Ren'Py Remaking an abandoned game question

[BaconLake]

What is the general community feeling about remaking an incomplete/abandoned game? (11months since last update).
I've seen some remake releases but I'm not sure if any permissions were asked for or granted.

Diving deeper, the game in question was well received for it's renders and writing. My initial thought is to keep the writing as is for the first half of the available content then make small changes arching up to 100% original writing inline with then end of the last release.

As far as characters renders go (if the answer to the first question is answer is positive), I would like to use semi-original toons based on the original. i.e. the edgy alternative girl concept remains but that's not the same girl used. Or is that going to piss off the community and fans of the original? Would it be best to try and recreated the original character renders?

I really enjoyed the game in question and like making renders. I was sad to see it was abandoned and think it would be cool to create my own take on the visuals. Who knows, my take on it might be sh*t in contrast or maybe a couple people will get some enjoyment out of it.. maybe even get to a point where there's an ending.

 

[Mareeta]

It's pretty hard to be certain about it, because it really depends of how&why fans like the game and their characters.

For exemple if we talk about A.O.A Academy (I know why you don't want to say a name but it's a good exemple), Rebecca is by far my favorite character on an AVN and can be compared with some characters I love the most in other medium like TV series, mangas and videogames.
Because she looks so beautiful and cute so you have to be able to make her like she already was and it's not an easy task, some people I've try already and it's the same for Ashley, Jenny, Vicky and others fans. But it's probably even more because of her sensibility. And it's hard to write a character like her, maybe TLG (the creator) who have so real life problem talking to other people use his knowledge to make her even more real you can't be sure. When people are really attached to something it's bold to use it in your own way.
It would be easier to use a mediocre game and make it better.

That being said you'll never know if you don't try. It could be a fun experience and well received. You just have to be aware of how time-consuming it is to make AVNs.



As for the "legal" way to do it I know nothing and can't help you.

 

[rick911]

From a legal standpoint (not a lawyer. I studied copyright law but never completed the degree, so keep that in mind):

You need to seek and obtain explicit permission from the original creator(s), otherwise you're guilty of copyright infringement. Anything they wrote, anything they programmed, anything they drew, any music they composed... You need to get their written blessing to use those assets, and you need to make sure it's from the correct person who owns the copyright. You likely need to contact and get permission from multiple people. Don't pull a Marble Syrup and steal your game's assets.

Edit to add: This applies even if you offer your remake for free, fyi. You are still committing copyright infringement and opening yourself up to a potential lawsuit. It probably WON'T happen, let's be honest. But it could. I wouldn't want that hanging over my head, personally.

My suggestion: start by contacting the original devs. Email them, contact them on Patreon/Itch.io/Subscribestar/whatever. If they give you permission? You're golden. If they want compensation? Up to you. If they say no, or demand compensation and you say no... I advise you to abandon the remake idea. You can still make a vaguely similar game, but I would completely abandon all connections to the original.

If they don't even respond? I'd start making a game "inspired" by the original. Don't copy/paste anything. Rename all the characters, rewrite everything (even if you keep the same plot beats, use your own words for everything). It sounds like you already plan to do your own/redone art, so use that for everything. Call yours a "spiritual successor" or "inspired by" the abandoned original, that way no players try to accuse you of stealing/ripping-off your game.

 

[redknight00]

11 months is not abandoned, it's just average release schedule for nowadays.

 

[TessaXYZ]

Dude, just make your own VN. Why copy someone else's work?

 

[Network 34 Games]

From a legal standpoint (not a lawyer. I studied copyright law but never completed the degree, so keep that in mind):

You need to seek and obtain explicit permission from the original creator(s), otherwise you're guilty of copyright infringement. Anything they wrote, anything they programmed, anything they drew, any music they composed... You need to get their written blessing to use those assets, and you need to make sure it's from the correct person who owns the copyright. You likely need to contact and get permission from multiple people. Don't pull a Marble Syrup and steal your game's assets.

I'm even less qualified than you are by a long way, but wouldn't that fall under intellectual property rights? (not a smart-assed response. I'm genuinely interested to learn here.)

On a somewhat different note.. 11 months is not long at all. I know my updates take around 6 months give or take and it's pretty basic bitch stuff in comparison to the work i have seen from a few people here (Naughtyroad immediately springs to mind here and his stuff can take around a year for an update, so 11 months is nothing).

The biggest issue I think you are likely to face is that most dev's characters live a life of their own inside the developer's mind. they have their own distinct personalities and backstories, not all of which will have yet been revealed in-game. Capturing that essence I would think would be damn near impossible.

