Update:

Unbelievable! You funded RFN 400 in less than four days, and our campaign is over so soon. But the work and fun have just started, as we now get to make all the arrangements and go into detailed planning of all the stupid fun we're going to have while making Episode 400 for you. THANK YOU TIMES INFINITY! Now, two things you might be wondering about...

1. We know this all happened very fast (way beyond our expectations), and some of you missed a chance to donate while the campaign was open. Maybe you got excited for one of the rewards mentioned on the show, only to get here and find them all taken. We are asking that you hold off until Nintendo World Report's 5th Annual Telethon for Child's Play and donate instead to that great charity. Also, we'll consider options to bring these reward tiers (or something similar) to the telethon so that you have a second chance at them.

2. If you did already donate to RFN 400, please be patient as we sort through the process of contacting everyone for details on the rewards, including the name you want to be read on the show (all donors). This may take a few weeks to complete, but our goal is to redeem all donor rewards by the milestone show itself, or very soon after. There's a lot to do, but since many rewards directly influence what happens on Episode 400, these are our immediate priority.

Okay, enough business... Back to celebrating! Thank you again so much, and please look forward to our most ambitious podcast ever!

Original Post:

Hi there. If you made it this far, you must be a pretty big fan of the Radio Free Nintendo podcast. You may even recognize some of us in that goofy photo up there. It had to be chopped together because, frankly, we don't have many pictures of the current RFN crew hanging out. It hasn't happened since March 2012, and that was even slightly before Guillaume officially joined the show. So we think getting together in person would be a spectacular way to enhance and celebrate Episode 400.

Not all of our listeners may realize that we are an intrinsic part of Nintendo World Report, one of the longest-running, all-volunteer video game websites in existence. NWR provides hosting, exposure, credibility, guests, and everything else we need to make RFN for you every week. We are part of them; they are us. However, as a tiny independent website, NWR doesn't have a budget to spend on things like deluxe anniversary podcast events. So, we are asking for your help to make the 400th episode of Radio Free Nintendo extra special! Here are the important points:

- We'll do our best on Ep. 400 NO MATTER WHAT, regardless of funding status. But without funding, it may be produced more like a normal episode.

- ALL content we produce for RFN 400 will be available to EVERYONE, whether they donated or not.

- The main objective here is to get the four guys (Jonny, Guillaume, James, and Jon) together for a weekend of special podcasting. Since we all live far apart, this is a bit expensive, but we really think it will make our special anniversary a lot better for the listeners (and honestly, it would be way more fun for us). The majority of funding will go to travel costs and production costs for in-person activities that will be part of Episode 400.

- This is not a simple vacation for the podcast crew, and we aren't asking anyone to reward us for past work. The main focus of the weekend will be to create awesome, funny RFN content. Being together in person, especially outside the chaos of an event like E3 or PAX, will help us to do that. Your donations will directly help us to make Episode 400 way more special. That's it!

- Our budget includes line items for things like video and studio time. These aren't the main reasons for the gathering, but our planning showed that we could add these elements for minimal cost and get a lot of exciting, enhanced content from them. However, they only make sense (logistically) once we are all together in person.

- To simplify the campaign and focus on producing content that everyone can enjoy, we have chosen to limit the number of physical rewards. However, there are other, non-physical rewards that offer special influence over the RFN 400 weekend's activities (and content of the show itself).

- This is not an open-ended campaign. We have a budget (detailed below) and will manually end fundraising if and when the goal has been reached. Any excess funding accrued before we can close the campaign will be held as margin for unexpected travel costs, and if not needed for that purpose, will be used to offset operating costs of our home website, Nintendo World Report (supporting the all-volunteer staff).

- Because our costs must be estimated in advance, it is also possible that our funding goal will be met, only to find that the funds do not fully cover our expenses for RFN 400. In that case, we'll gladly cover the remainder out of pocket.

- Whether you can donate a lot, a little, or nothing, we truly appreciate your attention, interest, and feedback on Radio Free Nintendo!

Budget Outline (all estimates):

Jon's Flight: $350
James's Flight: $300
Guillaume's Flight: $500
Lodging (FREE at Jonny's place): $0
Simple, Portable Video Camera (e.g. GoPro): $300
Local Recording Studio (average quote for 3 hours): $150
Commission for a Brand New, Original RFN Song: $100
MiniRetroActive Reward Games/Controllers: $300
Kusoge Rewards/Shipping: $300
Subtotal: $2300
Donation Service Fees: 8% = $184
TOTAL FUNDING GOAL = $2484

That's it! We think it's a transparent plan and an achievable target. Please help if you can -- and THANK YOU again for listening and participating in the show. That is the greatest support you can ever send to RFN!