Nova Software

Just to clarify, is this the same team you were recruiting for a few days ago?

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Original post by Sneftel Just to clarify, is this the same team you were recruiting for a few days ago?

No, whole new team. I decideed to scrap that whole team, and the last one was more of a project. Sorry for the confusion.

I expect you will take offense, but I don't mean to cause it, I just think you would have better luck if you take the time to let the following sink in.

Perhaps you want to say something about yourself and your experience, and why you think you are capable of leading a team.

The rating of 0 hardly inspires confidence in anyone that might actually be interested.

The sticky request here provides an excellent example of what stands at least a small chance of attracting so talent from around these boards. Some real effort has gone in to writing that.

Every game developer here has their own pet-project, or amazing idea, that they are trying to do. Be it artist trying to figure out how to code, programmer trying to add graphics, sound guy trying to do everything. They have to be *inspired* to leave their projects behind and spend their time working on your stuff instead.

So if you read your help wanted, and some of the others... ask yourself - if I wasn't the one who wrote this... would I really be inspired to work with (or indeed for) this guy? Drop what I'm doing for this?

edit: sorry I missed the "encouraging only feedback".

[Edited by - d000hg on August 1, 2007 2:24:29 AM]

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Original post by d000hg edit: sorry I missed the "encouraging only feedback".

That's because it wasn't originally there!

Lordcorm is following the template now [smile]

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Original post by lordcorm Project name: Nova Game Engine Brief description: The Nova Game Engine project is going to be a game engine that harnesses interface programming (not GUI, interface as in Virtual Classes combined with DLL's) to allow maximum customization. This is a long term project, for there will be other releases after the initial release. It has only been in production for about a week.

I'm the founder of Nova Entertainment (www.novaentertainment.net), founded back in 2003. Nova Game Engine is our engine that is a registered trademark of Nova Entertainment and therefore, can not be used. I request a name change of this project. Best of luck.

lordcorm- While I'm glad to see you trying to use a contract, you need to revisit the contract and really spend some time fleshing it out. I'm not a lawyer, but I do have some experience in this field and have some ideas for you. For example, you state

"Compensation Requirement:
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Anyone who dose not make a considerable contributions to this project will receive NO PAYMENT, when payment time comes."

Considerable is a very subjective term and you never want that with legal documents. You want everything laid out and clearly defined. Set some concrete terms of acceptable work. For example,

"Compensation Requirement:
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Crew members must log at least 20 hours of work per week, attend weekly development meetings and provide evidence of completion or work toward completing assigned tasks within the given deadline. Anyone who continually misses these online meetings, doesn't log in 20 hours of work per week and does not show progress towards assigned goals will receive NO PAYMENT, when payment time comes."

You also state:

"The owner of this project has the right to change any part of this contract at any time. If team member decides to leave on the account of the change of the contract, he or she on this occasion only will be able to take his/hers work."

I'd REALLY recommend you take this out. Designing a contract is all about balance of protection for you the "employer" and the "employee" or contract worker. This contract is severly balanced in your favor, and not the crew's favor. If you can change this contract at any given time, then what is the insentive for a new crew member to sign it? (Other than you saying its mandatory to join the team.)

In fact several companies I've worked for have clauses built into the contract that tag on extra fees and such if the company is late on paying me. This gives me great assurance that payment will be on time, or I get more money and makes me more willing to get into a working relationship with them.

You don't state whether you're seeking non-exclusive or exclusive rights. If you wan non-exclusive rights, then your contract cannot state:

"If a team member decides to leave the group, all of his/hers work will not be returned. Any member who leaves the project WILL NOT received payment if the team member left before the completion of the project."

This is because non-exclusive rights means the creator of the assets gets to keep the rights to the material and re-use it as they see fit. Exclusive rights means you're buying all rights to that material and you get to keep it. A warning though, exclusive rights typically cost a good deal more since its the only time the creator gets to profit from that creation.

Equity Compensation is the type of payment you're offering and I wouldn't suggest it. There are several reasons why: The crew works for a long period of time with only the possibility of payment. What happens if you have a 10 person crew and everyone is getting a 10th of the profits. This stays like this for a year and then you add two more people. Is it fair to make those loyal crew members have to take a drop in pay? Is it fair to make the new members earn less? There are many things that can go wrong with equity based payment and for the record, none of the equity based projects I've done have paid me anything. NONE.

You also state:

"If this project is canceled all work of this project will be available to use by all members of the team at NO CHARGE!"

I wouldn't want my music and SFX to be openly accessible to everyone else on the crew if the project goes under. What if they go off and produce an awesome game with my materials and I haven't been paid and am not even under contract with that other crew member? This is a very odd clause, and a contract needs to only involve the business (YOU) and one contractor at a time. Make your contract deal only with one person at a time, so its more clear and solid.

You want to give your crew members a sense of protection. Protection that they will get paid. Protection that they're assets that they're creating for you will not be mis-used. Protection that this legal agreement will remain consistent and reliable. Saying that you can change whatever you want, whenever you want for whatever reason you want DOESN'T give a good of ensurance of that protect. As a result, you may find it hard to find quality, experienced contractors wanting to bind into that kind of agreement.

I seriously urge you to redraft this contract. Again, I'm not a lawyer, but I've drafted, read and signed enough contracts to know what is standard in the industry and what isn't.

