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Post by Twimfy on Mar 27, 2013 18:38:55 GMT
Hey guys and gals. I've been meaning to do this for years but I finally got around to making a Sonic the Comic iPhone app. Naturally I can't publish it due to copyright etc. so what I'm doing is using it to try and back a Kickstarter campaign to get Sega to get off their asses and issue a re-print. The premise is that it costs £500+ just for Sega to even process an email request so hopefully Kickstarter backing will A: Produce the funds to do this and B: Show Sega that the fans still want to see this comic make a come-back. FYI: The Kickstarter project isn't live yet. The ultimate goal is for them to adopt the app or do their own. I mean I've practically done the hard work for them, unless there are some serious legal issues it should be a no brainer for them and I still don't get why it hasn't happened yet. Video here: www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=S_VL63p-JW0Screenshots here:
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Post by ShayMay on Mar 27, 2013 18:44:27 GMT
You're my new favourite Boomer. I think we'd have a hard time getting to £500, tbh, but it can't hurt to try!
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Post by Twimfy on Mar 27, 2013 18:47:59 GMT
You're my new favourite Boomer. I think we'd have a hard time getting to £500, tbh, but it can't hurt to try! Lol thanks. I've spread the word on Sonic Retro too, Kickstarter are currently reviewing the application (I've launched projects before so all the boxes are ticked) they may have an issue with it being based on original IP but we'll see. If I can get some support behind this I'll even go so far as to completely re-scan every comic from my own collection and will include STC:O as well if people want.
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Post by ShayMay on Mar 27, 2013 18:54:43 GMT
New rule: people stop posting their collections, I get mad jelly. I dunno about the legalities of it, but I think so long as it's established that the Kickstarter is for Sega to CONSIDER it there shouldn't be a problem. No idea about including STC-O either, but if it's possible, that'd be amazing!
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Post by L. T. Dangerous on Mar 27, 2013 19:11:11 GMT
Every issue in mint condition Aah, another every-issue-haver-guy Dude, where do you get your backing boards and bags from? I wanna make sure I get the right size for my collection. Right behind you on this idea, by the way. What a first post!
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Post by Twimfy on Mar 27, 2013 19:25:38 GMT
Every issue in mint condition Aah, another every-issue-haver-guy Dude, where do you get your backing boards and bags from? I wanna make sure I get the right size for my collection. Right behind you on this idea, by the way. What a first post! I got them from ComicalGames but it cost me a pretty penny, I searched everywhere and he was the only person to stock them.
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Post by The KKM on Mar 27, 2013 19:26:04 GMT
I dunno, at the end of the day aren't reprint rights on Egmont's hands?
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Post by Twimfy on Mar 27, 2013 20:06:07 GMT
It'll likely be in the hands of both.
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Post by RedDevilDazzy on Mar 27, 2013 20:56:08 GMT
Wow, this is awesome. Good luck Twimfy, really cool stuff.
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Post by The Shad on Mar 28, 2013 0:55:40 GMT
I dunno, at the end of the day aren't reprint rights on Egmont's hands? Back in the Birmingham meet, Nigel said that Sega had the ultimate say, and all the rights reverted to them. Some characters are in a grey area (no contracts) but he said he believed they all belong to Sega. That was a few years ago, not sure if anything has changed, but I don't think so.
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Post by Twimfy on Mar 28, 2013 1:45:37 GMT
I dunno, at the end of the day aren't reprint rights on Egmont's hands? Back in the Birmingham meet, Nigel said that Sega had the ultimate say, and all the rights reverted to them. Some characters are in a grey area (no contracts) but he said he believed they all belong to Sega. That was a few years ago, not sure if anything has changed, but I don't think so. I had a PM chat with Nigel a few years ago (when I was first mulling this idea over) and he pretty much confirmed the same but then Egmont could call a claim on some of the content. Just look at what's happening with Archie Sonic and Ken Penders.
