Asylum lie about them not being the developers of the new title? 

 

Well considering the disaster that was the Identity kick-starter and the now non existing trust relationship between consumer and Asylum, it would seem a better idea to try and siphon more money out of the community through a seemingly different developer. 

 

I don't think there's much more reason people need to not trust this dev studio anyway, but here it is. 

 

 

[lamona 50]

5 hours ago, Kickapoo said:

This means that Asylum are likely the people behind this new mobile game. So why would Asylum lie about them not being the developers of the new title? 

 

It's intentionally obtuse at best, extremely scummy at worst. The fact that John is the head of Phony Games is obviously a crucial bit of info that should've been mentioned in the newsletter, and the fact that they didn't is telling.

The issue arises from time spent. The indication that Asylum is merely the publisher for the game implies that development for Identity has not been affected by Furballs. Unless John spent literally 0 hours on Furballs, this just isn't true. Basically, it's an attempt to coo meaningless reassurances while also asking for more cash.

What a disaster. After months of no communication, we get a new Kickstarter and a death knell.

[dagtag 201]

On 1/28/2020 at 11:21 AM, lamona said:

The indication that Asylum is merely the publisher for the game implies that development for Identity has not been affected by Furballs. Unless John spent literally 0 hours on Furballs, this just isn't true.

the development of identity isn't affected by furballs the same way spaceX isn't affected by tesla. Furballs started out as a hobby project that paratus worked a couple hours a week on. He can do what he wants with his free time, everyone has hobbies. 

[ZanderiusMaximus 56]

I mean...i don't think you should call something like this a "Hobby". They've made well over a million and a half dollars and have this community with 100's of thousands of backers waiting...its kind of s spit in the face to all those backers to merely call it a "Hobby"

[dagtag 201]

On 29/1/2020 at 1:57 AM, ZanderiusMaximus said:

I mean...i don't think you should call something like this a "Hobby". They've made well over a million and a half dollars and have this community with 100's of thousands of backers waiting...its kind of s spit in the face to all those backers to merely call it a "Hobby"

 

I didnt refer to identity as a hobby project, i refered to furballs as a hobby project. however I do understand the confusion so I went ahead and edited my post

[Paratus 2,230]

I've had to explain this more than I should have already because of the video posted above. Claims made there, aside from the fact that I'm the director of both corporations, are simply not true.

Phony Games is a mobile game producer, hence the punny name (ie: phone-y). Furballs began as a small project I'd work in on my off time. It took a while to create because I'd only work on it a few hours a week as Identity was my full-time project. To continue it's development faster, Phony was established. Furballs has had about a dozen people work on it, including artists. None of them, not a single one, had any involvement with Identity. They are two ENTIRELY different companies with entirely different people behind them. Furballs was funded out of my own personal pocket.

The email is worded as it is because, well, it's entirely accurate. Phony and Furballs exist without Identity, and the email has nothing to do with its development or release. Phony is a new company and has little reach publicly on it's own. Asylum, on the other hand, can reach out to hundreds of thousands of people. Thus, it makes sense to have Asylum help publish for Phony as it has and will continue to do far outside of the single email sent. In return for this added value, Phony will be providing a royalty to Asylum and Identity; this will happen with or without Kickstarter funding.

Phony gains access to marketing and publishing services, and in return provides royalty income. It's quite simple and an extremely common practice.

[JonathanTaylor 1,028]

6 hours ago, Paratus said:

I've had to explain this more than I should have already because of the video posted above. Claims made there, aside from the fact that I'm the director of both corporations, are simply not true.

Phony Games is a mobile game producer, hence the punny name (ie: phone-y). Furballs began as a small project I'd work in on my off time. It took a while to create because I'd only work on it a few hours a week as Identity was my full-time project. To continue it's development faster, Phony was established. Furballs has had about a dozen people work on it, including artists. None of them, not a single one, had any involvement with Identity. They are two ENTIRELY different companies with entirely different people behind them. Furballs was funded out of my own personal pocket.

The email is worded as it is because, well, it's entirely accurate. Phony and Furballs exist without Identity, and the email has nothing to do with its development or release. Phony is a new company and has little reach publicly on it's own. Asylum, on the other hand, can reach out to hundreds of thousands of people. Thus, it makes sense to have Asylum help publish for Phony as it has and will continue to do far outside of the single email sent. In return for this added value, Phony will be providing a royalty to Asylum and Identity; this will happen with or without Kickstarter funding.

Phony gains access to marketing and publishing services, and in return provides royalty income. It's quite simple and an extremely common practice.

 

At the end of the day i believe the developer. John insists that its got nothing to do with Identity then fine. Im all good for having more than one company. A developer is only as good as his community. We gotta support them with this as i have for many years. Im sure that john means every word of it. He just doesnt come on here any more because people are belittling him. Im sure that John knows full well that if Identity gets fucked then its gonna be a shit storm. Ive tried my best at making games (Never successful but just testing) and there is nothing wrong with going back to something old. Just because you dont like the idea of having a game like Furballs (no offence but i aint a mobile fan) and im sure a high percentage doesnt either there is still a percentage and we can all spread the word. Theres i dont know how many people on here but its a lot. Just gotta hope that it helps our way up in Identity. If it doesnt im sure John will continue with the help of the community. Also btw John, the new idea behind updated (a gradual, linear update system) is great. you should have done it before.

