Update 04/07/2021 10:45AM: A representative from Jasco Games has replied to our request for comment, stating that extra cost has not been added to the packaging:
"We do have our own legal team both locally and in Europe and we are conducting our business as fairly and responsibly as we can within legalities and we have not added any extra costs into those final charges to help the situation in spite that most companies should due to the need to cover any possible replacement requests or lost packages by the carrier."
They also reiterated that they're offering as much of a refund as they can due to the fact that the company has already had to outlay funds that they can no longer recoup.
"The past year has been very difficult for a lot of people, many companies closed last year and to survive, we lost half our team but the important thing for us was to deliver the product we promised in spite of the obstacles and difficulties. We've also allowed customers to reduce their pledges by removing some components just to help them with their final totals. Moreover, we are allowing refund requests for 90% of the amount - which is really 100% of what we received since creators on platforms like Kickstarter or going through pledge managers, are remitted 90% of the cost after the platform takes a cut. We do not process those payments, they do. So, we remit the full amount that was given to us where requested."
Original Story Follows
It's a bad day to be a fan of tabletop adaptations of popular video games. The recent crowdfunded tabletop title, Street Fighter: The Miniatures Game has been under fire on BoardGameGeek where upset backers have been reviewing-bombing the game in protest over some incredibly high shipping charges.
Street Fighter: The Miniatures Game - A Shipping Shambles
If you've not heard of it, Street Fighter: The Miniatures Game takes the action-oriented arcade fighter created by Capcom and translates it into a tabletop miniature combat game. The game was launched via Kickstarter a few years ago and managed to accrue over $2 million before the campaign closed, not including any late pledges. Since then, people have been eager to get their hands on the game, but once shipping started it all began to fall apart when fans in the EU started to notice huge charges for shipping the game.
Now those same backers are taking to BoardGameGeek to vent their frustration. Street Fighter: The Miniatures Game has seen its score plummet over the past few days, with many ratings also containing complaints against the shipping process. Many complained about a sudden increase in shipping cost, despite years of stable pricing and with almost no warning given. Many of the example shipping charges run into hundreds of dollars apiece, which is upsetting many fans who live within the EU where the game is supposed to be shipping from.
An Update From The Creator
Since the review bombing began, the company behind the game has released an update on the Kickstarter page. They claim that no extra charges are being put on the backers and that they're only charging exactly what the shipping company is charging them.
"We understand that for many countries, shipping costs have increased greatly as a result of the pandemic, some more so than others (we’re looking at you, EU), so we need to state this directly: all totals you’ve been asked to pay are exact costs, and we do not add a single cent beyond the actual fulfillment and courier charge."
Some versions of Street Fighter: The Miniatures Game have a lot of expansions and can, apparently, weigh over 8KG when everything is taken into account, but this has not been good enough to prevent fans from lashing out at the company. Even worse than the large size and high weight, the recent ongoing pandemic has probably done something aggravating to shipping costs globally. Either way, this situation isn't going away for Jasco Games anytime soon.
We have reached out to Jasco Games for comment.
What do you think of the Street Fighter: The Miniatures Game situation? Will you be canceling your pledge? Let us know in the comments below.
