Rikacon Fangame Project

[Hrusa]

Hi,

I decided to make an account here and to post this question before I get into some sort of FSS business with what I do. I am Hrusa from reddit.com/r/touhou if anyone recognizes me like that. I have been working on a touhou fan project on my own for quite some time and I am looking forward to releasing it in a few months time. I have made a few threads on this elsewhere, but those places did not really encourage much constructive criticism. I want to get slapped in the face before TSA does so.

If anyone would be interested I can actually then proceed to talk about gameplay and so on, but I would like to settle the practical stuff first.



Here is an imgur album containing some screenshots: http://imgur.com/a/EoYXw

My vision regarding the release was that I wanted to sell hard copies at conventions in our country primarily. My goal is not to make some ridiculous sum of cash, but I want the package to include a box, printed CD, manual, a poster and a map of the game world. Nice extra goodies that make the experience more thrilling.

Because central Europe does not offer as many Touhou fans who are the primary target audience for all the puns and inside references I wanted the second part of the release to be selling hard copies via some doujin online shop. This is the part I am most worried about. I initially assumed that a hard copy of the game automatically makes this product more than some virtual license with no effort invested into it. It is finite and solid property. I would have to choose a store that primarily targets doujin audience somehow. I realize that putting it on e-bay would expose it to people who are not familiar with Touhou. However in the light of the recent event I lost all certainty. I am looking for a way to ship this doujin project to fans abroad because I want people to simply possess my game in the old school way. And so far it seems that this might seriously confront ZUN no matter how I do it.

Parallel to the selling of the hard copies I also wanted, after some delay, to make the game free to download at my website as some sort of donation ware. I found the idea fair as the people who download the game don't get the experience that comes with the box and manual, and I wanted to ask for a donation along with that. But apparently asking for donations is also forbidden.

I fully realize the concerns of ZUN and TSA regarding other people monetizing on their trade marks. My project is nowhere near the scope of FSS aims, even if hundreds of people wanted to play the game I couldn't pack and send so many copies. All I really search for is trying this doujin experience myself, do everything myself and let other people enjoy it.


Am I on the right track?

Do you know of any good doujin store? I was thinking something like jlist.com

[Moogs Parfait]

Hi Hrusa,

Just letting you know that we're in the same boat here at Mystery Parfait, since our game is made of dead trees.  I'll let you know if/when we find the answers to our questions.

[Hrusa]

Maybe we could reach more success as a group of doujin authors, If we show that there is some sort of collective desire to clarify this aspect of fan-game release ZUN might decide to provide a statement on this. I also saw that one Touhou cart project in the making recently.

[aUsernameIsFineToo]

But apparently asking for donations is also forbidden.

Was it? I thought it's okay to have a "donate" button as long as you don't force anyone to donate. That's the whole point of donationware: deliver the game without any limitations and leave it completely to the audience as to whether a donation is necessary.

About selling a boxed set, I think that's okay as long as it's done in certain outlets. Doujin conventions come to mind, but I guess designated online distributors might work as well. Regarding the second option, I'd try to get in contact with ZUN and work something mutually agreeable out.

[Hrusa]

All right, I probably misread something in terms of the donations. I can't find the source, but it probably was referring to situations when the donation is a form of payment. After reading this https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,17884.msg1158129.html#msg1158129
I am quite convinced that donations are ok.

Now that I think of it I think I actually read an interview with ZUN where he might have said that he doesn't want the authors to explicitly ask for donations in the game. I can't find it right now, but it seems like a very harsh measure. In regards to the boxed copy, my current plan probably is selling the game physically without any hesitation. I already know a doujin circle that sells regularly stuff at cons. And I will simply wait with selling the hard copies until we get some response. Who knows, maybe I will get direct requests when it gets launched or nobody will like the game anyway so it would be fine.