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Post by Twimfy on Mar 28, 2013 14:26:51 GMT
So Kickstarter came back with this response:
Hi Tim,
It looks like it may be a bit too soon for you to launch this project. If you're offering the game as a reward, you would need to be able to deliver that game to backers who pledge for it. If your game is pending some sort of legal approval and you don't know for sure that you will be able to offer it, it's just too soon to build a project around it. Simply raising awareness of fan interest would not qualify as a valid goal for a Kickstarter project.
Let me know what you think, or if you update your project and would like me to take another look.
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Post by Mambo's Here! Look Busy! on Mar 28, 2013 17:59:00 GMT
It's a great idea (Nice collection, too!) but yeah, sounds like it will be marred with legal issues. :/
I was wondering a while ago if STCO had any intention of optimising for apps as well, but I imagine with all the recent social media plug-ins and comments boxes on the pages this might be a bit difficult.
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Post by L. T. Dangerous on Mar 28, 2013 18:57:17 GMT
One thing I did think about earlier while on the subject of licensing worries is how would Sparkster or Marko's Magic Football factor in? I know Konami are usually very happy to embrace fan things, so maybe they'd be behind it if this went ahead (particularly since they're obviously keen to bring Sparkster back), but I have no clue how Square Enix might react. Fair enough, I doubt they're going to worry that much about a game made by a company that was bought out by a company they bought out but still... I dunno, I just don't want you getting in trouble is all
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Post by Twimfy on Mar 28, 2013 19:09:16 GMT
I could always strip everything but the Sonic content out.
Anyway I went back to Kickstarter explaining that I could set Ad-hoc distributions of the app as a reward (limited to 100 copies - Apple's policy).
That way backers would get something regardless of the legal outcome.
I'm waiting to hear from them, Kickstarter can take days to reply to one email. Sometimes they never reply.
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Post by Alex on Mar 28, 2013 21:26:02 GMT
What happens if you met your target, got the money, and Sega turned around and said "No chance, [censored] off" (which is extremely likely). Clearing off the whole "I don't actually have any of the rights to do any of this" issue should have been your initial priority, not a "eh, I'll think of something later, money first" deal. Between that and your page stretching massive image: I'm out.
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Post by RedsDrive on Mar 28, 2013 21:58:39 GMT
Looks pretty good but is Kickstarter is best way to go about it?
I would say this would be more of a business proposal (at this stage) than a 'project' so would it be worth seeing if Sega has some sort of process to deal with legitimate licensing queries? The Kickstarter could be a way to fund development after approval.
Also, Android version plz!
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Post by Charles on Mar 29, 2013 2:00:14 GMT
Yeah, Sega are in the phonebook and they do like licensing their properties for extra cash. It'd be best to talk to them and then do the kickstarter.
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Post by Twimfy on Mar 29, 2013 16:57:30 GMT
Well I now I sit with three options.
I can approach Sega directly with a business proposal. (tricky for me seeing as it's going to require cash, something I just do not have at the moment, situation is rather dire, hopefully that'll change soon).
OR having spoken to Kickstarter in depth, I could issue a fund raiser and offer a limited 100 copies of the app as a reward via Apple's Ad-hoc distribution.
That way if the target was met the majority fund raisers would get the app regardless and the cash would be there to approach Sega.
Lastly I could stick the binary on a disk with a covering letter and pop it in the mail to Sega Corporate's London office.
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Post by Alex on Mar 29, 2013 17:07:20 GMT
Generally, companies cannot take your work and use it - no matter how much you may want them to - because it's a legal minefield. For example, no matter how great the self-drawn/self-written 12 issue blockbuster of Spider-Man you sent to Marvel may be, they'll still have to turn you away. Using the work without a pre-arranged contract is just too legally risky. And that's under the presupposition that the app is any good to begin with.
It's even more of a legal nightmare with something like STC because Sega don't even really have all the rights to it and its content - not in a way that couldn't be validly tested should they attempt to profit from it again.
