Backers Beware: Dating-sim simply not worth the risk - Dark Skye's shady dealings brought to light


For the past few days, the community has been simply waist-deep in controversy and mystery surrounding the sudden appearance of "Dark Skyes", a pony-themed dating simulator, with supposed "Deep RPG elements" that popped up on Kickstarter last week. Something has smelled fishy ever since the post went up, and it's not because it's lent either.
Do not pledge any money to this project before you take a look at the evidence that community members have compiled over the last few days.

The skepticism began when people started to analyze the strange bits about the Kickstarter's details - the inconsistent details such as how the project was "95% finished" and yet they were just now starting a Kickstarter, and that there is a "playable alpha", and yet there is no demo or video of gameplay available. As well as the fact it lists "deep RPG elements" as a feature even though this is a text-based dating simulator. Many things were out of place. And then, the mysterious screencaps began to appear. Are they fakes? At first one may think so.
But then more surfaced. 

And more.


And more and more until a picture began to form, that this entire thing was involved in some kind of  ruse orchestrated by an online trolling group known as  "Million Dollar Extreme".
The sim-developers took to kickstarter to prove their innocence.

And then again on reddit.

These attempts to stave-off fears seemed to backfire on the team, as people began to question the project and the motives further.
"Why would it take you a week to release a demo, if the game is already 95% done?"
"Why is there no video of alpha gameplay at least?"
"Why are you just now asking for money if you have completed 95% of the game already?"
"Why is this the first time anyone online has heard of the project if it's been worked on for over 3 years?"
(For that matter are they aware that the fandom itself is just over 3 years old? Are they implying that they started working on a pony dating sim in the first half of season 1?)
"What posts in 'SomethingAwful' are you referring to? Does that site even have relevance anymore?"
"Why is there almost zero information about the group developing this project, not even a twitter, blog, or facebook page?"
The questions continue to pile up. The kickstarter then posted this video; answering almost...none of those questions.


The video's response was hardly one of reassurance by the backers, especially with Mike's announced aversion to doing any sort of PR for the project.


And so again we come back to the MDE. Who or what is MDE? All you really need to know is that nearly every member listed on the development staff page has been linked to it, and it has publicly been associated with a pony project prank. The screencap of that post can be seen at the top of the page. A web of many of the associations can be seen below. A folder of screencaps is available http://puu.sh/7rdqD.7z The only staff member who has not yet been linked to MDE is Britanny Ledbetter aka "Pukey", in charge of concept art. You'll remember from the previous article that one of the concept art images is a recolor of a commission made for one of her followers.

It is still at this point hard to say what exactly the plan or motivations here are. But what is clear as that the project as the Kickstarter presents it, is far from being 100% truthful. It is to be noted that in order to fulfill their offer, all the team will have to do is go through with the production of the game, as the quality requirements are never specified, only length of gameplay experience ("100+ hours" is listed on the description, but not what those hours include).


The MDE is involved, and they have an announced history of tricking people out of money for kicks, by intentionally releasing sub-par products by the terms of an agreement. Here they are in December:


So the piles of problems with this project continue to stack up. While we await some sort of actual evidence that this is anything but a prank, people are being urged by fellow fans to think before pledging any money to this mysterious kickstarter, or to avoid it entirely.

11 of 12 members of the development team are confirmed to have a connection to MDE, but no evidence has been found confirming the 12th member as of the time of this posting. Stay tuned for updates.



UPDATES: Since the posting of this article, much has transpired. 
First the Kickstarter has lost over $2000 in pledges.
Second: Sam Hyde posted this video to Youtube, in which he says "We went about it in a disingenuous way, It was going to be a little prank", confirming that all of the suspicions were correct. 
In the video the 4chan /mlp/ thread can be seen in his mirror.

)

Third: Pukey, the artist has pulled her involvement from the project.


Comments (63)

  1. It's almost like FlamingoRich all over again

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They pulled through, despite setbacks. And it was decent-quality.

      Delete
    2. For a given definition of "decent," anyway.

      Delete
    3. FlamingoRich though was a university project. This one is a downright scam.
      Also, Flamingo took down DR because well... he doesn't want to have his studio in relation to the series of MLP so he can work fine with True Tail.

      Delete
    4. Yeah they pulled through, but I mean when FlamingoRich was asking for 3000 dollars to help get him to Bronycon when he later admitted in his journal post on DA he had the money and was using this to pay himself and his parents back.

      Delete
  2. As someone who plays EVE, SA is far from irrelevant. However, I can't comment on the authenticity of the claims about SA posts as I am not a member.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kind of like how Crowchild hasn't finished one version of HTH et

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Last I checked Crowchild is constantly updating the current build of HTH 2, the last I checked being earlier this week.

