We did know about the captured messages before they were posted, but we had them on file until/if/when we had permission to post it. We've got a few bits of info in our "hold" file and a few bits more we haven't used, but filed away as used already (extremely off the NSFW path).
Now normally we'd just let the info stand at Tenkar's Tavern, but we thought we'd also provide a transcript and add in what "unofficial" word we have on the situation, and a little commentary.
"You know if i turn over those files 100% done, I still wont get credit for my hard work.(3)"
"Who ever take them over is the MAN that took it away from Ken Whitman. (4)"
"BTW, they are done. Been sitting on them for a month or so now. (5)"
"Trying to finish up Traveller, Marc Miller says he has a deal with KODT to send them out with his disks. (6)"
"You want them out NOW? You be the savior! (7)"
"It will cost about $2500 to print and ship them. (8)"
"Work a deal with JOLLY, to print an extra $500 and split the sales with them.(9)"
"You will make your money back in a week. (10)"
"Otherwise, KODT can wait until Traveller is ready to ship"
OK, where to start.....well with #1 we guess.
1) So Luke was the 1st of how many people that Ken "Whit" Whitman borrowed money from based on the anticipated "income" from the KoDT:LAS Kickstarter? How much was borrowed, not just from Luke, but from an untold number of others.
2) So we know that at least two people profited off of KoDT:LAS. Presumably Luke is one and Ken "Whit" Whitman is another. The "unofficial" word we received (please, assume it is false info) was that Luke only profited off of KoDT:LAS in so much as he was paid back an extra sum to smooth things over with this initial investor Luke. Common sense is you don't want to sour a relationship with the bank, especially if you might want to dip back into that "investors" pockets at a later date.
3) So Ken "Whit" Whitman is admitting that he doesn't want to allow anyone else to help bring this project to fruition. No help at all since that would be damning for him, presumably.
4) Yep, Ken "Whit" Whitman wants to be "the man" and is not wanting anyone else to possibly help with this overdue project.
5) So Ken "Whit" Whitman is done with KoDT:LAS? Then why the pretense of missing files, needed hard-drives, or really anything.....he seems to be ready to be "the man" and deliver this product.
6) Why would Marc Miller want to lump in 464 KoDT:LAS DVD-recipient backers with the 462 people getting "his movie"? That doesn't even make sense on a surface level pass here. There might be some overlap, but even if it was 100%, why would Marc Miller want to spend money on someone else's IP?
7) ...and here is the pitch. Ken "Whit" Whitman doesn't want to allow anyone to step up and "be the man", taking the hard-earned credit for finishing the KoDT:LAS Kickstarter.
8) $2500? That seems oddly specific amount and it doesn't make sense. While we didn't factor DVD vs. Blu-Ray releases, it seems improbably that $2500 would cover 464 discs with mailing. That is only $5.39 per backer and some of these have to be sent internationally.
9) If Ken "Whit" Whitman doesn't have distribution rights outside of these 464 discs for backer-fulfillment, then somebody else does. Presumably that someone else is KenzerCo....why would they want to share sales of 250 discs?
10) Recouping not only an investment but a profit in only a week?! Maybe Ken "Whit" Whitman should leverage his camera equipment and/or car (the ones he definitely didn't buy with KoDT:LAS Kickstarter money) and make that profit for himself? This is the only way he can still "be the man", unless we are missing something here.
No...what this looks like is just an attempt to get some extra cash with the promise of something else down the road. We could be wrong, but the simplest explanation that "fits" with past evidence is that Ken "Whit" Whitman needs some cash and is pumping some old wells for funds. Ken "Whit" Whitman has said time and again that he is roughly "90%" done and he just recently pushed the fulfillment date out yet another year.
Since we clearly have conflicting information, we know that something simply cannot be true. In the absence of good evidence, like Ken "Whit" Whitman opening his books to KenzerCo or one of the Attorney Generals investigating him, we'll have to rely on what make sense and fits in with demonstrated patterns of behavior.
Of course that is what we will do. You, dear reader, have to follow the links where you can and make your own judgement.
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ReplyDeleteJust to add - Luke was a REAL friend to this project. The guy put a considerable amount of money on the line to help save the project (and Ken from himself). He championed this thing for the last two years, putting differences aside and trying to stay friendly toward Ken to urge him to get it finished.
ReplyDeleteObviously that didn't work. And not surprisingly Ken just burned the last bridge he had connected to the project.
#8
ReplyDeleteHe might be able to get a discount for bulk mailing with at least 500 pieces. Some states offer discounts vis standard mail for as few as 200 pieces ( I used to work in mailing/could be different now) as long as you have a business... Not sure If Ken circumnavigated this somehow-but it could be done and $2500 could be a legit figure to mail even with international.
That said: I wouldn't guess the packing would be safe for DVDs.