Tier Changing Closed, and Progresscast #15!
Progresscast #15 is here!
Hey guys, we're back with another Progresscast episode, wherein we discover that if you start a game of Civ V: Gods & Kings with a slow enough clock and a big enough map, it does actually replace reality. Also discussed: What happened to sim games as hardware got better and better (through the lens of a lament for Super Black Bass), Sports Games versus eSports Games, combo breakers and sick half-nelsons. Enjoy!
Listen below through the video player or download the MP3 file directly through the direct download DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK link. You can also listen through iTunes or the RSS Feed, of course.
Tier Changing: Complete
As we said in the last update, we're now about to start manufacturing all of the various hard goods rewards -- shirts and art prints are going to press! That means that we're locked as far as after-the-fact tier updating goes.
If you wrote us in the last few weeks to bump yourself up to a higher tier after the Kickstarter campaign ended, and you've heard from us, thank you very much!
If you didn't but still wanted to, sorry the deadline has passed, as we've gotta print this stuff. That said, we're looking into making more things like those Kickstarter rewards in the future, so keep your eyes on the site.
Moving or Address Change?
Though changing around your backing tier is done, if you have moved or want to change your shipping address, please do send us a Kickstarter Message and let us know! There's a little wiggle room on that as we haven't printed and shipped yet.
NOTE: You can check the address you submitted by following the link at the bottom of your reward tier over in the list of tiers to the right. If it already reflects the correct address, you don't need to contact us.
2,602
Backers
$136,924
pledged of $30,000 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding period
Feb 20, 2012 -
Mar 21, 2012
- First created · 5 backed
- Has not connected Facebook
- Website: idlethumbs.net
Pledge $10 or more
883 backers
Exclusive access to pre-launch podcast updates from Chris, Jake, Sean, and possible guests as they feverishly attempt to fund Idle Thumbs. — A real physical postcard signed and mailed by the Thumbs. — Idle Thumbs wallpaper pack for your computer and mobile devices, created by designer Alex Griendling. — Your name on a permanent Kickstarter Founder's Wall on the Idle Thumbs website. — Add $3 for orders from outside the U.S.
Estimated delivery: May 2012Pledge $30 or more
621 backers
PC digital download of Thirty Flights of Loving, Blendo Games' sequel to Gravity Bone, developed for this Kickstarter and featuring a soundtrack by Chris Remo. It will blow you away. — Digital album featuring new recordings of four Idle Thumbs tracks (The Idle Thumbs Podcast Theme, The Fanboy's Lament, Space Asshole, and The Wizard) performed by Chris Remo, with remixes by Jared Emerson-Johnson (Sam & Max seasons 1-3). — Plus all previous rewards! — Add $3 for orders from outside the U.S.
Estimated delivery: May 2012Pledge $50 or more
633 backers
Rad t-shirt featuring the newly-designed Idle Thumbs logo. — Plus all previous rewards, including the game! — Add $10 for orders from outside the U.S.
Estimated delivery: Jun 2012Pledge $100 or more
101 backers
ART OPTION 1: High-quality print from Vincent Perea, the artist behind The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom, Wheres My Water?, and more. — Your name emblazoned for all time on the "House of Lords" tier of the Founder's Wall — Idle Thumbs sticker pack — Plus all previous rewards, including the game! — Add $10 for orders from outside the U.S.
Estimated delivery: Jun 2012Pledge $100 or more
100 backers
ART OPTION 2: High quality set of four small frameable prints of a shitty wizard from Graham Annable, the artist behind Grickle, Puzzle Agent, and more. — Your name emblazoned for all time on the "House of Lords" tier of the Founder's Wall — Idle Thumbs sticker pack — Idle Thumbs sticker pack — Plus all previous rewards, including the game! — Add $10 for orders from outside the U.S.
