New kaiju game from Matt Frank + Simon Strange [Archive]

[Svitska Donkun]

If Jet Jaguar could fit in with G, so could ol' Ultraman.

Ultraman exists in a universe EXTREMELY far removed from Godzilla. Gamera at least has many things in common in the franchise and can be penciled in, however Ultraman has a whole different tone and history and universe that would overshadow and contradict a lot of what the Godzilla franchise has to offer. Jet Jjaguar at least has a role and fits into the Godzilla universe. in fact, it could be said that Jet Jaguar is the reason we DON'T need Ultraman.

[Chris55]

You're dealing with a limited fanbase as it is

Wow, you have a tiny knowledge of Godzilla's fans.

[Svitska Donkun]

You're dealing with a limited fanbase as it is

Wow, you have a tiny knowledge of Godzilla's fans.

We have a small fanbase. This is generally accepted, and can be a supported claim. If we had a decently sized fandom, why are we so worried about raising 1,000,000 dollars? This forum itself is the central hub for the Godzilla fandom on the English-Speaking web, and there's what? 30-50 regular posters?

I mean shit, highest attendance for G-Fest is 1300. I was just at Monster-Mania, a mid-rate Horror Con that happens every few months, and it definitely outdid that attendance.

[Chris55]

You're dealing with a limited fanbase as it is

Wow, you have a tiny knowledge of Godzilla's fans.

We have a small fanbase.

No we don't. Just because they don't post on boards doesn't mean they aren't there. For example, do you honestly think Legendary/Warner Bros would dump millions into a franchise with a small fanbase?

When things get settled with the licensing and the Kickstarter campaign goes up, the world will spread to games sites, film sites etc.

[Svitska Donkun]

No we don't. Just because they don't post on boards doesn't mean they aren't there. For example, do you honestly think Legendary/Warner Bros would dump millions into a franchise with a small fanbase?

Uhm...more like Godzilla simply has brand name recognition, and apparently they aren't even fully committed to the project as its still in development hell. You also realize that Hollywood has adapted projects with equally or lesser interest based solely off brand recognition. Smurfs, Thing, 21 Jump Street, even Tron to an extent. So that argument is moot. Hollywood will adapt anything that is recognizable, and recognizable does not mean it has many rabid fans. ow many articles involving the creators of the new Godzilla film talk about pleasing fans? I doubt the creators even know that much about the franchise, let alone that it even has a devoted fanbase, howeve rsmall it is. Godzilla is small fanbase, like it or not.

I mean, shit the fact that we NEED the fans to raise money for the game, rather than getting a legit development company to produce it, should say something about how executives view the property's marketability.

[jdude1996]

OMG you are dumb svitska, I have never met one person who doesn't know Godzilla or one that doesn't like him, everyone I have met likes him to an extent but nonetheless still likes him. Hell Godzilla even appeared as one of the units we had to learn about in my FRENCH class in my school. Also like they said NUMEROUS times, this is a game being made for fans and developers would just rush it and mess it up. Argument is now done.

[Chris55]

No we don't. Just because they don't post on boards doesn't mean they aren't there. For example, do you honestly think Legendary/Warner Bros would dump millions into a franchise with a small fanbase?

Uhm...more like Godzilla simply has brand name recognition, and apparently they aren't even fully committed to the project as its still in development hell. You also realize that Hollywood has adapted projects with equally or lesser interest based solely off brand recognition. Smurfs, Thing, 21 Jump Street, even Tron to an extent. So that argument is moot. Hollywood will adapt anything that is recognizable, and recognizable does not mean it has many rabid fans. ow many articles involving the creators of the new Godzilla film talk about pleasing fans? I doubt the creators even know that much about the franchise, let alone that it even has a devoted fanbase, howeve rsmall it is. Godzilla is small fanbase, like it or not.

I mean, shit the fact that we NEED the fans to raise money for the game, rather than getting a legit development company to produce it, should say something about how executives view the property's marketability.

You're worry about nothing. It'll be fine

[jdude1996]

why are you even here svitska if all your gonna do is put the game down

[Svitska Donkun]

OMG you are dumb svitska, I have never met one person who doesn't know Godzilla or one that doesn't like him, everyone I have met likes him to an extent but nonetheless still likes him. Hell Godzilla even appeared as one of the units we had to learn about in my FRENCH class in my school. Argument is now done.

You are so correct. I submit to your all knowing wisdom on the subject. How could I ever have thought otherwise? I completely forgot that my French class had an entire unit on Godzilla too! How silly of me. My driving course had one too! And my Forensics class. How have I been so blind? I really do apologize. You are the superior one in this confrontation of intellects.

why are you even here svitska if all your gonna do is put the game down

He mad.