      Delete
  4. This fucker got doxed I hear. Good good. Punish this dude

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He did.

      Registrant Email: alienmode@gmail.com
      Admin Name: Sam Hyde
      Admin Organization: Million Dollar Extreme
      Admin Street: 25 Humes Street , Apt. 4
      Admin City: Pawtucket
      Admin State/Province: RI
      Admin Postal Code: 02860
      Admin Country: US
      Admin Phone: +1.2032167833

      http://www.whoismind.com/whois/davidwindossupermoneymarketbuster.com.html

      and then the facebooks
      https://www.facebook.com/brittany.belden1
      https://www.facebook.com/NoOneWouldCome
      https://www.facebook.com/Gurfinkel.Daniel
      https://www.facebook.com/thekingofsmacktalk
      https://www.facebook.com/ssam.hyde
      https://www.facebook.com/luvs2poop97
      https://www.facebook.com/sam.gruszka.1

      Delete
    2. Has anyone called him or sent him pizza yet?

      Delete
    3. Your reddit tier trolling group isn't funny, Sam.

      Delete
  5. Aw hell yes.

    One of the $750 pledges took it back

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Holy shit they already lost over $2000. MGE is probably pissing themselves right now

      Delete
  6. Someone send them horse, dog, alien, and other feral dildos from bad dragon.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Big update for you guys

    Pukey-Chan, the artist who was hired to do work for the game, has deleted her journals talking about the game and all artwork that was associated with it. The link to her Facebook also no longer works. This proves either 2 things

    A. She knew about the scam and was involved, and now she's trying to cover her ass like the rest of MDE

    or

    B. She knows she got scammed and doesn't want to be involved with it. So she's quietly deleting anything linking her to the project now.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Something that you guys might be able to link to an article, or this one, for the lulz: http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/2110528317/dark-skyes-an-epic-brony-dating-sim/#chart-mini

    It's got some embed codes next to it. The 'Todays Pledge Total' is quite amusing if you ask me, and it updates hourly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Today's Pledge Total: $-2,707

      Oh god my sides

      Delete
  9. AAAAAAAAAND final 750$ backer withdrew pledge.

    ReplyDelete
  10. As a community of people who fuck with other people, I think it's high time someone teach these "holier than thou" dumbfucks a serious lesson or two.

    Anyone know where this asshole lives? I have a bat. It desires blood and kneecaps.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're seriously mad that an "Epic Brony Dating Sim" won't be released?
      I feel sorry for you.

      Delete
    2. Ya don't get it, Anonymous. The rage here isn't O NOEZ MY DATING SIM WILL NEVER BE. It is rage against a guy who, apparently, either (a) made a bad-faith Kickstarter with the full intent of pulling the plug at the eleventh hour and laughing at his contributors, or, (b) planned on fulfilling the letter of his nonspecific promises ("Desert Bus" is an eight-hour gaming "experience," after all...), taking the money and running. (a) is the most charitable. Evidence of previous scamming behavior and allusions to "the perfect crime" highly suggest (b). We do not know which and probably will not, but in either case this is rage against the behavior of an individual (or a group of individuals), not disappointment at the lack of a product.

      That all having been said, please, *please* do not engage in juvenile lashing-out behavior against Mr. Hyde or his team. Enough damage has been done.

      Delete
    3. Oh, I forgot (c). The guy actually wants to make a "My Little Pony" dating sim, and was lying baldfaced about the scope of his project as a viral attention-grabber (?). This seems... unlikely in the extreme given all the above, but if true, I would patiently suggest that publicly trolling established groups/institutions (such as TED) and attempting to create good-faith fan projects marketed to a bunch of clannish Internet nerds who have been picked on just for existing ever since their group gained cohesion may, just MAY, be mutually exclusive goals.

      Delete
    4. Shut up, Sam.

      Delete
  11. Good luck paying your rent now, fucktard.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. mad brony :^)

      Delete
    2. After sending an email to his landlord with his youtube reply and details about his disgusting dating sim he tried to scam people with, you know, he may not have to worry about the rent...

      Delete
  12. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAJ3sMjrrkc

    ReplyDelete
  13. Has anyone reported this to Kickstarter staff yet?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Numerous people, but it doesn't hurt to do so yourself.

      Here's some fun pics that you can throw in with it.

      http://imgur.com/a/5JpcK

      Delete
    2. I've reported it under "This is not a project" but every voice we have yelling at kickstarter improves our odds. We could use some reports joining mine as well as a pile under the other possible relevant categories. Also, I've heard his house needs pizza. Think someone else posted his dox already. Good luck fellow horsefuckers.

