What's the McDiff? My new series of games.

DoguzDoguz Member Posts: 500
in Announce Your Game!
Hey everyone.
Thought I might share with you all my latest series of apps that is doing really well. The apps are based on @tshirtbooth excellent picture hunter template. I've created a character "McDiff" that will be host to a wide variety of themes.

See my website for this game series

The games have been doing well. I set the 1 Direction theme to free over christmas and have amassed over 7,000 downloads. So I see that as an audience that I have now that I can talk to, with advertising screens etc. The Free theme "The Picture Spy" is generating 3 figure downloads each day.

I have them published on Apple, Amazon and Google Play and have found Apple to be more fruitful and Google Play to be almost not worth the effort. Funny how all people report differently on the different stores.

A bit of tech: I have been using the MAC 1280x720 layout with overscan. And making sure that all elements fall within the iPad proportion. So I create the initial game for iphone first. Then publish. Then modify links etc for iPad. Then Publish. Then modify for Android. Then publish. Resulting 3 authoring files. Maybe will be making that 4, a seperate one for each for Amazon/Google so I can target links.

McDiff The Picture Spy
image

McDiff One Direction Edition
image

McDiff Little Mix Edition
My daughters assure me that these girls are huge. But I appear to have the one and only 'app' based on them.
image

Go ahead and check them out. I'm keen for some responses.

Comments

  • quantumsheepquantumsheep Member Posts: 8,188
    It all looks very polished, but my main concern, and it's a big one, is about the themes you're using.

    Surely it can't be legal to (I assume) grab pics of popular bands off the internet and use them without permission?

    QS

    Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
    Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io

  • DoguzDoguz Member Posts: 500
    Yes, It's a question I asked myself at the very beginning. And I replied, well if somebody has released a high resolution picture on the internet, then well, what they have done is set it free. Free to do whatever it decides to. And some have decided to be part of my game. And I'll arm wrestle anyone who questions it. Unless of course it's a lawyer, in which case I'll pull the app.

    But in all seriousness. The only people that might question this is the greedy record companies who think they 'own' people and want a cut of it. The paparazzi (those who took the photos) might show some interest, but who are they to question intellectual properties.

    Until then I'm enjoying the ride and checking itunes connect daily, having a ball.
  • SocksSocks London, UK.Member Posts: 12,822
    edited January 2013
    The only people that might question this is the greedy record companies who think they 'own' people and want a cut of it.
    If you do well with your app, would it be cool with you if I use your name 'McDiff' for my own app, I was thinking of using your logo too and your basic idea ? I thought it would be a good idea as you've already generated interested and built up a brand, so making money would be a lot easier for me if I simply copy your format.

    Sound like a good idea ?
  • DoguzDoguz Member Posts: 500
    Sounds great!
  • SocksSocks London, UK.Member Posts: 12,822
    edited January 2013
    Sounds great!
    I expect in reality you'd be fairly pissed off if someone stole your work ?

    How about uploading your GameSalad project here, so others can upload it to iTunes and make a little money for themselves ?
  • DoguzDoguz Member Posts: 500
    Go do some work @socks
  • SocksSocks London, UK.Member Posts: 12,822
    edited January 2013
    Go do some work @socks
    Yup, I thought you wouldn't be so keen on letting others use your work.

    :))
  • ElfizmElfizm Member Posts: 489
    @Socks
    Making friends where ever you go, just making friends :)

    @Doguz
    Although you may not think it will cause any issues in what you have done but those one direction pics may not be for use.
    How I initially see it is that if I had a Photo taken of me, because you know how famous I am. That gets posted on news sites ect. But that person who took the photos will charge for the photos being taken to sell. It's thief job, how they make thier own money.

    Even though you many not want to pay, maybe get permission first to avoid legal issues as they are being used for commercial reasons.

    So let's say I have a web game that I make money off but some guy comes, makes the same game with my graphics and makes it for iPad and iPhone and ends up being a hit.

    According to your statements I should just sit back and go who cares. It's my game, my images.

    It's thier images taken by thiet own cameras to earn money.

    I just think you should be carefully. It's good to see making series and all but it just seems your using other people's expencies to earn money.
    All the best with the following series if you choose to continue.

    All the best
    Elfizm
  • DoguzDoguz Member Posts: 500
    @elfizm thank you for your thoughts. Some good solid feedback. I've put a lot of work into this series and intend to credit photographers wherever I can. It's not always evident who took what when searching the web.
  • ElfizmElfizm Member Posts: 489
    That's good but I think a lot of people, including socks disagree with the taking other people work for your own. Maybe you should take the photos yourself ;)
  • SocksSocks London, UK.Member Posts: 12,822
    edited January 2013
    @Socks
    Making friends where ever you go, just making friends :)
    What can I say ! ;)

    I have friends who are photographers, and unless you're well established it's as hard a business as any to keep your head above the water and earn a living in, people helping themselves to your creative work is frustrating and depressing.

