10 Video Game Kickstarters That Ran Away with your Money

Wolftruck - Illustrator, 3D modeler, pixel, animator artist

https://forum.unity3d.com/threads/2d-artist-seeking-nice-work-place.186120/#post-1272417

Scam Artist: Michael B, Mishba

Type of Scam Artist: Illustrator, Modeler, 3D artist

Position of Scam Artist: artist

Skype ID: dahkar@msn.com, mrsagil, wolftruck, Murg

How to Detect:
Poor quality artwork

Kilobite scam

This isn’t exactly current news and some of you may have heard about it when it first happened, but I did find it interesting and decided to contact the developers to see what their current thoughts were on the project. Most of the events here have happened about two years ago, and there are Kickstarter backers that are trying to figure out what happened to their money.  Before going on, take a look at the gameplay trailer for Knuckle Club to see why it got my attention.


More details at:
https://blogjob.com/oneangrygamer/2016/04/developers-kilobite-allegedly-scammed-their-followers-out-of-40000-usd-and-got-away-with-it/

Panzer Gaming Studio

Steam Greenlight and Steam Early Access were introduced by Valve with the best of intentions. They were idealized as a way for less financially well-off game designers to create their passion projects, without having to go through big publishers; a way for Steam’s dedicated community to vote for what quality content they wanted to see on the world’s largest digital games platform. Of course, this is the internet, so nothing ever works out quite so utopian.

Fast forward to 2015, and both of these services are filled to the brim with cheap, half-arsed zombie survival games full of pre-bought or pre-stolen assets. The latest (and arguably greatest) offender on this ever growing list of Steam scammers is Panzer Gaming Studios, whom you might recognize as the developers of Left to Rot, Time Ramesside and/or A New Reckoning, depending on how long you’ve been following this sad, hilarious story.

Full story:

http://www.gizorama.com/2015/feature/opinion/meet-panzer-gaming-studios-steams-weirdest-scam-artists

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Readers should be aware of the return of one of Steams most notorious Steam sellers. The Steam user who goes by the name “Panzer Gaming Studios” (Jason Welge) is currently attempting to sell a bundle of three hastily made games consisting of almost entirely of pre-purchased Unreal developer kit assets. You may have heard reports of his shady dealings in the past . Outside of general concerns regarding the quality and content of the developer’s games themselves, there have also been reports of his refusal to pay for the work of independent freelancers.

Full story:
https://techraptor.net/content/notorious-steam-seller-returns-with-shady-steam-bundle

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Scam Artist: Panzer Gaming Studio

Type of Scam Artist: Asset Collector

Position of Scam Artist: Employer, Developer

Resolution: No Cooperation

How to Detect:
Employer who asks for free work

Does not pay for works done

Poor code quality

Work for free

For Exposure: The People Who Want Artists To Work For Free

Emmie Tsumura illustrates the imagined faces of people who want you to work "for exposure."

When asking the scammers on this blog to work for free, they post outrageous prices, - US$20/hour, US$40/hour while, they ask artists to work for free.

https://www.format.com/magazine/galleries/illustration/for-exposure-artist-work-free

Trials of Ascension (Scam Game)

Scam Artist: Brad

Type of Scam Artist: Employer

Position of Scam Artist: Employer

Resolution: No Cooperation


How to Detect:
Employer who asks for free work

Does not pay for works done

Huge thread on their shady practices (more than 2000+ posts)
http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/1536961-Trials-of-Ascension-Shady-Practices-and-the-Big-Crowdfunding-Debate

PuyaCEO, Puya3D, Josh_SG1

PuyaCEO or Josh_SG1 is a well-known person asking for free work.


PuyaCEO is an artist without ANY portfolio and threatens others using his lawsuits, insults


You can see PuyaCEO's insults.
http://www.moddb.com/forum/thread/the-steam-house/page/2#thread




http://forums.devshed.com/hire-programmer-57/hacker-gay-com-xtube-com-350-500-a-614505.html

Puya3D makes trouble to others, by fake-posting on Gay Sex:




Josh_SG1 then later, threatened lawsuits to others.




PuyaCEO's art quality:

http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/puya-3d-development.124045/

Type of Scam Artist: Doesn't deliver
Position of Scam Artist: Employer, Fake Artist
Resolution: No Cooperation
Community Username: josh_sg1

How to Detect:
Does not have any portfolio, despite trolling the Unity forums for 5+ years.

Apprenticeneauxs - well-known scammer

Apprenticeneauxs is a scammer on the Unity3D forums:


http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/update-report-on-scammer-steven-davis.392080/

http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/dont-hire-seven-davis-apprenticeneauxs.236927/

http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/we-were-deceived.143183/



Here's the report card:

Type of Scam Artist: Doesn't deliver

Position of Scam Artist: Lowly Scam Artist

Resolution: No Cooperation

Community Username: Apprenticeneauxs

How to Detect:
Asks for upfront payment.

Does not deliver.

Michaelw352 - former Unreal Moderator

Here's the report card for Michael:

Type of Scam Artist: Asking artists to work for free.
Position of Scam Artist: Hiring Agent, Developer without Portfolio
Resolution: No Cooperation
Community Username: MicahelW352

How to Detect:
Doesn't pay when deliver artists deliver on contract.
Victims who argue against Michael gets put on the Unreal scam page.

Epic has removed Michael's moderation rights.
Epic should re-review the list of scammers, since some of them are innocent parties.

Updated article, part II