Fan games are a beloved part of anime and gaming culture. Often created by passionate fans who want to expand on a favorite series, these projects can range from small mods and visual novels to fully developed games inspired by an existing franchise. While these works are usually created as tributes, they raise difficult questions …
Fan Games and Legal Risks: What Developers Should Know Read More »
Advanced or deep learning AI, particularly generative AI and large language models (LLMs), is revolutionizing the video game industry. These tools accelerate development, enrich gameplay, and enable personalized, dynamic experiences. AI has grown from rudimentary pathfinding and procedural generation to systems capable of nuanced NPC behavior and real-time narrative adaptation, creating “Living Games”. Yet, with …
Game investment deals often borrow from venture capital but some carry unique terms shaped by creative risk and uncertain returns. Sophisticated investors in this space know that the success rate for new titles and studios is low, but the upside can be significant. Developers, in turn, look for deals that provide breathing room to create …
What Terms Are “Normal” in Game Investment Deals? Read More »
“It doesn’t matter what language they speak, it doesn’t matter what walk of life [they’re] from . . . they all have the same shared interest and passion [in this community].”— John Choi, on the Fighting Game Community In an era when many corners of the esports industry are freezing over, the fighting game community …
Fighting Game Community: Grassroots Resilience Amid an Esports Winter Read More »
Many early-stage game studios look for ways to manage costs while moving projects forward. The idea of using unpaid interns often comes up during these conversations. It might seem like a win for both the unpaid intern and the studio, but the legal reality around unpaid internships is strict, and mistakes can become expensive. In …
Many studios, especially early-stage studios, rely heavily on the services provided by independent contractors. Contractors may provide anything from commissioned art, to administrative services, to programming services for studios. No matter what services are being provided, there are some core ingredients any studio should want to see in written agreements with these service providers: First …
What Every Studio Needs in a Contractor Agreement Read More »
In the push to meet milestones and impress publishers, development teams often treat intellectual property (IP) as a box to tick rather than a strategic asset. The result can be costly detours exactly when momentum matters most: disputed titles, ownership surprises or stalled funding rounds. Understanding where misunderstandings typically arise helps studios safeguard creativity, preserve …
Many budding entrepreneurs know that starting a successful venture requires creating a legal entity and drafting the associated paperwork, but those documents leave many questions unanswered: What role will each founder play in the new business? How will smaller operational decisions, like whether to sign a contract, be made? Can founders “moonlight” and work other …
“It’s hard being an indie game developer” is an understatement. This is especially true for developers embarking on the indie dev journey for the first time, whether on their own or through a newly formed studio. In addition to juggling the demands of game development and publishing, indie developers must now worry about accounting, marketing, …
When a game developer signs a publishing agreement, a business relationship is established that extends beyond merely getting a game to market. Understanding the nature of this relationship is crucial in ensuring that a deal aligns with long-term goals. The Role of a Publisher A game publisher provides services that developers may not have the …
The Developer-Publisher Relationship: What Developers Are Signing Up For Read More »