A guy (who I don't know) wrote me an email offering money to sell my Super Sumo Wrestling idea to a game company. Let's say I do want to (which is a stretch) how much money would I ask for and how could I ensure I get it? Oh, the main problem is that I can't program Java. Anyone know where I can get a copy of J2ME?
Is the guy asking me to rewrite the game or asking me to help him with the graphics and concept? I'll write him back, but I'm not going to make any offers until everything is all clear.
Quote:Hello Michael,
I tried running the game using Dosbox, VDMS and win 98 boot disk and I just
couldn't make it work. I guess the best way to run it is to find a computer
running win98...
However, I was very impressed with the game reviews and the game graphics
and I want to interest you in porting this game to the J2ME platform. This
platform is Java based and used on cellular phones to run
games/applications.
I already made a few J2ME games for a cellular company here in Israel, and
since this company now looks for a "fighting" game, I want to show them your
game and try to sell it. Of course the game will have to undergo heavy
changes - mainly, being rewritten in Java and fitted to small screens (120
width, 111 height) with low memory/performance requirements.
Should this work, the cellular company will pay me and I'll pay you, but
before I present the idea to the cellular company, I need to know if you're
interested and how much money you want for the graphics/sound/concept of
your sumo game.
Thanks,
Eran Polosetski
I think they are more interested in the concept and artwork of the game. They cant use the artwork, code or copy the concept directly without your permission, but they would probably have somebody recode it for J2ME and pay you royalties. Your best bet would be to consult a lawyer to work out your options and rights (you probably dont want to sell your rights to the concept completely, or futher derived works on your part may become illegal). It would probably be a good idea to check out how reliable this proposal is, you dont want to wind up selling the concept for your game and then getting left with nothing.
HTH
:o Whoah... that's so cool... but from what this guy is saying, it's not a sure thing. SHOULD THIS WORK...
yeah. like caboose said, they seem more interested in the concept. if they're interested, then they make it. i think. but loosecaboose said this already, so you don't nee to read this post. too late now, is it? :wink:
I wrote him back and am waiting for him to respond. What kind of lawyer would I need to get?
Ok, he is just interested in the right to make the game for cell phone use. Before I make him an offer, can anybody give me a good amount to suggest? And say I did sell the rights, would I have creative input on the project (I think I'll have to work that out with this guy)?
Here is his reply:
Quote:Hi Michael,
You can see my games at
http://imd.gonext.co.il/escape/zazabox/p...op=661&sho
ptype=S (this site is in hebrew, but you can see my games + other companys
games here)
or at my homepage in http://www.gamebit.co.il (Written in English).
I'm not sending you the games since you need a special emulator or the
cellular devices themself to run them. But I guess you can understand the
games just by looking at them (One of them is "tapper" style and the other
are quite simple casino games).
My company is called Gamebit and so far we (me and my friend) made 5 games.
I'm offering you to sell me the rights to take your game, modify it so it
fits cellular phones, and sell it.
You don't need to write it in J2ME (That's what I'll do...) or change the
graphics/sounds/concept. I'm paying a soundman for the sounds since they
need to be in a special format called MMF and also in MIDI, and another
friend of mine for the graphic changes (mostly, making the changes from your
game's big screen to the smaller screen on the phones, but also changing the
graphic to 4 color mode). Btw, we make the J2ME games in 2 resolutions
(120x111 and 128x145) and both in 256 colors and in 4 colors (also called 4
gray).
Actually, all you have to do is to send me the graphics (preferably
Photoshop PSD files, but if you have only the "bitmap" version, it's fine)
and get payed. I'll make the needed adjustments in the game, fix all the
graphic+sound, rewrite the game in Java and try to sell it. Btw, the
PC/Playstation/whatever else game right will still be yours - I want to buy
only the J2ME game rights.
Call me cynical but.. anyone else think it's strange that this guy wants to buy the rights to a game he hasn't even played?
Guess you got nothing to lose though. :-?
Just make sure you get a lot of money. There, I said it.
Quote:Just make sure you get a lot of money. There, I said it.
LOL.
Here is what I wrote:
Quote:Before I commit to anything, I'd like to get everything clear.
1. All you want is the right to use the same concept, and the graphics?
2. Would the game still be called Super Sumo Wrestling?
3. Would I be credited for the concept and original graphics somewhere in
the
game?
4. Would I still be able to commercially develop the Super Sumo Wrestling
series in the future without violating any commitments between us?
5. Would the game be in English?
6. Would I have any creative input and to what extent?
7. What resolution and color depth would you use (just curious)?
8. What would happen if you develop the game but the company doesn't want to
buy it?
9. How much money (ballpark) could you offer me, and how can I be absolutely
sure I get it?
sorry about all the questions, and there will probably be more, but I want
to know exactly what's going on.
Michael Dowling
And here was his reply:
Quote:No problems, ask as many questions as you want...
1. Correct. I want to use the concept + graphics + sound, and do whatever
changes I need in order to fit the game to small cellular phones (for
example, the 2-player mode must be left out...). I also want to look at the
QBasic source code to help myself plan the Java conversion (I only want to
look at the source, I won't change it, pass it on or do anything else with
it besides learning from it before rewriting the game in Java).
2. Probably, but since we'll have to translate it to hebrew, it might change
a bit. Maybe only Super Sumo or something like that.
3. Of course. We have an "about" screen in all our games, and we'll be glad
to give you the credit you deserve.
4. Yes. I'm only interested in this version of the game, and only for J2ME
devices. You can sell the pc version, develop it further, or do whatever you
want with it. You can even publish the QBasic sources if you want.
5. We'll have to translate the game to hebrew.
6. We'll try to make the game as close to the original as possible, but I'll
be glad to show you the game while it's being developed and get input from
you.
7. Two resolutions: 120width X 111height (both in 256 colors and 4 colors)
and 128width X 145height (only in 256 colors).
8. Usually I prepare a game concept plus some sketches and they agree to buy
the game before it's developed.
Since they were satisfied with 5 out of 5 of the games my company developed
for them, I hope they'll agree to buy this game also before it's being
developed (now they can even see it in action on the PC version).
9. For my other games, I paid around 300$ for the graphics. I wished I could
pay more, but that's what I can give considering what I'm being payed for
these games. Remember that I still need to make a lot of adjustments to your
graphic files, so I thought about paying you less, but since you also
developed the game concept, I think I'll leave that sum at 300$.
I don't think we'll have problems with the money transfer - There are plenty
of ways to pass you money (money transfer using a bank/via paypal/etc...).
As for the assurance, should you agree, and the cellular company agree also,
I'll pay you the money on delivery of the graphics/sounds/code (even though
they are paying me only 60 days after getting the final game...).
Eran
He mentions the fact that he pays 300 for graphics (hopefully in US currency) and that he was considering less because he has to do adjustments to them. It really isn't that hard to shrink graphics, I could do that and then send him both the regular and shrunk graphics. He also mentions the fact that he will pay 300 because I also developed the concept of the game. I think I should get 300 for the concept alone. I have a few problems in the sound department though. The sounds and music used in Sumo are not original and I don't think it would be a good idea to sell them to him. Any thoughts?
I may be able to get my buddy Ben to make original music for it. I'm sure he'd settle for something like 10 or 20 dollars, if not just his name in the credits (he's trying to make a name for himself, he's already making a CD to sell) so I dunno...
He's in drivers ed until 4:30pm every day, and I usually forget to call after that, but I'll try to remember today.