Panda meeting and new ETA
over 1 year ago – Sat, Sep 03, 2022 at 05:33:09 PM

Hola Kiwi Island!

We're coming to you with not great news but with news, and as we promised, communication and transparency are key to us. 

As mentioned in previous updates, we have been expecting the plastic miniatures samples from our manufacturer Panda since February, which are needed in order to move to mass production. 

We were told several times that they were on their way to us just to find out that was not the case. The 3rd time that happened was during Gen Con and we have a serious conversation with our project manager at Panda. Last week it happened for the 4th time.  So we escalated our concern with the chief officers at Panda. 

This week we had a couple of calls and a lot of messages with the factory. It was a real shock to see that key processes for our games (not only Kiwi Chow Down) were never started, even though we were told the opposite, multiple times, for a while now. 

After a couple of years working together, we consider many members at Panda as friends and know they are good people, so we don't believe Panda staff lied viciously or with bad intent, but that it was definitely a very bad internal communication issue within their organization, resulting in false information being shared with us. 

While Panda dropped the ball (big time) on our projects, they acknowledged their mistakes and are committed to rectify things. Starting with taking accountability and sharing this message with you all.

The good thing is that we finally received accurate turnaround times and transparency on this matter, and we are seeing a significant increase in communication everyday by Panda staff. 

This major issue was a terrible hit for us because it means we lost a whole year of distribution sales and a frustrating delay in our projects' fulfillment with you, our beloved backers. 

But if there's one thing we are still sure is that you all will receive high-quality rewards because we won't rest until this project is fulfilled –like we have done with several others in the past– and Panda top-quality production will be satisfactory for everyone. 

We are getting more hands on deck from the Panda team to get the promised results at the new dates they shared.

KIWI CHOW DOWN

As we have mentioned, all digital proofs in the 5 different languages were approved and we were just waiting for the miniatures. The timeline ended up like this: 

•  Sample miniatures (including core game, 5th player expansion and nest miniatures) will be sent on September 22nd.  
• Shipping will begin on December 22nd. 

This means, after our experience with freight shipping and ports, the games will be arriving to their final homes by March/April. 

Regroup: Chicken Army! 

Preproduction copy arrived before Gen Con and minor changes were made. All files had been approved and production started. Production will be finished by October 25th. 

Nevertheless, we want to keep spreading the joy of Creature Kingdoms and in the comments, Steph proposed a great idea, having a Christmas party via Tabletop Simulator or Tabletopia so you can play Kiwi Chow Down with us during the holidays. Moy will be planning this and we will share more information when the date comes and how we can play.

As Draco Studios, please rest assured that you will get your rewards, this was one of the major setbacks we have had with production but, as phoenixes (we need a game with them) we will rise from the ashes.

We can't thank you enough for your support and comprehension, until next update, finally with the miniatures samples: KWEEEP!

Revised samples arrived
over 1 year ago – Sun, Aug 28, 2022 at 05:32:36 AM

Hello Kiwi Island!!      

We are so sorry for the long wait on this update; we also don't bring ideal news. On the bright side, we have FINALLY received the updated component samples for Kiwi Chow Down. These have the correct colors and we also received the official sleeves!

They have been approved, and with that, we are only missing the samples of the plastic miniatures to move onto mass production without anything left on our end. 

We are really heartbroken! We had a significant communication blunder with Panda regarding the plastic miniatures. The pictures above show the sleeves for both Kiwi Chow Down and Lords of Vaala. They arrived at the same time, and they should have come with the plastic miniatures samples of their respective games. Unfortunately the plastic minis did not arrive. This has impacted other projects we've had in line, as well. This is a weird turn of events with Panda, we have worked with them in the past we never had this kind of service. 

Being the 4th time we receive a parcel that were supposed to include the miniatures and it didn't, we were forced to escalate the issue with chief officers at Panda and we are now awaiting for a resolution. 