You would be better off making your own game with your own story. probably a hell of a lot less work than trying to guess the motivations of someone else's characters.

 

[rick911]

I'm even less qualified than you are by a long way, but wouldn't that fall under intellectual property rights? (not a smart-assed response. I'm genuinely interested to learn here.)

On a somewhat different note.. 11 months is not long at all. I know my updates take around 6 months give or take and it's pretty basic bitch stuff in comparison to the work i have seen from a few people here (Naughtyroad immediately springs to mind here and his stuff can take around a year for an update, so 11 months is nothing).

The biggest issue I think you are likely to face is that most dev's characters live a life of their own inside the developer's mind. they have their own distinct personalities and backstories, not all of which will have yet been revealed in-game. Capturing that essence I would think would be damn near impossible.

You would be better off making your own game with your own story. probably a hell of a lot less work than trying to guess the motivations of someone else's characters.

IPR is more of an umbrella term, which copyright falls under. Since the game has been posted online, that counts as being "published". So I believe it would be both here.

 

[BaconLake]

It's pretty hard to be certain about it, because it really depends of how&why fans like the game and their characters.

For exemple if we talk about A.O.A Academy (I know why you don't want to say a name but it's a good exemple), Rebecca is by far my favorite character on an AVN and can be compared with some characters I love the most in other medium like TV series, mangas and videogames.
Because she looks so beautiful and cute so you have to be able to make her like she already was and it's not an easy task, some people I've try already and it's the same for Ashley, Jenny, Vicky and others fans. But it's probably even more because of her sensibility. And it's hard to write a character like her, maybe TLG (the creator) who have so real life problem talking to other people use his knowledge to make her even more real you can't be sure. When people are really attached to something it's bold to use it in your own way.
It would be easier to use a mediocre game and make it better.

That being said you'll never know if you don't try. It could be a fun experience and well received. You just have to be aware of how time-consuming it is to make AVNs.



As for the "legal" way to do it I know nothing and can't help you.

That is the game I had in mind.. and I really appreciate your feedback.
I've started and lost interest in many self-made mediocre games to date lol. The last one has ~4k words.. just recently pulled back from that one. Loved the concept, feel out of love fleshing it into a story after 5 chapters. Focusing only on the renders feels like cheating but better chance of me sticking with it, at least I hope.

 

[BaconLake]

From a legal standpoint (not a lawyer. I studied copyright law but never completed the degree, so keep that in mind):

You need to seek and obtain explicit permission from the original creator(s), otherwise you're guilty of copyright infringement. Anything they wrote, anything they programmed, anything they drew, any music they composed... You need to get their written blessing to use those assets, and you need to make sure it's from the correct person who owns the copyright. You likely need to contact and get permission from multiple people. Don't pull a Marble Syrup and steal your game's assets.

Edit to add: This applies even if you offer your remake for free, fyi. You are still committing copyright infringement and opening yourself up to a potential lawsuit. It probably WON'T happen, let's be honest. But it could. I wouldn't want that hanging over my head, personally.

My suggestion: start by contacting the original devs. Email them, contact them on Patreon/Itch.io/Subscribestar/whatever. If they give you permission? You're golden. If they want compensation? Up to you. If they say no, or demand compensation and you say no... I advise you to abandon the remake idea. You can still make a vaguely similar game, but I would completely abandon all connections to the original.

If they don't even respond? I'd start making a game "inspired" by the original. Don't copy/paste anything. Rename all the characters, rewrite everything (even if you keep the same plot beats, use your own words for everything). It sounds like you already plan to do your own/redone art, so use that for everything. Call yours a "spiritual successor" or "inspired by" the abandoned original, that way no players try to accuse you of stealing/ripping-off your game.

If they don't even respond? I'd start making a game "inspired" by the original. Don't copy/paste anything. Rename all the characters, rewrite everything (even if you keep the same plot beats, use your own words for everything). It sounds like you already plan to do your own/redone art, so use that for everything. Call yours a "spiritual successor" or "inspired by" the abandoned original, that way no players try to accuse you of stealing/ripping-off your game.

Seems like the most likely avenue as the Dev disappeared. From what I can tell the assets used are of the Daz3d variety.

 

[BaconLake]

Dude, just make your own VN. Why copy someone else's work?

Completely valid question

 

[NeonSelf]

Make a mod for original game?

For example there is Lab Rats 2 mod, that is released as one complete download, since base game was abandoned.