This thread started as yet another backhanded slap at CoT - I can't speak to how that game is progressing. A second CoH property under different management and only sharing a few properties (character creator) - is really a completely different kettle of fish. APR isn't asking for money - yet - as the deal has not closed.
No... This thread started as a reshared "Investor/Buyer beware" reminder -- the end. The announcement wasn't specifically aimed towards MWM when Kickstarter posted it and that's still not the case when I reposted it here. Its just good investor/consumer advice - and if MWM deem this change of ToS is specifically relevant to them (or not), that's their choice. Nothing I say, do or post is going to change, improve or disprove anyone's legal liability (unless I was a participant in contract negotiations which I was not).
That said, yes I feel this announcement is absolutely relevant to recent conversations here -- particularly as there is new conversations afoot about potentially fundraising for a second CoH-related or inspired project (CoT being the first successful Kickstarter campaign in this category - but whose to say someone won't see MWM as potentialy cashing in on the CoH brand's reputation and attempt to follow suit?). People will blindly throw money at anyone offering to make their dreams a reality (but just because something's promised for X dollars, that doesn't guarantee it will be delivered in full... If ever). This ToS modification makes it a lot harder and a lot more painful for certain parties to cash out prematurely without ever giving back to Kickstarter's investor base (either with the realized product delivered to original scope specs or as financial reimbursement because the projected goods/services failed to materialize as promised).
On a third level, if I were any startup developer attempting to fundraise for a video game, I would absolutely take this announcement back to my team and stress how important it is to deliver on our promised commitments and remind the team, the leadership and fellow stakeholders just what's at stake if we *don't* deliver what's been already promised in the crowdfunded-approved project scope.
Bottom line: Kickstarter is making all parties accountable who use Kickstarter to fundraise but then fail to deliver. That's not a back-handed slap in the face to anyone; that's just good business sense (and some very smart legalese to protect the Kickstarter brand).