      Delete
  14. This guy is the worst fucking actor. I've never seen lines so played out and try-hard.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Pukey-chan put up a new journal.

    http://pyoo-kee-pony.deviantart.com/journal/Pulling-support-from-Dark-Skyes-439789663

    That should nail the coffin.

    ReplyDelete
  16. People who are genuinely mad about this probably never heard about MDE.
    MDE and Sam Hyde are basically real-life balls-to-the-wall trolls. Here's Sam Hyde getting TED to let him talk bullshit for quite a while: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cflCyyEA2I

    This probably wasn't a try at scamming people out of money for the sake of getting money, since their OPSEC was fairly shit any real scamming would've probably resulted in criminal charges.

    Why are you people even mad? You didn't seriously invest in that, right? Jesus fuck you autistic pieces of shit, fuck off back to reddonychandaily.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. not even sam, faget.
      b-but I wish I was

      Delete
    2. >implying its actually difficult to dig up personal info on the internet

      Delete
    3. Sam wishes he was Sam.
      Sam plz.

      Delete
    4. >implying one needs to have been personally wronged to be upset at watching the mistreatment of others
      >implying the nonexistence of empathy

      Delete
    5. > real life trolls

      More like a bunch of idiots who pull stupid public stunts and steal money from people in the name of "le epic trolling".

      Delete
    6. >being empathic with brony scum

      >More like a bunch of idiots who pull stupid public stunts and steal money from people in the name of "le epic trolling".
      Since we have a working legal system, if they actually stole money, they'd be fucked, and the stuff they do is fairly entertaining, as evident by the many fans they've gotten from the TED thing alone.
      Unless you're interested in an epic brony dating sim, there's no reason to be upset.

      /mlp/ really let itself go.

      Delete
    7. >Working legal system

      gtfo non amerifag

      Delete
    8. >as evident by the many fans they've gotten from the TED thing alone.
      They have like, 20K people

      Any second hand Video game reviewer can have that amount. It's not a big feat.
      Stop acting like a white knight, don't you have some shitposting against Dashfags or TOPF to do?

      Delete
    9. You mean scammers? Fuck off MDE.

      Delete
  17. WHERE THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO GET MY PONY DATING SIM NOW? AM I STUCK WITH CLOPFICS????!!!???!??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you may try starswirl academy, but they are humanized

      Delete
  18. I thought I'd download and repost his video just in case he takes it down:

    original: http://youtu.be/AAJ3sMjrrkc
    my mirror: http://youtu.be/AAJ3sMjrrkc

    This is too golden to lose. God this man is horrible and absurd.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. fail, my mirror: http://youtu.be/AuCzW6ZSBUo

      Delete
  19. the people who made THIS weird video (http://youtu.be/dV97RSfjRA0) made a new video spilling the beans! what does it mean???

    http://youtu.be/8U5UBE8oSWI

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Damage control. They're trying to sound smarter than they really are.

      On a secondary note, it's scum like these fuckers who are a big part of the cancer that is killing Kickstarter. I hope they all burn in a special place in hell shaped like their selves just for them.

      Delete
    2. yes they are definitely MGE making a new account for subversion tactics, but it's so obvious

      Delete
  20. >'Sup all my 'ponies'!
    >With all those... Pinkie Pie memes... you post!
    >Lots of beautiful ponies to have sex with!

    Betting my right arm this guy has never actually been apart of the fandom.

    ReplyDelete
  21. hahaha "you'll get to fuck the ponies, I promise!"
    "Hot horse slit" omg rolling
    please back this, for the lulz

    ReplyDelete
  22. This is disgusting, that youtube video almost made me puke.

    ReplyDelete
  23. You guys know it's still going, right?
    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2110528317/dark-skyes-an-epic-brony-dating-sim/posts
    He fought back with saying that we're the scammers.
    >"So, as many of you are probably aware, we are currently the target of a very advanced and sophisticated smear-job by patriarchs of the forum known as 4chan.org/pony/.

    They have photoshopped conversations, falsified information, harassed us to the point of tears, and successfully driven away some of our major backers."

    His shit fake or what? I'm inclined to believe so.

    ReplyDelete
  24. They wiped out most of the team, and now are saying it's FOUR YEARS in the making.

    Before the show existed.

    Come the fuck on.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hey fuckers, you got sourced by a slightly more legitimate website.

    http://cliqist.com/2014/03/14/is-dark-skyes-the-latest-kickstarter-scam/

    ReplyDelete
  26. http://derpiboo.ru/575455
    http://derpicdn.net/img/view/2014/3/15/575455__safe_drama_kickstarter_dark+skyes.png

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hahaha, oh my god. Any pony faggot who actually fell for this is a total fucking retard.

    ReplyDelete
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