SpiderByte.inc needs you!

[Spider Byte]

Hello, my name is Ian McCambridge, i live in california, usa. I am 15, and am the leader of Spiderbyte. We are currently working on a next gen fan game based off of Sonic Adventure series. Our producer will be contacting Sega and will request for a policy on Fangames. Also, if our game qualifies, we will be entering our game in the annual SAGE expo.

The game we are working on is called Sonic - The Black Emerald. The story line has already been roughly constructed, along with art to support the story. The game will be a 3D Sonic Adventure / Next gen styled fangame.

Right now, we have a producer, a few 3D modelers, Several 2D Digital Artist, Producer Artist, and a Sketch Artist. We are looking for more Modelers, more Texture artist, C++ Ogre3D programmers, Lead Programmer, Lead Artist, Producer's Assistant, StoryWriter, and a bunch of other nessicary roles. To see all other roles, just visit our forums which is located at:
http://spiderbyte.proboards54.com
Milestones will be used
Team structure fallows a basic Grantt Chart
We hope to see you there. ;)

[robwhit]

Your promotional video has numerous misspellings. Are you really prepared to pay the salaries mentioned in the TEAM SIGNUP thread? If not, how much of that stuff actually applies to your project? And why do you ask for the sex of the applicant?

Do you have any experience programming? Do you understand the technicalities of software development enough to lead a team of programmers?

[zacs7]

You do know the Sonic character is copyrighted yes? I'm no lawyer but I'm pretty sure SEGA would get upset if you released a game starring 'Sonic'.

"Next gen", haha, please!

[Perspective]

Any late or sloppy work will not be happily accepted. Chew your programmers ass out if you want, we dont care, its still your fault.

As you can see, this is a hard job to become a lead programmer so you might want to consider becomming a regular programmer


ROFL!!!

good luck with that chief.

[Spider Byte]

Sorry for this huge misunderstanding. I had my producer post recruiting topics around the web, but he used my old recruiting topic directly. That video is old, and i am sorry about the spelling errors. No, we cannot pay a salary, as it would be breaking many copyright laws and TOS with Sega. The team is 100% volenteery work, and do not pay any team members. The reason why those are there is to support the grantt chart. The game will be 100% freeware. Our producer will be sending mail weekly, making sure we do not cross any legal lines, and will grant Sega corp an Team Member forum account so they can check whenever they want. After the game is finished, we will see if we can qualifiy for entering the annual Sage Expo. Yes i am ready to be a leader, i have lead 2 teams years time ago, which were very successful. I have also been programming for years, but am to new to C++ and OGRE3D. And yes, the game is next-gen styled.

If you have any questions, please go to our forum (http://spiderbyte.proboards54.com) and pm me (Spiderbyte). If you wish to sign up for the team, please fill the form out on this topic: http://spiderbyte.proboards54.com/index.cgi?board=2&action=display&thread=8

These are the current roles we are looking for:
C++ Programmers, familiar with Ogre3d and Code::Blocks IDE
Producer's Assistant
3D Modelers
texture artist
2D Digital artist

[master5001]

Just so we are clear on one thing, just because one volunteers or even allows access to an owner, doesn't change copyright violation. In the software industry you gotta watch out for people pulling a microsoft on you...

[zacs7]

Nor does the fact it's 'freeware'.

[Spider Byte]

Master5001: Yes you are right, we will try to avoid devastating situations ;)

Nor does the fact it's 'freeware'.

Actually, it does. Anyhow, Me being the owner of SpiderByte, i fully understand the risk which i feel is very thin. If you do not agree with the rest of the team and I, it is fine, you do not have to join. Our fangame has no particular reason to be shut down (besides quality) compared to other and MANY sonic fangames. If Sega really wanted to, they could stop the Sage Expo, which has been going on for years, which even Sega Staff and Memebers attend annually. This could be a Great way to get your name out there. Not to mention, employers like to see volenteery work.

If we decide to keep all (most) of the members after the Game Development is over, we will work on other products, except Shareware products (no fangames)

[zacs7]

I disagree, MGM is a perfect example. They shutdown many games and even mods of 'Stargate' because they were releasing an official game. The mod/game leaders were threatened with legal action. Sure you could try and take on MGM -- but they've got a pretty big tiger.

Seriously, taking commerical ideas and making them free isn't a good idea IMHO. And you do know that people go to uni for a long-time to learn such skills you claim to have at 15 years of age? Huge companies fail, what makes you think you'll succeed with no professional training? And I'm not saying you'll fail, these are things you have to consider before commiting time & effort. Something you should know -- being a project leader.