[hammysammy59]

A modular, mix and match game sounds awesome and makes the game incredibly customizable for all tastes. Don't think certain monsters fit with Godzilla? Don't worry, you can switch them on and off. You don't even have to pay for them, they're an optional purchase/download. Only feel like fighting X type of monsters tonight? Boom, there's a match-making option for that. Hell, say Toho won't cough up the rights for their monsters just yet, but we've raised the money for the game anyway. We're not stuck, we can go forward with original monsters/Gamera monsters/Ultraman monsters/random licensed monsters and come back to Toho monsters later.

[miguelnuva]

@Svitska Donkun

I hope this doesn't sound like an attack but you do kinda shut down most of the ideas that get tossed out for this game.

[hammysammy59]

I would love to see some little surprises pop up in the game. I'd have simpler triggers for them though, so they're a little more likely to happen--basically, there's a 1 in X chance of an object or cameo monster appearing. Due to their random nature, I'd probably not have them impact directly gameplay.

[Svitska Donkun]

@Svitska Donkun

I hope this doesn't sound like an attack but you do kinda shut down most of the ideas that get tossed out for this game.

No more so than anyone else. My 3 main things are Story being one of the last priorities(Not OPPOSED to story, its just not important), a definitive TOHO roster, and console support. In reality, I cannot shut down anything as long as more people oppose me than agree, and even so, what we say shouldn't actually have any bearing on the game at all, decisions should be made by the entire fandom. Though small, TK is a very small voice of it and offers a narrow perspective.

[Mr. Strange]

I mean, shit the fact that we NEED the fans to raise money for the game, rather than getting a legit development company to produce it, should say something about how executives view the property's marketability.

Actually, there is a really interesting reason that larger companies, as a rule, do not make Godzilla games.

The problem is that Toho is a Japanese company, and so respects Japanese copyright law. Japanese copyright law (J-law) is very different from American copyright law. In America, I can sell my copyright, or a limited use version of it, to anyone. I can write a contract saying that I grant permission to use my IP, in exchange for X. That's legally binding, and so people are willing to pay for X.

In Japan, you CANNOT sell your copyright. Further, copyright is held by the individual, not by a company. This means that Toho doesn't own the rights to most Godzilla monsters!

So here is how the Atari games happened:

Atari approaches Toho, and wants to buy the rights to make Godzilla games. They have to spell out exactly which monsters (because Toho has to send folks out to get agreements from each individual who owns the copyright for that monster) and a length of time. They set a price for this, and sign a contract. But since J-law says that an individual CANNOT sell their copyright, Atari has actually bought nothing. They have bought a handshake deal. Toho, (or any of the individuals they are now representing) can, at any time, decide to revoke their permission for copyright. That would make it illegal for Atari to publish the game. The game takes 2 years or so to produce, so suddenly losing one or more monsters would be a huge problem. And that potential problem can't ever go away - since it is an artifact of J-law.

The result is that American companies pretty much never consider it an acceptable risk to make games (or anything else) based on Japanese properties - because they cannot actually buy the rights to use those properties. As a result, the only people you get making Godzilla games are companies who are in financial trouble, and are willing to take the risks.

Honestly, I think the ONLY way to ever get a really good Godzilla game made would be to have it done in a not-for-profit manner, like we are working on here. If we are not trying to make a profit then Toho can feel comfortable that we are working with their best interests at heart.

[Legionmaster]

Though small, TK is a very small voice of it and offers a narrow perspective.

But a moment ago TK was the largest sample of G-Fans you found an example of. So is it a large part or a small part? Get your story straight before your mindless rhetoric gets you look foolish.

[g2kmaster]

I mean, shit the fact that we NEED the fans to raise money for the game, rather than getting a legit development company to produce it, should say something about how executives view the property's marketability.

Actually, there is a really interesting reason that larger companies, as a rule, do not make Godzilla games.

The problem is that Toho is a Japanese company, and so respects Japanese copyright law. Japanese copyright law (J-law) is very different from American copyright law. In America, I can sell my copyright, or a limited use version of it, to anyone. I can write a contract saying that I grant permission to use my IP, in exchange for X. That's legally binding, and so people are willing to pay for X.

In Japan, you CANNOT sell your copyright. Further, copyright is held by the individual, not by a company. This means that Toho doesn't own the rights to most Godzilla monsters!

