There has been more than enough bashing regarding purchasing assets - theres a trade off: Much less cost, loses some of the uniqueness.

As for the scam accusations: They're unfounded. Yes, the team is relatively inexperienced, and JA was dishonest about his credentials as well as many other things to this point. These things make the game high-risk, but do not give evidence of being a scam. That being said, the changes ot the payment model after taking large quantities of money are incredibly shady. Honestly, I think the game would be much better and much more legit if it just went a freemium route and skipped all the pay dollars to own land garbage.

I'm actually sorry I stirred up so much nonsense here. Time will tell what happens, and I think reporting on the state of the game and new discussions are a good thing.

Continually bringing up the same arguments that have been beaten dead doesn't get anybody anywhere.

tl;dr: Shady, not scam.

 The guy sounds like a dreamer, maybe even a visionary? (humm vision where have I heard that before?) Is he a bad guy and a scammer, maybe hard to tell without more facts. While many dreamers fail due to lack of grounding in the real world some do succeed. (at least partialy, think Brad McQuad) Problem is most times we can never know till things play out

   People should always be proactive about what they do with their money if they are concerned about wasting it. (some people framkly have money to burn and can afford to throw it around frivolously on $5.000 shoes and $10.000 doggie beds) This is for everything in life not just for backing some guys dreams. Hell buying the average game from SOE or EA/bioware these days can be just as risky of wasting your money (think MA3) as backing any kickstarter. At least with Kickstarters you can say oh well it was a small indie company with big dreams as compared to, "it was a major developer with lots of money and hundreds of workers that released a POS story line claiming it was art where your actions had no effect on the game at all (dispite spending lots of money advertising otherwise) in which you get 1 ending in 3 different colors.(again after lying time and time again saying the game would have many endings where your choices mattered and not just a A,B,C ending)

  Is this guy a Scammer? Maybe. Are SOE EA/Bioware scammers? About 50% of the time yes just because they are big business developers don't make their lies any less important then any kickstarters. if anything they should be held to a higher standard. Are either right? Who knows Buyer beware

Well, at least he didn't name it "Scam Hoarder" or something obvious like that.

oh, wait :p

(totally joking, I don't know anything about any of this.)

youtube comment:

DayOnePatch 1 month ago

Are  Cliff Notes for Project Management 101 available?   Reasonable purchase for the new year too.

Great research from the Original Poster.

Best part of the interview. I just realized he says he also owned a record label, what happened to that or what happened to his fight promotion? What has this guy not done?

It get's better: "also an entertainment magazine, a record label, an internet network". An entertainment Magazine! A record Label! An internet Network! Give me a break!

By his own admission in the interview, how can he not have any clue about server architecture, cloud computing and server client applications like MMO networking if he created and owned a successful internet network (whatever that is)?

Either this guy is incredible rich now, because if he sold all these successful businesses he should have enough to make GreedMonger without Kickstarter or he is simply a pathological liar, you decide.

Baffled...

Internet Network, meaning, a network of websites. Not an ISP.

Hopefully, that will help you be less baffled.

Originally posted by taus01

 

Please don't get me wrong, i am not bashing this game. How could i, since there is really no game just a few pictures and videos made with default assets and demo projects of both Unity and Hero Engine.

Seriously, this person took the kickstarter money and bought Unity licenses, Unity Assets and hired random people through forums.

Nothing wrong with that BUT NOW they change to Hero engine so all these Assets and the money are wasted.

That's why he is looking to sell more land and make a new Kickstarter Campaign. How can people take this serious?

I am just genuinely in shock how people can give money to something like this?

Lol You've been here long enough to know that nothing that is said is ever left without detractors no matter how true it is.  i know in a way i am adding to your point but let's be honest here even if this game ever does see the light of day who in here doesn't think it will not turn into another Darkfall or (add barely or never released scam of a game here).

It's the passion that exists within this community that makes it rife for people who are willing good intentioned or not to try and exploit the community.

Originally posted by Mogus

Internet Network, meaning, a network of websites. Not an ISP.

Hopefully, that will help you be less baffled.

But you have a fight promotion, record label, and magazine?  Care to provide details?

Originally posted by Mogus

Internet Network, meaning, a network of websites. Not an ISP.

Hopefully, that will help you be less baffled.

What kind of websites, can we get some URLs?

Can you elaborate on your Magazine and Record Label. Where are they registered as company? Have you sold all these usinesses?

Are you still a  Freemason from Lodge #4 in Lawrenceburg, IN and work as Senior Loan Officer for RFC?

Thanks for taking the time to answer.

Maybe it's my age but I've had a few friends who for whatever reason were seriously challenged when it came to speaking truthfully a former band mate was one of my favorites,  this guy would in less than a second spout out that "we" were in negotiations with def Jam records when we hadn't even cut a demo yet and it was often made worse by him immediately asking the person he was lying to to "ask Kris" if you don't believe me.

