Snowed under
over 5 years ago – Sun, Dec 16, 2018 at 08:03:49 PM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

Merry Christmas! / Taiko creation process
over 6 years ago – Sun, Dec 24, 2017 at 04:11:59 PM

It's a great feeling to relax for Christmas after releasing all the Kickstarter rewards! 

The creation and fulfillment journey has had many steps which were done by hand, which means human error is possible!  Please reach out if anything is not quite right, so that we can take care of it!  

Especially intensive were the Elite Wooden boxes which took many dedicated hours of care and attention!  For those who didn’t get to receive, smell and hold the finished wooden boxes, I thought I would share some fun photos from the process to enjoy!

Each box has its own personality, as the texture of the wood grain, the stain strength, and how the colors dried are individual. 

Since I didn't take individual photos, I would LOVE IT if you share a selfie with your personal Elite Taiko Box set!  You can tag these with #taikocardgame to share!

Also, I want to announce that I’ve opened a pre-order page (linked from http://taiko.cards ).

If you want to share TAIKO with friends after the holidays, I will use this to keep track of any new requests!

Merry Christmas!  

Jason Okerman

Taiko Packages have shipped!
over 6 years ago – Mon, Dec 18, 2017 at 12:09:13 PM

Merry Christmas!

The last few weeks have been filled with a huge amount of work to prepare and pack over 150 copies of TAIKO.  As of this morning, they are on their way to new homes!

This has been a terrific adventure -- from design through to fulfillment.  We have paid a lot of attention to the little details, and each and every copy of the game has been assembled, packed, and verified by hand.  We can't wait for you to play!

A few notes on shipping:

The Elite Wooden Box sets have been shipped with 2-day priority to US backers.  You should have these before Christmas day!  

The 6- and 3- player versions have shipped first-class USPS for all US destinations.  These should arrive "Christmas-ish".  We have pulled in the original March 2018 release date by three months!  So pumped to release before year's end!

All the international packages of Taiko were also mailed this weekend.  These will take varying amounts of time to be delivered and to clear customs.  If you don't have yours in about 2 weeks, please follow up with me!  Get excited!

Thanks!

It is time to relax a little, and to celebrate this huge milestone of finishing the first Kickstarter under Okermania.  I am very grateful to all the talented friends in Pittsburgh who have volunteered time and effort to push through to the finish mark!  It could not have been done without you!

A big thank you as well for all the positive comments and enthusiasm from our 158 Backers!

Respectfully,
Jason Okerman

On Track For Christmas!
over 6 years ago – Fri, Nov 17, 2017 at 10:32:12 AM

Production for TAIKO is ahead of schedule!

By being extra diligent, and getting a head-start on longer items, we are on track to get ALL PLEDGES into their new homes:

                   BY CHRISTMAS 2017!  

This is significantly ahead of schedule, since the original Kickstarter timeline was targeting March 2018, with expedited delivery for the Elite Pledges only!  It is exciting to be able to accelerate the process to release all versions of Taiko at the earlier date!

SHIPPING ADDRESSES!

The most important next step is for you to get us your shipping address!  We will gather this input using a survey tool called BackerKit.  We believe that streamlining with BackerKit will help create a smooth experience for everyone.  

Please be watching for your BackerKit invitation in the next day or two!

Beyond shipping, the BackerKit tool will provide a "check out cart" where you can select some amazing add-ons!  We've worked diligently to put together a great set of options.

Taiko for Christmas Gifts!

We will be building up a few extra copies of the game, which makes it even more exciting to release in time for the holidays!  You will have the option to buy separate copies for friends using the BackerKit tool!  

For most backers, additional copies will ship for free!

Payment Note: Your Kickstarter pledge and shipping are already paid!  These will be imported to BackerKit so you know what you pledged, with $0.00 as the amount due. You will only need to pay for any added goodies you select, or for extra copies of Taiko!

For International backers:  BackerKit will prompt you for the correct shipping zone, and adjust the shipping to get it correct!  If you have questions, or anything seems wrong, we are here to help: [email protected]

NEW COLOR OPTION!  

I am also excited to announce the first post-campaign expansion color!

This is inspired by the famously beautiful Cherry Blossoms that bloom for a only a few weeks each year in Japan. This limited set will be available as an add-on (during the BackerKit check-out) to upgrade your Taiko game by one additional suit!  

THANK YOU!

Please fill out the BackerKit surveys right away when you get them – this is an essential step  to enable us to stay on track for our delivery plan!  

Sincerely,
Jason Okerman 

Next Steps! And updated Rules!
over 6 years ago – Thu, Nov 09, 2017 at 11:19:21 AM

The first batch of coins have arrived!

The past couple weeks have been packed full with logistics and fulfillment details!  It is exciting to get all the gears turning.  

I evaluated several suppliers for the scoring tokens and selected the one with the best consistency in their process. The image is from an evening of counting out the first 1000+ coins into small, identical stacks so that each game will receive the right number!

We have paid closest attention to items with longer lead-times, and also to any items that still need creative energy before they are finalized.  

One of these items is the Game Rules!  

The updated Taiko instructions are available RIGHT NOW to download and try at home as a PDF!  I have included new elite abilities for the 3 Kickstarter expansion cards!  Here is how you can try them out today:

• Email [email protected] (even with a blank message!)
• Get an automated response with the download link (dropbox) to the rules!
• Print these out, find some pennies, and grab a regular deck of cards.
• Give it a try! 

Taiko is designed to be compatible with a regular poker deck with a few simple adjustments. I'll put that explanation in the rules PDF, too.  Use the "conversion page" of the rules to give the game a whirl this week!  

Please share your feedback so that we can make the experience of Taiko even better.

We will share more as this fulfillment adventure continues!

Sincerely,
Jason Okerman