At this stage, there’s not much to do but wait for the minis to be approved and production to start. We want to solve this in the best way possible. Thus, one of the options on the table is moving production to another manufacturer if we don't get instant actions next week. Before doing something so drastic, stay assured that we will never sacrifice quality over speed. 

Last time we asked, Panda let us know that the turnaround time for production would take around 10-12 weeks with another checkpoint to review the advance Mass Production Copies in all languages and make sure the contents in the box are properly assembled. That's after approving all samples, which we can't complete because of the missing miniatures.

Afterwards we are looking at 4 weeks of freight shipping. Note that based on our experience from fulfilled projects in the past few years, this could extend to 8 weeks in some ports. We have the contact of some port agents, and we'll try to avoid the "closed' area in the ports to get a faster unload. No promises made, but we hope this option helps.        

Finally, one week for pick-and-packing, and one more week for last-mile domestic shipping.      

That’s a total of 16-22 more weeks to go.       

We will do everything in our power to go faster. It is crucial for us to get the games fulfilled on time for the holidays and for retailers to count on this release. We made sure to take this problem to Panda's CEO and CFO to see if there's a way to speed things up too.        

We have fulfilled multiple projects in the past, and we can assure you that you will receive your rewards. This is just an updated ETA including the recent delay in fulfillment. Remember we are also subsidizing shipping for this project because we really want you to get this game. We are VERY grateful for your support in helping us make it a reality. And at this point, we truly treasure your understanding with this situation. 

We are deeply sorry for this delay but we hope you can understand.

We don't want to keep any secrets and we know some of you may be wondering why we launched a project (Dodo Dash) while another one is not yet fulfilled. It is important that you know that we have several teams with different skills in our group.

Draco Studios, as the publisher of this game, is the one involved in production, fulfillment and distribution of this game. Detestable Games is the developer of the game.

Having finalized development of Kiwi Chow Down for the present—with only pending miniature samples approvals—we need the development team to keep working on the new projects. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to scale and grow at the pace we have planned for as a studio. There are people whose income depends on following the calendar releases of new games, including Kickstarters.

Of course, this doesn’t mean we stick blindly to this calendar. We also make compromises and delay Kickstarter launches if development is not yet finished. We value our team's process and their health.

In short, our development and operations teams are separate. This might be why other publishers (large and small) sometimes launch Kickstarters once development is finished for the previous one.

We are very very thankful and grateful for your understanding and support. As mentioned before, we can assure you this project will also be fulfilled just as all our past projects and the dozens of projects that Draco Studios, Detestable Games and Lair 3D have fulfilled.

Thank you to all the returning backers who joined us in the expansion of our most renowned game Dodos Riding Dinos, back with the standalone game and (as mentioned) expansion Dodo Dash! 

Gen Con 

As many of you may know, our team went to the largest board gaming convention in Indianapolis and we brought with us Kiwi Chow Down!

We had the chance to see the Panda team at Gen Con. We were supposed to see the plastic miniatures there too, unfortunately, we just saw the tokens and cloth bags' samples that were sent previously to our office. 

Once again, thank you so much for your trust, understanding and support. We hope you have a great weekend! 

KWEEEEP! 

New ETA. All language versions ready!
almost 2 years ago – Tue, Jun 28, 2022 at 04:59:43 AM

KWEEEEP!! 

Hello kiwi islanders!

We deeply apologize for the long wait to get this update, we have been patiently waiting for some factory samples to arrive before posting this update. 

Unfortunately, the samples have not arrived yet. 

Regardless, we are posting this update to share the progress from the past 2 months. Moving forward, we will post updates more constantly, even if things are not moving according to plan. Having fulfilled many projects, we know that transparent communication is the foundation of trust on Kickstarter projects, so are taking steps to remember it and stick to it.

