Intellectual Property (IP)

Here is a short, but interesting lecture regarding Intellectual Property, otherwise known as IP, that I obtained from one of my classes recently.  Understanding copyrights and how to protect yourself against any asset theft, or unnecessary lawsuits (for or against you), can help prevent your brand new startup company from sinking before it swims:

There are two types of Intellectual Property (IP) that are of particular importance to a game developer: copyright and patents. A copyright is a protection on any non-technical asset your create. Every story, model, texture, and animation is automatically copyrighted the second you create it. A patent is a protection on a technical asset you create. A software application or a piece of hardware are both eligible for patents. (Note that lines of code can be copyrighted but not patented). Of these two, copyrights are much more relevant to a game designer.

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Tags: Business, Design, Game Development by DoomSayer
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New vs. Mod

I gleaned this information from one of my college class lectures and thought it was good enough to keep in mind for aspiring game developers like me. So for those of you who are just starting out in the game industry and are thinking about where to begin your journey into becoming an Independant Game Developer, here is some interesting “food for thought” as you decide on what your first game development project should actually be:

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Tags: Business, Design, Game Development, Production by DoomSayer
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Why can’t I get a publisher to fund my amazing new game?

So, you got a great idea for a game. It’s so good, everyone and their grandmother will be running to the store to preorder a copy. Well, that’s a good start, but you need a bit more.

Now let’s say for a moment that you have a bit more, because you are a studious, budding entrepreneur trying to break into the game biz, and you’ve gone and done all your homework by reading every book there is on the subject of starting your own game studio. And because of this, you’ve already assembled a small team of developers, created the whole gambit of proper documentation (Business Proposal, Concept Doc, Game Design Doc, Technical Doc, Project Design Doc, Asset List, Task List, Production Schedule, Budgeting Doc, Marketing Doc, etc…) and your team has even managed to put together a solid, playable game demo to show any prospective funding sources. You’ve dotted all your i’s and crossed all your t’s, and actually look like you know what your doing.

So why do you still keep getting turned down for funding, rejected by game publishers?

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Tags: Business, Game Development by DoomSayer
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