Pure Radiance is a fan game that doesn't feature anybody from the Sonic universe. All I know at the moment is that I want to use the Unreal Engine. How would one make completely original characters without infringing any Sega related copyrights? Thank you in advance.
What exactly do you mean by original character? Like, a fan character or just a completely new, non-Sonic related character. I assume you mean the latter, because you clearly state that this fan game you are planning "doesn't feature anybody from the Sonic universe". By that logic, you would not be infringing on Sega's copyright whatsoever if you are not using any Sonic-related characters. Do you mean that you are making a Sonic-styled game but without the cast of characters from the games, or are you making a fan game with all Sonic OC's? Sega doesn't really care that much about us using their characters as much as other companies do, so if you just make a bunch of Sonic OC's you should be fine, I suppose. You will most likely get into legal trouble if you sell your fan game, however, I do not know if anyone has actually been sued by Sega in doing so.
Basically, I'm making a Sonic-inspired game with all my own characters and putting it on the Xbox store. I just wanted to know if that would work.
If your game features an anthropomorphic hedgehog that runs fast and collects rings, you might be setting yourself up for trouble. Otherwise it'll be fine.
You'll find quite a few commercial examples of games now based on Sonic's gameplay, that never drew SEGA's ire, and they're fine. In-fact, I believe Seraphna mentioned at some point that, GalaxyTrail directly asked SEGA if Freedom Planet would be okay, and not only were they okay with it, SEGA of Europe sent Strife a Sonic sweater for Christmas, congratulating him on the game's release. (A really sweet gesture!) So, if you're absolutely uncertain, see if you can get in touch with some people who might know the right SEGA reps to ask about your game. You shouldn't have to resort to what Them Fightin' Herds did; they set aside a fair amount of their game's budget purely to legal costs, just in-case Hasbro decided to sue them for having pony-like characters. (And thus far, they're also fine.) SEGA is appreciably a lot more lax on such things. And I'm confident you're doing everything possible to make your game stand out and be different from Sonic, while still celebrating the spirit of what you think made Sonic great to start with. So, keep it up and don't worry about it. If you are still worried, you could always ask the appropriate reps, or legal specialists, if some things need changing to avoid any potential disputes, because us people on web forums aren't always the best avenue for legal advice.
Do you have anything to show off on this project of yours? All this to me seems like "I have a idea that I needed to make my own topic to share" kind of deal here : /
Basically, all I got is the outline for the story. The story is that a star fell from heaven, and when it fell, it split into 3 people. That's all I've got right now.
He's simply asking if he could make an original game in the spirit of Sonic at all, without legal trouble; pay attention to the premise of the thread, your reply is conversationally unproductive. This is not one of those "I have a game idea!" threads, otherwise the opening post would be nothing more than the usual ideas board with nothing substantive to show for it.
I wonder. Sonic-inspired gameplay is fine. Spark the Electric Jester and Freedom Planet do exist. I'm sure you'll be fine. Gotta admit, I do like your "star from the sky" idea. Best of luck to you.
I'm curious as to which game you're drawing most of your inspiration from, and I'd like to know some more of your story, if you're willing to share. I do like the concept of the star falling and splitting into 3 people. Would these be the main characters of your game?