    As you say it's the photographer who usually loses out, selling photographic reproduction rights is how photographers make their money (not record companies), the 'evil record companies' line is nonsense, an excuse to justify plagiarism, and even if this were in fact some noble battle against the 'evil record companies' then any apparent moral stance is undermined if your aim is to exploit the very same market the record companies exploit in order to amass an 'audience' to 'talk to with advertising'.

    I just think this kind of attitude should be discouraged, people are already cautious about sharing their ideas online for fear of being ripped off, like here on the GS forum, and this particular situation is just a reminder that there are people out there who are more than happy to help themselves to your creative work.


    8-X
  • gamesfuagamesfua Member Posts: 723
    edited January 2013
    @socks hit the nail on the head- which, lets face it, is really hard for a horse to do. Honestly how does a horse even pick up such a tool?... But i digress.

    The fact is this is a form of theft. Now i'm not here to pass judgement or say what you should or should not do. And i'm sure you'll get away with it like so many others do. But what i will say is that i pride myself on trying to create fun and unique game design. I think its an art form. I, like so many others on these forums, are trying to make art. And i don't mean that to come off pretentious and i certainly don't think i'm some amazing designer. But i am trying and i know many others are as well. Point is, many of us are trying to make impactful games. Money is only the bonus. What you're doing appears to be in it for the money only. And thats great. Fine. Wonderful. But creating a game thats been done a zillion times before with photographs that aren't even yours is merely making a product to bring in revenue.
    Point is, that makes you the same "villanous greedy" fat cat you preached against.
    I'd much prefer you just come out and say, "yeah i know i'm doing something wrong- bite me!"
    A thief screaming about how other thieves are worse, just comes across desperate in my opinion. Don't take any of this as some form of an attack. I'd take it more as something to think about because if we're thinking it, millions of others maybe thinking it to. Thats a lot of people playing a game with stolen images. I'm not exactly the best at math (evident by my clumsy bloated coding) but i'd say there's a high probability someones gonna call you out. And i gotta tell you, copyright infringement is not a pretty beast.

    That all said, i'll say what i say to everyone else- best of luck to you and your game.

    PS- @socks we have it in writing. If the game does well, the author (in writing) has in fact allowed you to use his logo and game for your own distribution.
  • gyroscopegyroscope I am here.Member, Sous Chef, PRO Posts: 6,598
    edited January 2013

    @Doguz all what the other guys said. And paragraphs 5 & 6 - amongst other pertinent points - in this article:

    http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2006/04/10/what-do-you-do-when-someone-steals-your-content/

    ""You are in a maze of twisty passages, all alike." - Zork        temp domain http://spidergriffin.wix.com/alphaghostapps

  • SocksSocks London, UK.Member Posts: 12,822
    @socks hit the nail on the head- which, lets face it, is really hard for a horse to do. Honestly how does a horse even pick up such a tool?...
    Opposable hooves + toffee hammer.
  • SocksSocks London, UK.Member Posts: 12,822
    edited January 2013

    @Doguz all what the other guys said. And paragraphs 5 & 6 - amongst other pertinent points - in this article:

    http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2006/04/10/what-do-you-do-when-someone-steals-your-content/
    Interesting (and potentially useful) article.
  • AfterBurnettAfterBurnett Member Posts: 3,474
    Using photos from he internet is not legal if you are not using public domain images. With bands/celebrites especially they tend to have their photos taken by professionals who retain the rights to the images. I have been in the film & TV industry for over 20 years, so know a little about this ;) I doubt you'd get sued but if someone recognises the images,they are well within their rights to do so and you'd more than likely have the app pulled.
  • DanielDoeDanielDoe Member Posts: 307
    And I replied, well if somebody has released a high resolution picture on the internet, then well, what they have done is set it free. Free to do whatever it decides to.
    Wow... did I really read it?!
  • AfterBurnettAfterBurnett Member Posts: 3,474
    You also would certainly not be able to release a One Direction edition without approval. Tha's like trying to release a new Sonic the Hedgehog game...
  • AfterBurnettAfterBurnett Member Posts: 3,474
    Here ya go... got 500 million bucks?

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/feb/14/chubby-checker-sues-hewlett-packard
Sign In or Register to comment.

© Vanilla Keystone Theme 2025