A Deeper Look at Localization
almost 2 years ago – Fri, Aug 19, 2022 at 03:42:11 AM

Hi Friends,

Thank you for your patience as we worked through translations with our localization partners. Our friends at Funforge, Pegasus Spiele, MS Edizioni (Magic Store), and SD Distribuciones have delivered their files to the printer and we have our hands on them now as well. These are the final files, and we know that some of you will want to swap languages after seeing this. You'll be able to swap languages until AUGUST 31st, 2022. To swap your language please head here https://maestromedia.com/pages/contactus and open up a ticket with our team. We'll be happy to make that swap for you!

Without further ado: 

Funforge - French

You've seen these cards before, when Jérémie took over Update #78 but since I'm talking about the others, I wanted to make sure everyone got to see these as well.

Pegasus Spiele - German

MS Edizioni (Magic Store) - Italian

SD Distribuciones - Spanish

Thanks for sticking with us!

~The Maestro Team

Our Take on a Kickstarter Trend | VR | New Four Souls Challenges Posted
almost 2 years ago – Sat, Jul 30, 2022 at 01:42:18 AM

Hi Friends,

Shipping -

English Language and any orders with just Merch: November

Any order that includes a Localized copy of the game: December

A Recent Kickstarter Trend

If you follow tabletop news you may have noticed recently companies charging exorbitantly more than what was stated during the campaign for shipping in Backerkit. Other companies demanding that you pay more to them if you'd like them to ship your game even after charging for shipping once. Others taking a much softer route, asking backers to donate more to help cover the differences in costs from the start of the Kickstarter to the time they shipped. 

There's a ton of different ways to handle differences in estimated expenses and real expenses. I don't fault any company for making tough decisions and we've seen the gambit of responses from companies that have stakeholders, employees, and expenses that need paid. As a whole though, this is hurting the trust and joy of Kickstarter (as are delays, we know and we're sorry!), so we wanted to spell out to everyone Maestro Media (and Edmund's) stance on this topic:

You have paid to help fund this project, you have paid to ship this reward and MOST of you have paid any taxes your government says is due for purchasing this game (if you're outside of the US, UK, EU you still owe these taxes). We knew the risks in charging people and we accepted those. It hurt when we dropped seven figures to pay for shipping containers, but again, this was part of the risk of Kickstarting the game versus taking it straight to retail, and I think everyone on this team would take that risk again.

We will never pass the buck back to the consumer when costs rise on a project and we will always offer 100% refunds (no "processing fees") until the point in which the games are in the fulfillment centers ready to ship to backers.

Please don't lose faith in Kickstarter as a platform!

Four Souls Goes VR

If you are a Kickstarter backer, you may remember when we unlocked the Blasphemous Warp Zone. The creators of Blasphemous, the incredible The Game Kitchen team, have a Kickstarter going on RIGHT NOW called All On Board. It's a VR platform for board games and we're thrilled to say that The Binding of Isaac Four Souls will be a launch title. In certain pledge levels Four Souls is already included as a bonus, but as part of the deal, Requiem Kickstarter Backers will get a code to download Four Souls for free on the platform at a later date. If you're so inclined, go back another fun Kickstarter project from a great company!

Two New Challenges Available

I think I slacked off last month and didn't announce when the Four Souls Challenge dropped on the website. Shame on me!

If you've missed any of the announcements, we've now got 4 Four Souls Challenges available at https://maestromedia.com/collections/binding-of-isaac-four-souls including the 4th one that just dropped this week!

Four Souls Challenges are fun new ways to play Four Souls with your existing game or on the [Official] The Binding of Isaac Four Souls + Requiem mod on Tabletop Simulator. Here's the art from last two that dropped, "Greed's Gamble" and this week's "Masquerade."

~The Maestro Team

Shipping Timelines
about 2 years ago – Sat, Jul 02, 2022 at 08:40:20 PM

Hello Friends,

Let's just start with the big stuff first. The TL;DR:

• English Language Kickstarter Shipping to Backers: Shipping November
• Localized Language Kickstarter Shipping to Backers: Shipping December
• Global Retail Release of The Binding of Isaac 2nd Edition, Four Souls+ 2nd Edition, and Requiem: February 2023.

English Language Copies

We are currently in Mass Production on the game after the delays from the factory being shut down for two months. The factory is not at full capacity due to restrictions enforced by the government so while we are printing the games, the factory cannot produce as many games per day as they could at full capacity. Printing should be complete by August with current re-opening plan. Freight shipping comes next, the long slow journey on the open ocean to our various fulfillment centers around the world. Once the freight arrives in port it has to go through customs, which can take 3-6 weeks and then shipping to and processing through the fulfillment centers. Once that is all complete the fulfillment centers will start shipping everything to backers, starting November 2022! Kickstarter backers will ship first followed by Pre-orders.

