That's a bit hard to swallow, but those are good points. I guess my fascination with Sonic Xtreme kept me from seeing what I already do in my own projects, hoping this would be exceptionally different from the rest. (Do only the hardcores actually care about Xtreme? I guess I don't know this fanbase well enough.) Although I will be working on a Shantae fan game soon myself, I wouldn't ever dare put any money into it, so I'm using cheap software I've already had for years to build it. Even when I do upgrade to the latest version of Game Maker on Steam, it won't be specifically for that fan game, but for original projects. My friend is still nagging other people to help out with the art, but I keep explaining to him they won't ever do it for free; the world just doesn't run on dreams. And paying artists only makes the chances of getting a C&D an even bigger gamble, because we'll have actual money tied up in the game. He's been in for one extremely painful revelation after another about fan games with me. Back on topic, maybe a less legally complex route is in order for this project? It's rare that 3D Sonic fan games exist just because they take so long to develop, and I'm honestly surprised SRB2 is literally almost done after more than 13 years of work. Does this mean AXSX might be in for the long haul? Could be better than getting a C&D and not doing it at all, but at the same time, I'm a bit torn here, I don't know what to think anymore.
Im sorry? I don't think of it as being domb at all, this is my hobby. People pour money into hobbies all the time. be it building racecar models, planting a flower garden, or collecting some type of nicknacks like video games.
I think it really boils down to this. Right now it seems like Sonic Teams got a pretty solid plan of where Sonic is going the next few years.
IMO if you do plan on going down this route then I would not make it a Sonic branded game. Why put so much effort and money into something that if Sega did take an interest in, would take control of it and then you loose creative direction. The recent releases of games - which are different from this project because they were ports (WONDERFULLY done but still ports), everything was something Sega had done and didn't stray too far from the original product - where as this project because it is based on an unfinished game you have control over level design, gimmicks, ect. the minute a company owns what you do you loose the job you are currently doing. Then what happens when the company wants the project to go in a different way or a design choice you don't agree with. That of course is taking the approach that they care. It is quite an ambitious "dream".
Kickstarting a fangame is a bad idea. A really, really, really bad idea. Raising any kind of money for it is also a bad idea. It sends the wrong kind of signal in every possible way and could jeopardize more than just your own project. Sega, in a lot of ways, lets fangames exist by turning a blind eye to them. They should, legally, be shutting these things down, but because they largely pretend that they do not exist, there's no problem. If you start trying to profit off of fangames, that may force Sega's hand on the entire subject. While I'm sure that won't stop some of the more rebellious at Sonic Retro, it would be a damaging blow to a significant portion of the community. Do not play with fire.
Wow guys are you being serious? "If it doesn't print money why even bother doing it". Isn't wanting to see the finished game enough of a reason? Just because the original studio is not interested in doing said game, be it Streets of Rage 4, Comix Zone 2, Toki HD Remake, you name it, doesn't mean some people don't want it badly. Please go flaming people that are spending money on toys they are not even using. There are plenty of those.
I agree with Black Squirrel on this one. A fangame should be a simple indie game that a teenager could create with Multimedia Fusion or Construct. This however, is too big for you and your SonicXtreme Pals to even complete. Plus, I prefer that you guys continue to collect as much data and resources from that scrapped game as opposed to recreate it. I know that you want to play that game for yourself, but recreating that game (or modernizing any games for that matter) and focus on gathering as much information as possible. So yeah, Kickstarter's out of the question!
If I recall correctly, I think Eddie Lebron asked for "donations" (for special perks) to fund his Sonic Fan Film on his website.
I dunno, I think it would be possible to finish this game, just most likely in Valve-time, like SRB2, due to Xtreme's scale and complexity. Something like this couldn't be easily finished in free time in a matter of months; it could take years. It's not your average fan game put together in Sonic Worlds or Game Maker at all. Also, I've been really unnerved at the thought of an organized fund-raiser for this myself through the whole topic, and Kickstarter probably wouldn't allow fan-made game projects anyway, because they do actually overview submissions, iirc; it's very rare that I see fan-made posters get kickstarted there. And from what Black Squirrel said, contacting SEGA might not net a desirable response, either, if Xtreme is far outside their big picture for Sonic. I think it would probably be safe to open up for Paypal donations, so you can buy more physical equipment for research and development, if it's needed, but paying other programmers to help out with the workload would probably have to come out of your own pocket, and even that's still a gray area. EDIT : Got ninja's by Dashtube Yeah, I've seen that animated Sonic fan film get donations too. (Although the bulk of the $9 million for production still came out of the creator's own pocket, though.)
I really, really wouldn't do a Kickstarter for a fangame for one main reason: if SEGA decides to give you a cease and desist, you and everyone who funded the fangame is going to be fucked. It will probably also be hard to convince people that what you're doing is actually legal, even if it is.
I've already stated that I would not do the Kick starter if Sega did not give consent. I believe that attempting to get permision, even with the slim chance of success is worth a shot.
Lol , Actually, I am a realist, I feel the same. It's been about a week since the email had been sent, and there has not been any kind of response as expected. At least I feel good for trying. Side note: I wouldn't have attempted this if I felt the game was not shaping up to be a fun gameplay experience. I think that's what really counts. I guess for now, lets wait a little longer than shut the topic down.
Hey, the guy doing the writing for the Sonic Comics now used to send letters in all the time asking for that Job. It took 4 years for the writer at the time to step down and for Archie Comics to respond to the letters/emails. I would love to see this project succeed. This is a new gameplay style that I've never seen used in a completed game before. I hope it will open new possibilities with less risk for the other game producers. Don't know if I've said this before, but I guess I'll say it here. Sonic X-Treme is intresting. I don't know if it would make a good game, but I think it would make a great special stage. And if you're having trouble making a whole game, maybe just release 3 levels for now. I don't think that would work if you're still revamping the controls and collision detection though... Still, it's amazing the effort you've put in so far. You seem much more dedicated than most Sonic-fan-game-makers out there.
The email: Jeff, May 30 11:09 (PDT): Hello, We appreciate the creativity and effort of all our fans, but unfortunately we cannot directly accept unsolicited proposals for games or other products from the general public. We hope this doesn't discourage you from pursuing your goals as an artist or designer.
