Hello I want to start developing a game with a friend and some fellow students from shool. My freind and I started working on a game and I thought that the development process would go faster if we got some people from the school that I attend to get involved.

I plan to publish the game to newgrounds.com eventually for profit. Newgrounds has a profit sharing system that I don't want to use. What type of contract do I need that allows me to accept contributions from the new people that I am including in on this project that says that they are volunteers for the project that might be paid but does not obligate me to pay them. I would also like the contract to say that all the work that they do for the game no longer belongs to them, but belongs to me. Thank you.

You need a collaboration agreement. Google "video game collaboration agreement"


Here's a direct link to a great article on game collaboration agreements: http://maientertainmentlaw.com/?p=28

So you want people to do work for you that normally pays in the range of $90,000 salaries, but you want them do it for free. Then you want to capitalize on their work and hog all the profits to yourself. What part of that plan do you think would be enticing to ANYONE else? If you want to make money and not share it with anyone, then develop it yourself. Seriously...

I would also like the contract to say that all the work that they do for the game no longer belongs to them, but belongs to me. Thank you.

That is commonly referred to as a ""Work-for-Hire" clause/contract.