You'd probably have been better off just making the app yourself and putting it up for free on the Android Play Store and not dealing with any of this at all if you really felt an app for this was necessary.
I don't want to be completely dissuasive, but the reality is that you're unlikely to get anywhere with this with your current plans - and Sega are unlikely to have anything much more positive to say about the chances either.
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Post by Twimfy on Mar 29, 2013 18:28:17 GMT
Generally, companies cannot take your work and use it - no matter how much you may want them to - because it's a legal minefield. For example, no matter how great the self-drawn/self-written 12 issue blockbuster of Spider-Man you sent to Marvel may be, they'll still have to turn you away. Using the work without a pre-arranged contract is just too legally risky. And that's under the presupposition that the app is any good to begin with. It's even more of a legal nightmare with something like STC because Sega don't even really have all the rights to it and its content - not in a way that couldn't be validly tested should they attempt to profit from it again. You'd probably have been better off just making the app yourself and putting it up for free on the Android Play Store and not dealing with any of this at all if you really felt an app for this was necessary. I don't want to be completely dissuasive, but the reality is that you're unlikely to get anywhere with this with your current plans - and Sega are unlikely to have anything much more positive to say about the chances either. Fair points (although not sure on the putting for free on the Android store idea. IMO that's where people go to hide from copyright lawyers, this app would just be a ticking time bomb). Just to clarify, I'm not simply a naive fan boy. Although there is little chance of this happening for many reasons there is absolutely no harm in trying especially if you're passionate about something. A product is always sold depending on demand. Coming to the floor like this with an actual product is an exercise in measuring that demand. The result will either tell me A: It isn't worth bothering, or, B: People want this, push harder. If I do say so myself it sure beats those people who appear with a drawing of Leon S Kennedy and then go on to say (I'M GOING TO SEND IT TO CAPCOM AND THEY"LL MAKE IT INTO A GAME AND I"LL MAKE MILLIONZZ!!1!1!) I had a product a few years back that I took to the BBC and that was a huge success based on the same method. As for the copyright on STC. I guess we don't really know how Sega stands. For all we know they may have copyright absolute on everything in the comic or only Sega characters. Worst case scenario, I have myself an STC app I can use to read them on the bus without dicking around with huge PDF's and 3rd party comic readers.
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Post by Nigel Kitching on Mar 30, 2013 15:32:44 GMT
I dunno, at the end of the day aren't reprint rights on Egmont's hands? Back in the Birmingham meet, Nigel said that Sega had the ultimate say, and all the rights reverted to them. Some characters are in a grey area (no contracts) but he said he believed they all belong to Sega. That was a few years ago, not sure if anything has changed, but I don't think so. Of course this might be Nigel Dobbyn you are talking about but if it is me then you're way off he mark and I don't agree with what you say at all I'm afraid. How can rights 'revert' to Sega - they always owned Sonic and the other Sega characters. What 'grey area'? What 'contracts'? I never signed any contracts at all. Fleetway signed some form of licensing agreement. Since I never signed away any of my creator rights then I probably own (in conjunction with the artists in question) any character I created. Copyright law in the UK appears to back this up - but then again I'm not a solicitor. It's not something that I lose a lot of sleep over however.
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Post by Sam on Mar 30, 2013 16:45:44 GMT
Please, for the love of God if you want me to invest in this topic, sort that picture out.
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Post by Twimfy on Apr 1, 2013 1:11:10 GMT
Please, for the love of God if you want me to invest in this topic, sort that picture out. Done, sorry I'm used to forums having an auto-resize and I work on a 1920x1200 screen so I forget it can be a pain. Anyway rather controversially I took it to Kickstarter. After a lengthy discussion with them they approved it and supported the idea. I'm well aware I could potentially land in hot water over this but I don't really have a lot to lose.
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Post by Beeth on Apr 1, 2013 13:51:32 GMT
I call April Fools.
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