Now the issue here is Jason sounds just like most of the people I've known who are compulsive liars what people should understand is that these people are not the same "kind" of liars as con men because they more often than not either believe the hype or want to believe the hype they spew and that is what I atleast hope is the case with this guy because after reading many of the links I can say that ninety percent of what he wants to do is not going to happen the only hope is that he isnt going to try and find some way to line his own pockets before the whells come off.

Ok and after researching some of the businesses he speaks about none seem to be anything running currently the mma site seems to not have been updated since 2006 and ironically he is listed as a fighter in some digital card game which means likely the entire idea is just him and some amateur fighters creating a loose federation.  The record company has no reviews nor products or services listed and the number i found for it is disconnected.

The problem then becomes why should people believe this guy capable of creating a lasting business entity now?

And I really ask this question directly of Jason (since he has graced us with his presence) When you have not seemed to be involved in a successful business venture yet why ask fans to throw away hard earned cash just so you can play "business leader"?

Not all of my efforts have been successful, but I have found success in most, but lets put a lot of this to rest in one post, shall we?

Well, my magazine was founded in 2001 and after 2 issues, we had the Cincinnati Riots. A lot of businesses folded and nobody could afford advertising. It was an 8.5 x5 in entertainment rag back when there was only city beat. I decided to pull out and not continue at that time.

The record label was Opulent Records. I started in band booking for many bands, then moved into management and ended up forming Opulent Records. My first signing was Extra Blue Kind. We released their debut album The Tide And The Undertow with some decent success. I got them on MTV2, Much Music and 35 other Video Networks. We did two music videos, one for my favorite song on the album, Pinch Blink, Stay Alive and another for Make Yourself Useless.  We charted them on the Top 20 Add Charts on College Radio, Top 200 Rotation and some Commercial Air (if any of you have any experience in the music industry you'll know getting commercial spins is very expensive). EBK opened for bands like Creed, Stone Temple Pilots and others. We then began working on their follow up album where we recorded 3 songs with two of the countries top producer Ray Martin and Junior Sanchez.  We never Officially released these 3 songs because the band struggled with keep a guitar player while on the road full time touring to build up their fan base as I was working with several major labels to pick up from where we were. Due to the conflicts within the band, after all that we had accomplished, the band decided to go different ways and I didn't hold them to their contract. So I released the 3 songs we did in New York along with some live tracks online only under my other company which can be found here.

After all of this, I decided to get out of the music business because it was just too risky as anything could happen and the longer you work with a band, the higher the liklihood of something going wrong and sending everything into the crapper.

At that time I was 305lbs at 7ft tall and borderline Diabetic and needed to lose weight. So I joined an MMA fight team. I trained in BJJ, Boxing, Muay Thai and Wrestling for about 6 months and dropped to 270lbs. Well, in the course of training the team went to a couple of MMA events in other cities and I realized there was nothing like it in Cincinnati. So I began the MMA Big Show. The first Pro/Am promotion in the region. Promoters were only promoting amateur fights at the time as Pro fights were too expensive. My first event was MMA Big Show: RESPECT November of 2006.

Since then, I promoted the top Pro/Am events in the region and am to this day the only Pro/Am Fight Promoter to broadcast a live 2 hour special on national television. MMA Big Show: ALL OR NOTHING

I have developed the careers of many fighters from amateur up to UFC such as Roger Bowling, Mojo Horne etc.

I took a break from MMA altogether after so many promoters began to flood the market and spread the fan base thin which caused me to have to cut down in production. I felt, if you can't do it right, don't do it. But, we are looking at potentially getting another 4 shows a year scheduled this year for old times sake now that things have died down a bit. I did finally fight myself before going on break and won my fight in 35 seconds by TKO.

Not that I'm for or against this whole Greed Monger thing, but this dude has been open since Day One about who he is and what he's accomplished in the past. He's had it all out there to see on LinkedIn, forum replies and various other places. He's been upfront about what he's looking to do and what he's accomplsihed in the past, and you guys are still riding him hard about it.

On the flip side, when some dipshit and his two friends decide they're going to make the next ultimate feature-filled sandbox and they cite nothing more for their credentials than either a laundry list of every company that ever worked with the company they worked at or "we've been gaming for 20 years" the crowd here will tear apart anyone that says anything negative about their ability to finish their project.  Excuse me... there was one exception. Citadel of Sorcery. Possibly because "We have teh Sekrit Sauce" is a hard pill to swallow for even the blindest of fanbois.

Maybe Mogus knows game development or maybe he doesn't. His list of successes in the past shows that he does know how to bring the right people together to make something happen. Of all the things to jump on the Greed Monger team for, Mogus' ability to organize, manage and promote is the most ridiculous.

