(originally posted to Steve Kenson’s personal blog)
Hey, folks, can I both commit capitalism and get a bit personal for a moment? I wanna talk a bit about the upcoming Kickstarter for the fourth edition of Mutants & Masterminds.
As GR COO Nicole Lindroos said, now feels like a weird time to be running a crowd-funder for a game, but the last decade has felt like a weird time to be making games, honestly.
That said, I make games. They’re my passion, and M&M has a very special place in my heart. It truly changed my life.
The first edition of M&M back in 2002 changed the trajectory of my career: It led to my coming on-staff with Green Ronin and it cemented me as “the superhero RPG guy” in a lot of people’s minds — folks are still surprised to this day about the other stuff I’ve done!
Add to that, it has been a rough 5+ years in TTRPGs with a pandemic, trade-wars, tariffs, and distribution bankruptcies, all with no real let-up. That’s doubly-true if you’re not D&D, Pathfinder, or associated with streaming show with a huge fanbase. So a successful Kickstarter can mean a lot.
All of that said, I really believe the power-fantasy of the superhero is being powerful enough to help, to respond to that cry of “save me!” To swoop in and save the day. That’s a power fantasy we need more than ever: Not to wait around for a hero, but to BE a hero, to stand up for what’s right.
I don’t know about you, but creating stories at the game-table with my friends has helped keep me sane this past decade or so, and helped remind me why I create games and adventures and worlds to tell those stories in. I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed those efforts over the years.
Still, right now, it feels a bit like I’m the battered Captain America, facing Thanos and his army alone with just a broken shield and a borrowed hammer. I could really use for some portals to open up and for some much-needed help to arrive in my hour of need.
If that’s you, I’m asking this: Please do what you can to support the M&M 4e Kickstarter. That may be signing up on the KS page and backing it when it launches, or it may just be sharing it and hyping it to friends you think might be interested. Every bit helps and is so appreciated. Thank you!
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