Localized Language Copies

Translations took longer than the localization teams thought and have just recently been finished. As such, the first proofs will be run soon with mass production starting in July. These copies are about a month behind the English language versions and will be on their own sea voyages separate from the merchandise and English language copies. For those with merchandise and localized games, everything will ship together. Once the crates have cleared customs and been shipped to and processed through the fulfillment centers shipping will begin in December 2022! Please keep in mind, that the game in other languages was offered only during KS campaign, pre-order backers only had the option to order in English or to wait and buy the game from the localization company.

Global Retail Release

Since non-backers can read these updates, we felt it was worthwhile to note for those people that the next time you will have to opportunity to buy Requiem will be at the retail release of the game in February 2023! At that time the games will be available at retail hobby stores and at Maestromedia.com.

For localized (translated) copies of the game those will also be available in February 2023 from our localization partners. Some may also do a pre-order, but those games would ship in February as well.

The Next Four Souls Challenge

If you've not been to MaestroMedia.com lately, you've missed out on the Four Souls Collection page, the new home of all things Four Souls, including all past/present/future Challenges. You can check them out at https://maestromedia.com/collections/binding-of-isaac-four-souls.

Be sure to check out the newest Four Souls Challenge: Greed's Gamble. 

Greed’s… well, greed, knows no bounds: he is determined to rob Isaac of every cent he owns - and he’s not far from succeeding! Can you guide your characters to kill monsters, gain cents, and tip the scales back in your favor? Or will you be left penniless by the merciless Greed like so many before you…

We'll see you again soon,

~The Maestro Team

Four Souls Demos at UKGE
about 2 years ago – Sat, Jun 04, 2022 at 04:39:35 AM

Hello Friends,

Maestro Media is heading to the UK Games Expo, June 3-5, where we’re partnering with Asmodee UK. We’ll have the first few 4 copies of Requiem available to view and demo! Let me be very clear, Requiem will not be for sale at UKGE, but the first printed copies of the English version were air freighted to the UK for a sneak peek!

We’ll also have banners and a photo op at the booth and we’ll be handing out goodies to people who demo. If you’re going to UKGE, make sure to stop by booth 1-1092 (the Asmodee Dedicated Gamers booth) and say hi and use #IsaacatUKGE to share the love on social!

Can't make the show? We're going to be sharing pictures all weekend on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and the Maestro Media Discord.

Maestro Media will also be heading to GenCon in the U.S. this August. We don’t have a booth number just yet, but we’ll be there demoing those same Requiem Boxes (again, NOT FOR SALE), as well as Bridge Constructor: Breaking Point and Sugar Heist: Crib of Thieves in the Event Space. If you’re making plans to visit GenCon, make sure you carve out some time to come play games with us!

~The Maestro Team

Factory Photos & Motherly Love: A New Four Souls Challenge
about 2 years ago – Fri, May 27, 2022 at 01:26:10 AM

Hello Friends,

We mentioned in a previous update that we’re received the first run boxes of the game. We wanted to show off even more. The focus of these photos is the Big Boi Box, but includes a Requiem and Base Game box as well. This is also a Kickstarter copy of the game and includes some cards that are Kickstarter Exclusives and the Figure from the Guardian Angel Tier that is Kickstarter Exclusive.

In addition, the factory is beginning to package the accessories and add-ons and sent us a few pictures we wanted to share!

Finally, it’s a new month, and that means a new Four Souls Challenge: Motherly Love.

Isaaaaac! Life in their small house on a hill was simple, and Isaac was happy, but now Mom, fueled with the desire to serve her God and prove she loves Him above all else, has Isaac cornered! It looks like the end of the line for Isaac, but perhaps if your characters can work together, fighting Mom and gaining souls, an angel might be sent down from above to stop her hand just in time…

The new Challenge is available to download right now just below the NEWS section of the MaestroMedia.com homepage and will soon be migrating to its own page where it will live happily with last month's challenge: Resurrection Day.

With three different difficulty levels and the ability to play Solo, Co-Op and Competitively, there are hours of fun to be had, and you only need the BASE GAME to get playing! It has also been added as a setup option on the official TTS version of Four Souls. If you don't currently own the game or Tabletop Simulator, don't worry, all past Challenges will be available on our website for when you do.

Go download it now!

~The Maestro Team