Kickstarter HW Project Rules


vcoleiro1

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I have heard numerous times that to run a project on KS , you need to have a working prototype.  Looks like that's a chinese whisper, as the actual rules don't say you need a working prototype . Projects like the Ouya are still possible under KS rules, they just need to be presented according to some guidelines.   You can't have  photorealistic renderings of a product concept, however, Technical drawings, CAD designs, sketches, and other parts of the design process are allowed.

Looks like a P2 is possible on KS without needing a working prototype. Not that you would, but the option is there.

Here's a good blog regarding these Kickstarter rules.

http://www.kickstarter.com/blog/kickstarter-is-not-a-store

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OUYA wouldn't work via the new rules, unless it was already prototyped hardware wise. The GCW-Zero had to use a prototype, if I'm not mistaken.
 
^ The rules don't require a working prototype.  Everyone believes that rumor but the actual rules are very different.

The actual rules are about not presenting the product via renders so that it can't be mistaken for the real product.  You can use sketches of what it might look like, but not photo realistic renders etc.  You can also present the product as it exists at the time of the project.

So basically there is nothing stopping you from doing a HW project without a working prototype.   Most people however will do a working prototype to prove to themselves that what they are designing is possible before ordering parts.

The link in my first post actually had the rules and discussion on them.

Below is the rule that the rumors spread from.  Particularly the line in bold. People interpreted it as needing a working protype, but what it actually means in the context it was presented, is that you cannot show a prototype in anything else other than its current state. 

Projects must be clear about their state of development, and cannot be presented as preorders of finished products. Projects must show details (photos, videos, sketches) of their progress so far, along with a prototype demonstrating the product's current functionality. Projects must explain how the final design is likely to differ from the prototype, and include a production plan (i.e., how you're going to make it) and an estimated timeline.
 
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