I was wondering how gaming companies license properties from other types of media. Like does the developer create a small demo using the property before being granted a license, or do they have to get a license before any of their property can be used?

Quote: Original post by BrioCyrain
I was wondering how gaming companies license properties from other types of media. Like does the developer create a small demo using the property before being granted a license, or do they have to get a license before any of their property can be used?

This was asked and answered in the past day or two on IGDA

[Edited by - Tom Sloper on February 28, 2008 11:00:34 PM]

Tom's link doesn't seem to have got through, unfortunately.

For my experience, the publishers would give the licenses to the developers (or more accurately, instruct them to use them). However I only ever saw things from fairly low in the developer chain; I don't know how the publishers got their hands on the I.P. for licenses in the first place.

A developer that I used to work for just went ahead and made a cool demo based on a popular IP, and then took their demo to the IP's owner and conned them out of negotiated a licence to the IP and $10M.

Doing a demo or mock up would be fine. Doing any more than that would probably be bad as it might actually weaken your negotiating position. Investing time and money that you need to recover (and which they know you will need to recover) puts more pressure on you to secure the license thus weakening you position.

[Edited by - Obscure on February 29, 2008 6:28:02 AM]