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What should I do with my Game universe?
Author
I have this strange dilemma, and would love some constructive advice!
I have a company, a game universe, and an adventuregame project.
The universe is called Striigatorium, and the game will then be called:
Striigatorium:"insert game title here", as we do not have the complete name yet.
We are now making a "mood demo" to set the graphical gameplay experience, but for copyright reasons, this has nothing story related to the adventure project.
I have been adviced by professionals to finish this demo without funding and post it for free on a website, because the downloads and feedback are strong cards on my hand when looking for investors to show the customer interest.
But here it is: Striigatorium is a huge roleplay/storytelling universe with tons of rules and characters and mythologies, and I wonder how much of it is smart to reveal on the website and what should I definitely hold back? I'm not talking about the story and chars for the adventuregame because that is a secret for now, but more for the universe itself. I know this is very interesting and deep, but how can the audience know?
The universe is designed to be used for everything entertaining, not only games.
PS:
I am a Norwegain beginner developer, and my game universe is urban, spiritually magic and very dark. This means that many will think that I am inspired by, or copying Secret World or World of Darkness, which I am not! My universe is far from theirs. Very far.
ideas anyone?
Hey Xerilon!
It doesn't look like anything you mentioned seems sensitive at all. I don't know what the copyright laws over in Norway are, but a Google search seems to suggest that they are strict. If that's the case, it might be like here in America where all intellectual works are already protected by copyright, although you cannot sue for infringement unless you shell out major cash for registration.
What I'm trying to say is that you can be lax about it. I wouldn't go about spilling plotlines, but I would share things like a brief overview of superpowers a character has.
For example, I might have a character that can telepathically increase the temperature of distant objects a la Bioshock's "Inferno" power. If I thought that was sensitive info, I would just say "my guy controls fire". Just make sure you are explaining things on a scale that does not sound like you are reading from a blueprint!
It just really depends. This is easily an all subjective topic, and you have the final word here. Whatever you think is safe to share is up to you. [smile]
I hope this helps.
Cheers!
-Zyro
It doesn't look like anything you mentioned seems sensitive at all. I don't know what the copyright laws over in Norway are, but a Google search seems to suggest that they are strict. If that's the case, it might be like here in America where all intellectual works are already protected by copyright, although you cannot sue for infringement unless you shell out major cash for registration.
What I'm trying to say is that you can be lax about it. I wouldn't go about spilling plotlines, but I would share things like a brief overview of superpowers a character has.
For example, I might have a character that can telepathically increase the temperature of distant objects a la Bioshock's "Inferno" power. If I thought that was sensitive info, I would just say "my guy controls fire". Just make sure you are explaining things on a scale that does not sound like you are reading from a blueprint!
It just really depends. This is easily an all subjective topic, and you have the final word here. Whatever you think is safe to share is up to you. [smile]
I hope this helps.
Cheers!
-Zyro
X wrote:
>I have a company, a game universe, and an adventuregame project.
>I have been adviced by professionals to finish this demo without funding and post it for free on a website, because the downloads and feedback are strong cards on my hand when looking for investors to show the customer interest.
>I wonder how much of it is smart to reveal on the website and what should I definitely hold back?
>I know this is very interesting and deep, but how can the audience know?
Everything you post on your website is clearly your property, especially if you put copyright notices and trademark claims on it. So the only thing to worry about is "how much should I give them to entice the audience and investors without giving away the ending."
If there isn't really an "ending," that isn't a concern either. But if there is, just don't give it away.
It is not a "strange dilemma." You have the exact same problem every movie creator and game creator has. And only you can make this determination.
The answer is "enough." Give them enough to get them interested, and no more.
And for investor inquiries, make sure you have a darned good business plan to show them (but don't show it to them until they sign an NDA).
>I have a company, a game universe, and an adventuregame project.
>I have been adviced by professionals to finish this demo without funding and post it for free on a website, because the downloads and feedback are strong cards on my hand when looking for investors to show the customer interest.
>I wonder how much of it is smart to reveal on the website and what should I definitely hold back?
>I know this is very interesting and deep, but how can the audience know?
Everything you post on your website is clearly your property, especially if you put copyright notices and trademark claims on it. So the only thing to worry about is "how much should I give them to entice the audience and investors without giving away the ending."
If there isn't really an "ending," that isn't a concern either. But if there is, just don't give it away.
It is not a "strange dilemma." You have the exact same problem every movie creator and game creator has. And only you can make this determination.
The answer is "enough." Give them enough to get them interested, and no more.
And for investor inquiries, make sure you have a darned good business plan to show them (but don't show it to them until they sign an NDA).
Hmm, you might want to pop your head over the fence and ask Satyr or Frost (probably Satyr) for permission to use their earlier ambient works. I don't know how you'll go with that, they seem hell-bent on discarding their trite* "medieval"-metal beginnings so it could really go either way.
"Min Hyllest Til Vinterland" isn't exactly the most compositionally complex track Satyricon have ever done, though. Largely Aeolean, pretty much no complicated harmonic modulation, no percussion, you even clipped the wind instrument off the start so it's mostly slow acoustic guitar lines and ambient sounds (wind, etc).
Are you a musician, by any chance? It is a lovely little piece, but it wouldn't be difficult to come up with something similar yourself, even with limited experience.
Assuming the music is the only borrowed property in your teaser video, you (or your team?) seem like quite the artist - but there's no real sign of intellectual depth to your universe. I'd be dropping a fair bit of narrative if it were important that onlookers consider the universe "deep" for promotional purposes.
*Their opinion, not mine.
"Min Hyllest Til Vinterland" isn't exactly the most compositionally complex track Satyricon have ever done, though. Largely Aeolean, pretty much no complicated harmonic modulation, no percussion, you even clipped the wind instrument off the start so it's mostly slow acoustic guitar lines and ambient sounds (wind, etc).
Are you a musician, by any chance? It is a lovely little piece, but it wouldn't be difficult to come up with something similar yourself, even with limited experience.
Assuming the music is the only borrowed property in your teaser video, you (or your team?) seem like quite the artist - but there's no real sign of intellectual depth to your universe. I'd be dropping a fair bit of narrative if it were important that onlookers consider the universe "deep" for promotional purposes.
*Their opinion, not mine.
Author
Thank you guys for the serious and constructive advice :) I thought the thread went dead
For those of you who have taken a look at my company webiste,I am not talking about that, but a new website dedicated to the game universe.
To Fentrisulvur: Yeah I probably should have asked Satyr about permisson. I have designed stage costumes for one of their ex-live members band, and I have shaken hands with both Satyr and Frost one time and they told me they liked my work and they knew who I was even before I had introduced myself! (I'm a bit fan of their music and that was big for me :p) Btw I do all the visual art myself at the moment.
I admit that no information was shown in the teaser (it was my first video editing ever so it isn't good at all) nor on the website, that is why I am now making a full website with lots of info.
I liked the idea of making it a bit round on the edges instead of sounding like a blue print read!
Thanks again!
For those of you who have taken a look at my company webiste,I am not talking about that, but a new website dedicated to the game universe.
To Fentrisulvur: Yeah I probably should have asked Satyr about permisson. I have designed stage costumes for one of their ex-live members band, and I have shaken hands with both Satyr and Frost one time and they told me they liked my work and they knew who I was even before I had introduced myself! (I'm a bit fan of their music and that was big for me :p) Btw I do all the visual art myself at the moment.
I admit that no information was shown in the teaser (it was my first video editing ever so it isn't good at all) nor on the website, that is why I am now making a full website with lots of info.
I liked the idea of making it a bit round on the edges instead of sounding like a blue print read!
Thanks again!
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