Estimated delivery: Jun 2012Pledge $200 or more
167 backers
This is everything we got. BOTH artists' prints as well as: T-shirt with gold foil Idle Thumbs logo inspired by the logo from classic video game film The Wizard. This shirt variant only ever available through this Kickstarter! — Vinyl EP featuring new recordings of four Idle Thumbs tracks performed by Chris Remo, a B-side featuring remixes by Jared Emerson-Johnson, and cover art by illustrator Campbell Whyte (8-Bit Dreams). — Ruinationcast input: On our last pre-launch podcast, you will have the right to demand a topic we must discuss on the air. — Receive one of few remaining copies of the Idle Thumbs Journal of Games, a one-off newspaper distributed solely during Game Developers Conference 2009. — We will hand-write a unique note, poem, or insult on your signed postcard. — Your name emblazoned for all time on the "House of Lords" tier of the Founder's Wall — Idle Thumbs sticker pack — Plus all previous rewards, including the game and first t-shirt! — Add $10 for orders from outside the U.S.
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $1,000 or more
10 backers
BUDDY PACKAGE: Come have dinner with us and your plus-one, either in San Francisco when you're in town, or during a game industry event we're attending, such as PAX or GDC. — Chris will write and record a song about you or a topic of your choice, and we'll play it in a 2012 episode of Idle Thumbs of your choosing. (Song topic excludes commercial advertisement.) — Your name resplendent for eternity on the most distinguished "Wizard's Circle" tier of the Founder's Wall — Plus all previous rewards, including the game! — You don't need to add international shipping because, at this point, holy crap.
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $1,000 or more
2 backers
SPONSOR PACKAGE: You will be the sponsor of two (2) (ii) 2012 episodes of Idle Thumbs of your choosing. Sponsorship consists of a short ad read at the beginning of the episode, and a brief jingle recorded by Chris and played at the break. (Jingles are exclusive to this Kickstarter campaign.) — Your name resplendent for eternity on the most distinguished "Wizard's Circle" tier of the Founder's Wall — Plus all previous rewards, including the game! — You don't need to add international shipping because, at this point, holy crap.
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $2,000 or more
1 backer
SPONSOR PACKAGE 2: Identical to the SPONSOR PACKAGE, except that it confers sponsorship of five (5) (v) episodes.
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $5,000 or more
0 backers
UBER-BUDDY PACKAGE: Identical to the BUDDY PACKAGE, except it will happen at a super nice restaurant. Swank.
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012

Comments
Creator Joel on July 5, 2012
In Civ VI Culture levels into Majesty
Creator Reusable-Box on July 4, 2012
If you guys want to get into a sports game together, you guys should do Football Manager. Me and about 10 friends picked it up at the same time when it was cheap as shit on amazon. The Multiplayer game we had going had about 300 hours into it before we started to have scheduling issues, but the collective time spent was somewhere like 2000 hours over the course of a moth. Insanity.
Everybody picks a team in one of the lower leagues and you see who can do good, I recommend everyone play in the Irish First Division. (Cork City Forever!)
Creator Benjamin Lu on July 4, 2012
Also, I had the pleasure of watching my roommate sink dozens of hours into FIFA 12 this past year. I am probably in the same boat as Chris in that I wish I could actually care about sports but I really don't. That said, watching him play this yearly sports cash-in made me realize a few things. 1) It's amazing how many systems they've shoved into this game. There are so many goddamn things modeled by this game, from player happiness ("form") to other managers' shenanigans to talent hunting in Ethiopia. If there's something to be said about the yearly iteration process, it's that over time, the complexity will just keep increasing. "Whelp, it's 20XX, what new feature can we advertise on the back of the box?" is an attitude that will someday produce real soccer in virtual form. 2) There's incredible potential for emergent narrative in manager mode. My friend's character, Arsene Wanger (inspired by the Arsenal manager), basically Billy Beaned his shoestring budget French team to the finals by firing all the French players and hiring a bunch of undervalued Italians and Germans, all the while training a bunch of terrifyingly good Chinese players to roll out a few years down the line. And then he gets head-hunted by Chelsea and has to face his own team in Champion's League.
So yeah, FIFA's good as far as I can tell. Might want to give that one a try.
Creator Benjamin Lu on July 4, 2012
A group of elephants is called a "parade" (or "herd" if you're boring).
Creator Steven Norrie on July 4, 2012
My flatmate plays Pro Cycling Manager for about 4 hours literally every single day. And it's purely the team management bit that he does, completely ignores the 'watch/play the stage' mode that they try to sell the game on..