Originally posted by taus01

 

Please don't get me wrong, i am not bashing this game. How could i, since there is really no game just a few pictures and videos made with default assets and demo projects of both Unity and Hero Engine.

Seriously, this person took the kickstarter money and bought Unity licenses, Unity Assets and hired random people through forums.

Nothing wrong with that BUT NOW they change to Hero engine so all these Assets and the money are wasted.

That's why he is looking to sell more land and make a new Kickstarter Campaign. How can people take this serious?

I am just genuinely in shock how people can give money to something like this?

Get on the greed monger forums and read up. He is trying to make the game so that it will be the most enjoyable. Not all companies are greedy money hungry beasts who put out eye candy with no content just to draw subs or sales. He wants a MMO that gamers enjoy. After much debate, and discussion with the GREED MONGER community it was decided to go with Hero. It had the best options for what he is trying to achieve. Do you build games? Well he is trying, I think all these new guys getting into the market need all the assitance they can get, because I for one cant take another garbage like GW2 or SWTOR. I want new ideas, and new games to come out.

Originally posted by Loktofeit

Not that I'm for or against this whole Greed Monger thing, but this dude has been open since Day One about who he is and what he's accomplished in the past. He's had it all out there to see on LinkedIn, forum replies and various other places. He's been upfront about what he's looking to do and what he's accomplsihed in the past, and you guys are still riding him hard about it.

On the flip side, when some dipshit and his two friends decide they're going to make the next ultimate feature-filled sandbox and they cite nothing more for their credentials than either a laundry list of every company that ever worked with the company they worked at or "we've been gaming for 20 years" the crowd here will tear apart anyone that says anything negative about their ability to finish their project.  Excuse me... there was one exception. Citadel of Sorcery. Possibly because "We have teh Sekrit Sauce" is a hard pill to swallow for even the blindest of fanbois.

 Maybe Mogus knows game development or maybe he doesn't. His list of successes in the past shows that he does know how to bring the right people together to make something happen. Of all the things to jump on the Greed Monger team for, Mogus' ability to organize, manage and promote is the most ridiculous.

 

I thank him for his honesty in this post and i hope this cleared things up as to the succes of his so called businesses calling himself an entrepreneur when in fact none of it was successful by his own admission.

The thing is that he made it sound like he had a successful magazine, Record label and fight promotion. 

Linked in he says and i Quote: "As the Owner of Opulent Records Music I was responsible for developing the careers of bands by coordinating their live performances, radio promotion, music video production and promotion, recording, public relations, marketing and distribution."

Here we are talking about BANDS, plural. He just admitted it was one college band.

There is a difference if you go public and say: "I owned a record label", when in fact all you did was know a college band that was played in the local radio station and you made a webpage that looks like a record label but does not even have an Artist Roster.

There is a difference in saying: "I created an entertainment magazine", when in fact you planned on printing a "8.5 x5 in entertainment rag back" that never got printed or distributed anywhere.

And all this Promoter business sounds more like he knew these guys from his gym days and is now passing it off as if he made them into stars. nothing of that holds any credibility.

As i said before, people can draw their own conclusions, this is just my opinion.

Originally posted by boris20

Originally posted by taus01

 

Please don't get me wrong, i am not bashing this game. How could i, since there is really no game just a few pictures and videos made with default assets and demo projects of both Unity and Hero Engine.

Seriously, this person took the kickstarter money and bought Unity licenses, Unity Assets and hired random people through forums.

Nothing wrong with that BUT NOW they change to Hero engine so all these Assets and the money are wasted.

That's why he is looking to sell more land and make a new Kickstarter Campaign. How can people take this serious?

I am just genuinely in shock how people can give money to something like this?

Get on the greed monger forums and read up. He is trying to make the game so that it will be the most enjoyable. Not all companies are greedy money hungry beasts who put out eye candy with no content just to draw subs or sales. He wants a MMO that gamers enjoy. After much debate, and discussion with the GREED MONGER community it was decided to go with Hero. It had the best options for what he is trying to achieve. Do you build games? Well he is trying, I think all these new guys getting into the market need all the assitance they can get, because I for one cant take another garbage like GW2 or SWTOR. I want new ideas, and new games to come out.

People are desperate for a good game, i understand that. I feel the same way about the industry, there needs to be a change and more ambitious game designs.

I am not questioning his intend to make the game, hell, i think he genuinely believes he can do it as much as he believes he owned a successful record label, a magazine, was a fight promoter, ran a network of websites, distributed male enhancement pills and was trying to run for governor of Ohio.

Which just now in a few posts back he said where not successful and in fact did not do any of it for real, he just tried to do it or planned to.

You know, you can not go public with stuff like that, because assholes like me come out of the woodwork and ask weird questions. It's the way things work on the internet, the information want's to flow, it needs to flow!