I hope that helps,

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Original post by gabereiser Quote: Original post by lordcorm Project name: Nova Game Engine Brief description: The Nova Game Engine project is going to be a game engine that harnesses interface programming (not GUI, interface as in Virtual Classes combined with DLL's) to allow maximum customization. This is a long term project, for there will be other releases after the initial release. It has only been in production for about a week. I'm the founder of Nova Entertainment (www.novaentertainment.net), founded back in 2003. Nova Game Engine is our engine that is a registered trademark of Nova Entertainment and therefore, can not be used. I request a name change of this project. Best of luck.

A quick search of the United States Patent and Trademark Office suggests you're full of crap. While you may be laying claim to "Nova Entertainment" as a trademark, and perhaps even "Nova Game Engine", neither of them are Registered Trademarks.

As to whether or not you can lay a claim to the above two as unregistered trademarks, depends upon your active use of such terms in identifying your brand and products. But, seeing as how you've not developed any products yet, you've got little grounds in which to argue a trademark infringement.

So, while I respect your interest in the name you've chosen to use, attempting to throw legal jargon around without backing will get you in trouble. I suggest if you really want to lay claim to that engine and company name, that you actually produce something soon.

With that said, seeing as how they do have the website "novaentertainment.net", the original poster may want to consider an alternate name for his company and engine, simply for the sake of being original and courteous.

Cheers!

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Original post by JWalsh Quote: Original post by gabereiser Quote: Original post by lordcorm Project name: Nova Game Engine Brief description: The Nova Game Engine project is going to be a game engine that harnesses interface programming (not GUI, interface as in Virtual Classes combined with DLL's) to allow maximum customization. This is a long term project, for there will be other releases after the initial release. It has only been in production for about a week. I'm the founder of Nova Entertainment (www.novaentertainment.net), founded back in 2003. Nova Game Engine is our engine that is a registered trademark of Nova Entertainment and therefore, can not be used. I request a name change of this project. Best of luck. A quick search of the United States Patent and Trademark Office suggests you're full of crap. While you may be laying claim to "Nova Entertainment" as a trademark, and perhaps even "Nova Game Engine", neither of them are Registered Trademarks. As to whether or not you can lay a claim to the above two as unregistered trademarks, depends upon your active use of such terms in identifying your brand and products. But, seeing as how you've not developed any products yet, you've got little grounds in which to argue a trademark infringement. So, while I respect your interest in the name you've chosen to use, attempting to throw legal jargon around without backing will get you in trouble. I suggest if you really want to lay claim to that engine and company name, that you actually produce something soon. With that said, seeing as how they do have the website "novaentertainment.net", the original poster may want to consider an alternate name for his company and engine, simply for the sake of being original and courteous. Cheers!

Thanks for the heads, didnt check for that, could you please delete this post as im thinking of a new name and as i saw your post it made me think that i should trademark my name also, when i find an open one.

Thanks.

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Original post by lordcorm Quote: Original post by JWalsh Quote: Original post by gabereiser Quote: Original post by lordcorm Project name: Nova Game Engine Brief description: The Nova Game Engine project is going to be a game engine that harnesses interface programming (not GUI, interface as in Virtual Classes combined with DLL's) to allow maximum customization. This is a long term project, for there will be other releases after the initial release. It has only been in production for about a week. I'm the founder of Nova Entertainment (www.novaentertainment.net), founded back in 2003. Nova Game Engine is our engine that is a registered trademark of Nova Entertainment and therefore, can not be used. I request a name change of this project. Best of luck. A quick search of the United States Patent and Trademark Office suggests you're full of crap. While you may be laying claim to "Nova Entertainment" as a trademark, and perhaps even "Nova Game Engine", neither of them are Registered Trademarks. As to whether or not you can lay a claim to the above two as unregistered trademarks, depends upon your active use of such terms in identifying your brand and products. But, seeing as how you've not developed any products yet, you've got little grounds in which to argue a trademark infringement. So, while I respect your interest in the name you've chosen to use, attempting to throw legal jargon around without backing will get you in trouble. I suggest if you really want to lay claim to that engine and company name, that you actually produce something soon. With that said, seeing as how they do have the website "novaentertainment.net", the original poster may want to consider an alternate name for his company and engine, simply for the sake of being original and courteous. Cheers! Thanks for the heads, didnt check for that, could you please delete this post as im thinking of a new name and as i saw your post it made me think that i should trademark my name also, when i find an open one. Thanks.

That would be a very great waste of time and money. If you distribute a product under a particular name, you get some protection as an unregistered trademark, but to actually register a trademark costs money, and if your project is a failure, it is a waste.

This is probably one of the many reasons why software usually has a working title until near the launch date, when the publisher/developer decides on a real name (and sometimes registers the trademark).

PM
I hope to become useful for you.

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Original post by vitalynurk PM I hope to become useful for you.

Dude, are you even looking at the threads in which you're posting in? Seriously, you're taking a dump all over HW. Make 1 thread (which you already have) saying you exist, and i'm sure people will COME to you if they want to. Stop insessently spamming gamedev. jeez, i couldn't help myself

Can I suggest that someone with one year's experience is not an experienced programmer? They are definitely not - they can maybe do good coding but not design a game... It is normal to have one person with a lot more experience, say 5 years, and 3 in whatever technology the project is in. He will be able to guide the other guys. team of 8 rookies will really struggle.