So here is how the Atari games happened:

Atari approaches Toho, and wants to buy the rights to make Godzilla games. They have to spell out exactly which monsters (because Toho has to send folks out to get agreements from each individual who owns the copyright for that monster) and a length of time. They set a price for this, and sign a contract. But since J-law says that an individual CANNOT sell their copyright, Atari has actually bought nothing. They have bought a handshake deal. Toho, (or any of the individuals they are now representing) can, at any time, decide to revoke their permission for copyright. That would make it illegal for Atari to publish the game. The game takes 2 years or so to produce, so suddenly losing one or more monsters would be a huge problem. And that potential problem can't ever go away - since it is an artifact of J-law.

The result is that American companies pretty much never consider it an acceptable risk to make games (or anything else) based on Japanese properties - because they cannot actually buy the rights to use those properties. As a result, the only people you get making Godzilla games are companies who are in financial trouble, and are willing to take the risks.

Honestly, I think the ONLY way to ever get a really good Godzilla game made would be to have it done in a not-for-profit manner, like we are working on here. If we are not trying to make a profit then Toho can feel comfortable that we are working with their best interests at heart.

Please tell me that someone in Japan has tried to get those kinds of laws changed. That just seems crappy. It makes those who want to work for the copyright holders feel as if they are on a bed of needles below some thin ice while the copyright holders can possibly look like... well, pains.

[GIGAN05]

Hammysammy59 Wrote:
I would love to see some little surprises pop up in the game. I'd have simpler triggers for them though, so they're a little more likely to happen--basically, there's a 1 in X chance of an object or cameo monster appearing. Due to their random nature, I'd probably not have them impact directly gameplay.

True, just thought it would be great to have that due to the massive imput the fan base is having on the supposed new game.

[Godz]

I mean, shit the fact that we NEED the fans to raise money for the game, rather than getting a legit development company to produce it, should say something about how executives view the property's marketability.

Actually, there is a really interesting reason that larger companies, as a rule, do not make Godzilla games.

The problem is that Toho is a Japanese company, and so respects Japanese copyright law. Japanese copyright law (J-law) is very different from American copyright law. In America, I can sell my copyright, or a limited use version of it, to anyone. I can write a contract saying that I grant permission to use my IP, in exchange for X. That's legally binding, and so people are willing to pay for X.

In Japan, you CANNOT sell your copyright. Further, copyright is held by the individual, not by a company. This means that Toho doesn't own the rights to most Godzilla monsters!

So here is how the Atari games happened:

Atari approaches Toho, and wants to buy the rights to make Godzilla games. They have to spell out exactly which monsters (because Toho has to send folks out to get agreements from each individual who owns the copyright for that monster) and a length of time. They set a price for this, and sign a contract. But since J-law says that an individual CANNOT sell their copyright, Atari has actually bought nothing. They have bought a handshake deal. Toho, (or any of the individuals they are now representing) can, at any time, decide to revoke their permission for copyright. That would make it illegal for Atari to publish the game. The game takes 2 years or so to produce, so suddenly losing one or more monsters would be a huge problem. And that potential problem can't ever go away - since it is an artifact of J-law.

The result is that American companies pretty much never consider it an acceptable risk to make games (or anything else) based on Japanese properties - because they cannot actually buy the rights to use those properties. As a result, the only people you get making Godzilla games are companies who are in financial trouble, and are willing to take the risks.

Honestly, I think the ONLY way to ever get a really good Godzilla game made would be to have it done in a not-for-profit manner, like we are working on here. If we are not trying to make a profit then Toho can feel comfortable that we are working with their best interests at heart.

No offense intended whatsoever here, but, I think if Atari hadn't been so hard nosed with deadlines and finances and whatnot, and Pipeworks staff had been more in-tune with what Godzilla fans wanted....those games could've been "really good". They had great monster rosters, for the most part...yet so many monsters were not handled accurately, be it missing roars, bad character design, questionable attributes, etc. If G:U was given six more months (or however long would be realistic to remove glitches like the frequent text overlaps, redundant unlock messages, Kiryu's broken Absolute Zero, etc) and was a 360 title with traditional controls (since the advertised "Godzilla can attack one monster with his atomic breath, punch another, tail whip a third" idea didn't really pan out) and a better, branching storyline? I could see it being rated 8-9/10 from credible gaming review sources. Granted I am no expert, but I saw the potential there (which is why I rated it fairly high on my GameFaqs review upon launch), you just REALLY had to be a G-fan to dig deep and enjoy it.

[Svitska Donkun]

Though small, TK is a very small voice of it and offers a narrow perspective.

But a moment ago TK was the largest sample of G-Fans you found an example of. So is it a large part or a small part? Get your story straight before your mindless rhetoric gets you look foolish.

Tohokingdom is a very small part of a small thing. I thought I made this very clear.

[Goji]

Again, where are all of these votes even coming from? Who's "we"? I'm assuming we're looking at votes from an army of 11 year old from the Atari boards?