CONTENTS OF THIS UPDATE (TL;DR)

•  Status. All languages ready. Entering to mass manufacture.
•  Updated timeline. We expect fulfillment to start during late October/early November and to be completed by the end of the year in all regions. 
•  Pre-Production copy recap. Pictures and video included.
•  Conventions. We'll be at Gen Con Indy 2022. Pictures of MEGA XP in Mexico.

Status

•  All language versions ready! 

It took a bit longer to translate all the files but they are done. We have uploaded all files in the five different languages to our manufacturer's system and almost all of them are approved. We are waiting for a few pending digital proofs but the translation phase has finished.

•  Print & Play - All language versions uploaded

Due to the above, the Print & Play files are now available in the 5 language versions offered in the campaign (English, Spanish, German, French, Italian). 

If you are one of the 120 backers who backed or included the print & play add-on in your Backerkit survey, you should be able to find the zip files on your MyMiniFactory account. 

We sent redeemable links some months ago, so we understand if you can't locate the email. Just contact [email protected] with the subject "Missing KCD PnP files" with the email linked to your Kickstarter account.

• File Verification

As mentioned above with the language versions, we are just waiting for a couple more digital proofs to move forward with mass production. 

Regroup! Chicken Army is a small card game that we offered in the Backerkit survey. Almost 400 copies were taken and we are glad to say that files are ready for this game too.  

•  Production Samples 

- We are still waiting for the miniatures samples and the updated component samples after sharing our feedback with the factory. We have weekly calls with our manufacturing partner, and as far as our project manager was aware of, those samples were sent long ago but they still haven't arrived and we have been waiting for tracking number since then. This is needed in order to proceed with mass production. 

 - Two months ago, we received the Pre-Production Copy (PPC) of the printed components (English version). We reviewed the color and materials for the boxes, punchboards, mats, cards, rulebook. We strive to create a game of the highest quality, so some changes were needed to achieve that:  

1. Increased brightness for the box cover.  

2. Thicker material for the Player boards and Season board  

3. Color adjustment for the cloth bags and some wooden tokens  

4. Adjustment in the expansion box size  

5. Incorrect quantity in one of the punchboards

Updated Timeline

Once we get the new samples and approve the changes, we will be able to move to mass production.   We are asking for daily updates to the factory now and as soon as we get the new samples we will post another update.   We are very sorry about this delay, it is also an unexpected one for us and we are still not sure of why the new samples have not arrived. You can be sure that we will not rest until you get your rewards, just as we have done in our past projects (already fulfilled). It is important for us that you receive your games before the holidays and that the game is available on retail by the end of the year too. 

• Mass production take 10-12 weeks
• Freight shipping to most regions take 4-6 weeks
• Fulfillment partners require 1-2 weeks to place projects in queue and start

This takes us to an October-November starting date for fulfillment. We are very very sorry for the extra patience we are asking you to have, but you can be sure that you will receive a quality game once you get your rewards. 

It is important to note that this delay is not just the result of the missing component samples, we also had to recreate the art for the island boards, take longer editing rounds for the rulebook, we decided to include more Power & Goal cards for you, translation took a bit longer.  We know that all of this is needed in order to get the best game possible for you, and we sincerely hope you are satisfied with your rewards once you receive them.

Dodos Riding Dinos split shipping

Moving to more positive news, if you pledged for Dodos Riding Dinos and requested the split shipping option in your survey, you should have received your game by now. Let us know how the races are going! We hosted a Painting Party and we will be announcing the winners tomorrow in our weekly livestream on YouTube and Facebook. Stay tuned!

If you haven't received yours, please send an email to [email protected] with the subject "Missing DRD split shipping" and Ana or Pam will happily assist you!

Pre-Production Copy recap

 Last time, we shared a link to invite you into the PPC unboxing. In case you missed it or you prefer text format rather than video, here are some pictures:

 Overall, the look & feel of all printed components is great. We just found some issues that needed correction (as noted above in the "Production samples" section of this update).

 We are eager to get the miniatures and updated component samples to share them with you!