For me this all sounds bizzare to say the least. If you are happy giving this person your money, then you are free to do so. I am not telling you what to do.

As for the change from Unity to Hero and the complete lack of understanding for netcode, server architecture and game design, i think that it's pretty clear from the interview that he has no skills other than being a gamer, which all of us are or we would nto be here posting.

Well, the reason I say that the people who are constantly trying to stir up a mess have an agenda with ulterior motives is because, this has all been presented numerous times in various places, but it's often ignored as it doesnt support the accusations made by these people.

I've never scammed anyone in my life. I have no reason to lie to anybody. But if you are pissed about something, be it, you weren't hired onto the team, you were banned from the forums by a mod, or whatever, then it's easier to simply link to old threads created based on unsupported assumptions and accusations as if to add some kind of crediability to your bogus and unsupported claims.

It is rediculous for sure. I see so many people claim that the aggression on these forums stems from passion for the genre. However, from what I've seen, the people with passion for the genre are actively working towards supporting new efforts instead of constantly trying to tear them down. And I dont just mean me or Greed Monger. It's a plague of aggression focused towards people who are striving to achieve things in a very difficult industry. It's always easy to play armchair quarterback, especially when left anonymous and not having to be accountable for the things you say. Such is the way of life on discussion forums. What I've found is that those who point the fingers are often the ones with the most to hide.

I've never once claimed to be a game developer or the end all be all. What I am is a gamer and a business man. I want Greed Monger to be the game I've longed to play for over a decade. It may not be what everyone wants and things will certainly change as we make further progress to our goals, but I also check with my community who I value a great deal and get their feedback and ideas before making any major decisions. What I do affects everyone involved and I know that I owe them that respect and consideration. Those who do nothing but bash, insult, toss around false accusations just because they apparently have nothing better to do simply don't merit my respect let alone time. I've done nothing to any of them but make efforts to achieve things they apparently weren't able to. Normally I would joking say "Don't hate the player, hate the game" but in this case I can only say, "Don't hate, appreciate."

I dunno, some of it I take as a joke because it's the same thing posted on a different date, linking to the same old forum to try and achieve the same goal. My take on it is, the difference between me and someone who hasn't gotten as far as I have in my goals to create an MMO is, I would never sit around bashing someone who is able to achieve more than I have. I would either learn how to support them while learning what I can on the way, or simply learn how to do it myself. But, it's easier to destroy than to build and not everyone is cut out for it.

Originally posted by taus01

 

I thank him for his honesty in this post and i hope this cleared things up as to the succes of his so called businesses calling himself an entrepreneur when in fact none of it was successful by his own admission.

Now this is what I have a problem with. The constant twisting of my words. I never said none of my businesses weren't successful. Only one, which was the magazine, flopped.

The thing is that he made it sound like he had a successful magazine, Record label and fight promotion. 

There is a difference if you go public and say: "I owned a record label", when in fact all you did was know a college band that was played in the local radio station and you made a webpage that looks like a record label but does not even have an Artist Roster.

I sold albums, I took a band from small bars to major openings for major bands. Charted them nationally on college radio. Got them national recognition on television video networks. Got 3 songs recorded with 2 of the countries top producers. Senior A&R at most major labels took my calls and flew out to shows for me. I could go on. Just because I didn't have a roster of artists doesnt mean I wasn't successful. I did my part.

There is a difference in saying: "I created an entertainment magazine", when in fact you planned on printing a "8.5 x5 in entertainment rag back" that never got printed or distributed anywhere.

Again, more assumptions not supported by any facts. Over 20,000 issues of each of the two issues were printed and distributed through out the Cincinnati, Tri-State area.

And all this Promoter business sounds more like he knew these guys from his gym days and is now passing it off as if he made them into stars. nothing of that holds any credibility.

You're hilarious. My promotion would sell out 1,550 seats at a $45 ticket avg with about $15,000 to $25,000 in costs. You do the math. I did a show roughly every 6 weeks and this doesnt include sponsorships. How exactly do you define success? I ran the largest and most respected Pro/Am promotion in the country for 6 years. I'm assuming since you don't consider that successful, you are a self made billionaire. I'd love for you to teach me how to do better.

Oh, I forgot your last assumption. Mojo Horne and I knew eachother when we bounced in bars together when we were 18. When I signed him to management, he was still fighting on small shows as an amateur. Roger was an amateur just starting out. I have worked with others as well. Yes, I am responsible for their rise through MMA. I booked their fights, marketed their fights on a local and national level. I put them on local and national television and so on until ultimately signing them to other organizations. Check Roger Bowlings Strikeforce contracts and you'll find my signatures on them. Seriously, I'm done acknowledging youre nonsense.

As i said before, people can draw their own conclusions, this is just my opinion.

 

Yes, I'm still a Freemason.