I am finding the discussion rather strange. It has always been quite clear to me that Kickstarter was a modern patronage model--I give to the arts because I like the arts--nothing more, nothing less. There is no investment, no sale; it is a pure gift. The artist may show her appreciation by gifting me something in return. I concede that a games console might stretch some people's definition of art, but it is still a speculative and creative project which may or may not succeed.

Clearly, I am in the minority on this subject. Most people seem to view it as a pre-order website, or even an investment. This is quite different from my understanding of the whole thing.