Conventions

This year we are resuming attending to exhibit halls in some conventions. Some days ago we were present at Mexico's largest board game convention and hosted some demos of Kiwi Chow Down and War for Chicken Island...and a lot of demos of Dodos Riding Dinos! In August we will be present at Gen Con in Indianapolis. We hope to see you there!

• MEGA XP (Mexico Game Experience)

We met with lots of people and we were super happy to see again Eric Lang and Grant Lyon (Instagram @grantsgamerecs). Check out this Instagram story by Grant:

 After having these crazy years, being able to reunite with most of the team and industry friends made us immensely happy.

• Gen Con

If you are attending to Gen Con Indy 2022, don't forget to come and say hi in booth #664 (next to the Art Show & Authors' Avenue). You can also enter to some of our events where you can play Kiwi Chow Down, Regroup! Chicken Army and more of our games! 

 That's all for now, please let us know your thoughts. We are always glad to read your comments.

 Once we receive the plastic miniatures and the missing components from the preproduction copy, we will post a new update.

Until next time! 

KWEEEEEEEP! 

Pre-Production Copy Live unboxing NOW!
almost 2 years ago – Fri, Apr 22, 2022 at 04:14:32 PM

Kweeeep!! 

Hello everyone! We just received a surprise in the mail from our friends at Panda GM (our manufacturer party). We received the PreProduction Copy of the printed components (paper components).

Starting in a few minutes, you can join us in YouTube here: https://youtu.be/bTbyBa8h3n8 

We would love to see you there but if you can't make it, we will be sharing tomorrow another update with pictures and text-format details with this and other news regarding the project status and fulfillment. 

We hope you can join William in the livestream or watch the replay later today!

KWEEEEP!! That means preproduction copy in the horizon!
about 2 years ago – Thu, Mar 31, 2022 at 02:35:42 AM

Hi Kiwi island! 

I'm so happy to be writing the update for this project, I have been involved a bit more than just the comments now and I have GREAT news for you. 

During last weeks we uploaded all files in English to the Panda System (our manufacturer) and after some back and forth tweaking some details to make the game perfect, we finally approved all the digital proofs and are now waiting for the PreProduction Copy! There were some delays due to the lockdown in China but fortunately, all is going forward and they might send the copy next Monday so we can receive it in two weeks! KWEEEEEEP!!! 

You must be thinking, that's great but, what about the 5th player expansion? Well, those files were already approved too! They will be sent with the Pre Production Copy! 

The copy is for the English version of the game, this week we received the texts to finish the layout of the German version and we are hoping to get the French version done by April. This doesn't mean those versions will be delayed, since once the Preproduction Copy is approved, we just need to make sure all texts are correct in the different languages and we will start mass production at the same time! 

WHAT'S NEXT? 

The hardest part for us, we need to wait, KWEEEEEP! We can't but we must. In the meantime, we are having a blast playing Dodos Riding Dinos and seeing the great response we are having from the community! 

Last weekend, part of the team from Draco Studios got together to play a bit of Dodos Riding Dinos and Regroup: Chicken Army! along with Content Creators from the Mexican tabletop community.

Split shipping Dodos Riding Dinos  

If you included Dodos Riding Dinos or War for Chicken Island in your pledge and selected "Split shipping" option in your Backerkit survey, you should receive your copy within the next few weeks. We are waiting to hear confirmation from all fulfillment partners and will be sharing more news in 2 weeks when we post an update with pictures of Kiwi Chow Down's Pre Production copy. 

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE NEIGHBORGHOOD?

It's also a great moment to share you news about Dodino island. Dodos riding Dinos game is almost delivered in all the world (we're waiting for Australia). The game have been receiving great ratings and reviews. Here are a few examples:

Dodos riding Dinos got the Dice Tower Seal of Excellence!

Gold carrot for Dodos Riding Dinos!

We're in Tom Vasel's top 10 racing games!

And more surprises coming in the Creature Kingdoms universe! 

See you around in 2 weeks!

Kweeep regards!