 Keep up the good work John. Prove em all wrong. End of the day, you are trying. Everyone else have copied and failed. We still waiting for Identity by dude, but no one else has come close. So take your time. 

[KiLLu12258 17]

22 hours ago, Paratus said:

I've had to explain this more than I should have already because of the video posted above. Claims made there, aside from the fact that I'm the director of both corporations, are simply not true.

Phony Games is a mobile game producer, hence the punny name (ie: phone-y). Furballs began as a small project I'd work in on my off time. It took a while to create because I'd only work on it a few hours a week as Identity was my full-time project. To continue it's development faster, Phony was established. Furballs has had about a dozen people work on it, including artists. None of them, not a single one, had any involvement with Identity. They are two ENTIRELY different companies with entirely different people behind them. Furballs was funded out of my own personal pocket.

The email is worded as it is because, well, it's entirely accurate. Phony and Furballs exist without Identity, and the email has nothing to do with its development or release. Phony is a new company and has little reach publicly on it's own. Asylum, on the other hand, can reach out to hundreds of thousands of people. Thus, it makes sense to have Asylum help publish for Phony as it has and will continue to do far outside of the single email sent. In return for this added value, Phony will be providing a royalty to Asylum and Identity; this will happen with or without Kickstarter funding.

Phony gains access to marketing and publishing services, and in return provides royalty income. It's quite simple and an extremely common practice.

 

Instead of using your time off to do another game how about speak to your community at that time? Dissapearing for more then half of a year and coming back with a news that a new game is made besides identity isnt funny, really. So there was time to doing that, but no time to write some words, interessting.

If i have a company which is struggling at everything i dont start anything new at my "off time" and instead try to deliver the promised stuff for the main project. What is that for an behavior? you dont feel ashamed for that?

The icing on the cake is that you even talked about the town square stuff that you delivered what was promised. I had a laugh as i read this, really what you delivered is less then nothing.

Edited January 30, 2020 by KiLLu12258

[Madroad 4]

[dagtag 201]

2 hours ago, Madroad said:

 

the "Phony" in this case is just some wordplay, the company is focused on mobile games, hence the name.

[Crash_171 0]

He literally explained it in the post

”phony games is a mobile game producer, HENCE THE PUNNY NAME (IE: PHONY-Y)”

[Frenchzy 1]

The dev's I think are doing the right this in releasing this newsletter. Instead of releasing modules, with the new incremental updates will keep more players engaged and awaiting the updates as they will be more frequent instead of waiting months in between the release of these mega-updates. I can't wait for the future of the game and keep up the work devs. We're counting out ya'll.

[ZanderiusMaximus 56]

Some of these accounts feel like bots...

[Crash_171 0]

What will the next update be? What kind of fixes/additions will there be? And if you could tell us when it’d be nice as well 😁

P.S i’m constantly checking the game out for updates 👍🏼

[dagtag 201]

11 hours ago, Crash_171 said:

What will the next update be? What kind of fixes/additions will there be? And if you could tell us when it’d be nice as well 😁

P.S i’m constantly checking the game out for updates 👍🏼

 

there is no specific when yet but the swat module is being replaced with guns, character development, map expansion, police systems. I can't tell with certainty that this will all be one update, but this is the information we have so far.

[Madroad 4]

On 7.2.2020 at 6:38 PM, dagtag said:

the "Phony" in this case is just some wordplay, the company is focused on mobile games, hence the name.

 

I still think calling that, raises more chrap than love. Think about it and how they are marketing the game. If rapid decline in playerbase and rise for hate is proof enough, then boiz rise the tinfoil hat.

Edited February 17, 2020 by Madroad

[Raja 50]

Such an honest guy doesn't need to explain to people who paid him millions lol

2 Different companies with entirely different people behind them but... all i see is johnny boy

How ironic is it that they provide "royalties" to asylum but the payments went straight to johnny boy... 

If I was starting a company and i told asylum to help me reach an audience I certainly wouldn't let johnny boy run my Kickstarter nor would I let him register my company under his name. 

On 1/29/2020 at 9:14 AM, Paratus said:

I've had to explain this more than I should have already because of the video posted above. Claims made there, aside from the fact that I'm the director of both corporations, are simply not true.

Phony Games is a mobile game producer, hence the punny name (ie: phone-y). Furballs began as a small project I'd work in on my off time. It took a while to create because I'd only work on it a few hours a week as Identity was my full-time project. To continue it's development faster, Phony was established. Furballs has had about a dozen people work on it, including artists. None of them, not a single one, had any involvement with Identity. They are two ENTIRELY different companies with entirely different people behind them. Furballs was funded out of my own personal pocket.

The email is worded as it is because, well, it's entirely accurate. Phony and Furballs exist without Identity, and the email has nothing to do with its development or release. Phony is a new company and has little reach publicly on it's own. Asylum, on the other hand, can reach out to hundreds of thousands of people. Thus, it makes sense to have Asylum help publish for Phony as it has and will continue to do far outside of the single email sent. In return for this added value, Phony will be providing a royalty to Asylum and Identity; this will happen with or without Kickstarter funding.

Phony gains access to marketing and publishing services, and in return provides royalty income. It's quite simple and an extremely common practice.