In court, the reason why you did something holds little value. If SEGA don't like it, then they have everyright to sue -- wouldn't you if you spent millions of dollars on a game and there was a 'free fangame' version!? I certainly would. I know only because my Mum lectures business law at uni, that's what I've picked up -- I'm certainly no lawyer.

It's all been tried before, "free World of war craft", "free GTA", "free counter strike" little have got anywhere -- what makes you think your project will be different?

If you think I'm harsh, that's too bad. Welcome to the real world.

[medievalelks]

First of all, good luck. Nice to see such ambition in a young person. Most 15-year olds I know would rather play games and watch TV than try to make one.

However, I might try with a smaller team of people you know/trust. You could end up disappointed when complete strangers decide that they don't feel like working anymore on a project for free.

This also seems like a big first project, if it is indeed your first game. Or do you have others we might be able to download?

Again, good luck.

[Bubba]

The game will be a 3D Sonic Adventure / Next gen styled fangame.


3D and Sonic will not fly with Sega. Most will let you do 2D but absolutely will not let you do 3D without taking serious legal action against you. Problem is the quality of your work, or lack thereof, reflects upon their company, their name, and their brand. They realize that without those they really don't have a company and therefore any income. So you essentially are asking them to allow you to make a game which could seriously undermine the Sonic name if you do it wrong.

High end dev houses would be hard-pressed to get asked to do a Sonic title much less you and your cronies. SEGA is not going to entrust their baby to you. That's like asking NASCAR to let you use their cars, logos, etc, in your little game. Not gonna happen without some serious cash, serious professional proposals, and a host of other things I'm afraid you just don't have.

You are allowed to post here and this is the right forum for it but you are making some outrageous claims and have very little to back them up. If this is your first project I doubt you will ever get a 3D sonic rendered on the screen.

[Perspective]

You can read through nehe's (nehe.gamedev.net) archive and see what happened to his 3D zelda project. Same deal.

[Elysia]

I'm just wondering, but wouldn't it be a better idea to get permission first before starting to recruit? Otherwise it can get pretty nasty.

[abachler]

1. its GANTT not grantt.
2. The login section should be at teh top of the page, not the bottom.
3. There are toomany page breaks seperating the sections, it makes the page look disorganized.
4. Have you written your requirements document or design document? Those are usually the first steps.

[Mario F.]

He's not going to get permission. Not when the project is being announced and recruitment is being made through a public forum service. Not when the idea of team composition is a series of scans from some textbook, and not when it's a 15 year old managing the project. Sorry, but that's just it. His age will not help when any dealings would have to go through his parents.

Projects like this go one of four ways:
- They get very popular and threaten the company returns, and are shutdown;
- They get very bad and damage the image of the company, and are shutdown;
- They never get of the "I want to do it" stage. This is the most common;

If instead he focused on creating something new and used that as a showcase of his and his team abilities - assuming you can make a credible team by recruiting complete strangers - he could then walk to SEGA, show it and request authorization to use Sonic. Then, just maybe, with a lot of luck, he might get a yes. But as is, even a simple snapshot of the word "Sonic" in the context of the popular game or a rendering of the character taken from his project and published on the web will be illegal.

[abachler]

I agree, but I generally try to offer encouraging suggestions to the youngsters. This usually serves to enlighten the subject as to the enormity of the task ahead, and yet doesnt directly discourage them from trying. Sure, the project is obviously doomed from conception, but he will learn more from trying and failing than from not trying at all. Remember, he is still at the learning phase of his life, he doesnt have to succeed yet.

[matsp]

Projects like this go one of four ways:
- They get very popular and threaten the company returns, and are shutdown;
- They get very bad and damage the image of the company, and are shutdown;
- They never get of the "I want to do it" stage. This is the most common;

And the fourth way is? [sorry my nitpicking-prevention filter is turned off :)]

--
Mats

[Mario F.]

I meant to change that to "three ways" :)

The reason I put there four ways was because I initially was thinking of those very few projects that go underground. But couldn't remember any if I was later asked of an example.

EDIT: I'm not sure he's reading this anymore abachler. He's probably already discouraged as is :)... or even more bent in showing how wrong we are. Either way is good. I'm hoping however, if he's still reading this, he considers instead creating something new and then, if Sonic is still what he wants to do, use that to sell himself and the team to SEGA.