You Too Can Now Turn Off Kickstarter Video Autoplay…and Win! – Stonemaier Games

You Too Can Now Turn Off Kickstarter Video Autoplay…and Win!

A few months ago, Kickstarter implemented autoplay for all projects. This means when a potential backer arrives at your project page, the video automatically starts playing.

When this happened, I wrote a blog post outlining the pros and cons of autoplay. One of those lists was much longer than the other.

I also posted a poll to see if I was alone in my dislike of autoplay. As it turned out, I was not the only one:

I reported the findings to Kickstarter. I have no idea if they had an impact, but Kickstarter did remove autoplay in some regions. They also muted the videos, which made them slightly less intrusive, but they still really slowed down the loading time for mobile users.

But a few weeks ago, I was browsing Kickstarter when I discovered that autoplay was back! So I contacted Kickstarter again, and again I outlined the reasons why autoplay is bad for backers (and thus also bad for creators). I politely asked if there was a way that I could turn off autoplay for my upcoming project, Scythe, to create a better experience for backers.

2015-09-09_1608Kickstarter replied to say there is no such feature…BUT they did add a way for each individual backer to turn off autoplay. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Click here: www.kickstarter.com/settings/account
  2. On the bottom of the right sidebar, click once on the text that says, “Turn off autoplay on project videos.”
  3. Tell someone you love how to do this so they never have to suffer from autoplay again.
  4. Treat yourself to a kitten or ice cream. This is a reason to celebrate.

Perhaps someday Kickstarter will allow creators to turn off autoplay. In the meantime, this is a pretty good fix…if you know about it.

***

I already have kittens and ice cream, so instead I’m going to celebrate by giving away 10 audio or PDF copies of my upcoming crowdfunding book. You need to have an Audible or Amazon account to use the audio book.

To enter in this “contest,” all you have to do is share this post with someone you love who also loves Kickstarter (this is totally on the honor system–you don’t have to prove this to me). Then comment below with how you’re going to celebrate the fact that you can now turn off autoplay.

The funnier the celebration description, the better. I see e-mails when comments are made (they’re not visible to the other commenters), so I’ll pick my favorites and e-mail the winners on Friday. Good luck!

24 Comments on “You Too Can Now Turn Off Kickstarter Video Autoplay…and Win!

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  1. I’m going to celebrate by opening up lots of Kickstarter tabs at work and not having to worry that a video of some sleek modernist bauble will be playing when my boss walks over to my desk!

  2. THANK YOU JAMEY!
    *ahem*
    I’ve shared this around, not for the competition (1 – I’m too late, 2 – I’ve already pre-ordered to book anyway), but because everyone needs to know this!
    However, I will be celebrating by watching my cat play in the bath (dry) with catnip and her favourite toys https://i.imgur.com/QiMjOE0.jpg

  3. I will create a T-shirt that says “Kickstarter: How I Learned to Stop Autoplay and Love the Video” to wear to conventions.

  4. Tomorrow morning, when my wife and children awake, I will shuffle them into my office where we will embrace and hold a minute-long silence together while staring at a static Kickstarter page. After that minute is done, I’ll click play, and we will celebrate the control we have been gifted, as well as the increase in our consumeristic freedom. This will be the genesis of a daily ritual, where we will again hold a minute silence before Kickstarter (and breakfast).

    After decades have passed, when our children are married and have children of their own, we will still begin each day with a video call shared between all our families, where we each load up the same Kickstarter page in another tab, and watch in silence as nothing moves on the screen/holowall. This will then be followed with a short reading from the tome of Kickstarter Lessons, and a short question and answer session with the grandchildren, reminding them of why we have this tradition and of the blessings to come.

    (And after all that, I might remember to actually switch autoplay off…)

    ;)

  5. I just performed a stirring scene in my kitchen illustrative of how the forces of good have just won a major battle in the war against the evil forces of auto-play. Wielding my iPad like a modern, user-friendly aluminum version of the Wallace sword, I struck for peace, I struck for freedom, and I struck for every fair-minded citizen of the internet who has been slightly surprised and annoyed by a video ambush! FREEEEEEEEDOM!

    Also, illustration, with my wife watching from the background:
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/rhzdbs3c7ipb8wv/Screenshot%202015-09-10%2007.04.02.png?dl=0

  6. Oh, and to celebrate I’m going to grab a beverage and to go to every KS game campaign one at a time and flip off the non-auto-playing video.

  7. I also complained when auto-play first rolled out. I was basically told to suck it up and love it. Glad someone finally grew some sense over there. I shared.

    Just wait until we have to turn off the auto-pledge feature.

  8. I am going to ride a camel across the desert formed when my yard is no longer irrigated by the tears I wept each time a video auto played! Thanks Jamey!

  9. This is so exciting! I am going to celebrate by:

    1) Turning auto-play OFF!
    2) Lighting a candle of sympathy for everyone who is unaware of this newly added feature.
    3) Play a game of Between Two Cities.

    * The latter may have to wait a moment or two, but it WILL happen.

  10. I had a similar reaction, contacted Kickstater, and was told how I could turn off Autoplay. It baffles me how anyone can possibly find that useful or desirable.

    Here’s hoping they turn it off altogether, or allow project creators to turn it off on their own!

  11. I’m going to celebrate by backing Scythe at the Collector’s Edition level, after clicking on that little triangle at my own leisure. ‘Cause even though I won’t need to see the video, it wouldn’t be fair not to watch it.

  12. I shall now bake a delicious black forest cake in she shape of a play symbol and then devour it can so I never have to watch an autoplayed video again

  13. Boacious! Just the other day a friend was upset on Facebook at how annoying this is. She is super happy now that I told her – says it gave her a mid-week high :-) Thanks for sharing!

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