Future Double Fine Amnesia Fortnights

[morventhus]

So with the Psychodyssey Doc now out and having fully watched it. I now am left with a very nagging question.

In the documentary, Matt Booty tells the DF team that future AF’s will need to be evaluated from a legal sense. Since Schafer has always stated DF will not own any of the IP presented is not owned by DF. Though of course as Booty stated any game project worked on during company time would typically be considered owned IP.

Im curious has this been hashed out yet? Will the future of AF change or will it now end? I am also curious what the community’s thoughts on this matter are?

[Mort]

It makes sense that it changed with the aqcuisition, but I have no idea how they will do it moving forward.

My personal opinion is that they are part of Xbox and Microsoft, everything they create are as well.

[MisterBobbyPin (Jackson Conot)]

I really do hope they continue them, but it does seem like they can’t do them as publicly as they did at least. Hopefully they can at least hold private Amnesia Fortnights.

[morventhus]

@MisterBobbyPin

I really do hope they continue them, but it does seem like they can’t do them as publicly as they did at least. Hopefully they can at least hold private Amnesia Fortnights.

From what i took away… the publicity was not a problem… the only hiccup was df didnt own any of the games made unless they decided later they wanted to make them full games… Which from a legal sense seemed iffy at best for an indie studio… and a big no from any moderately sized company

[MisterBobbyPin (Jackson Conot)]

@morventhus

From what i took away… the publicity was not a problem… the only hiccup was df didnt own any of the games made unless they decided later they wanted to make them full games… Which from a legal sense seemed iffy at best for an indie studio… and a big no from any moderately sized company

Oh, so they’d have to change it so the company would own the copyright. At least that’s what I am assuming.

[morventhus]

@MisterBobbyPin

Oh, so they’d have to change it so the company would own the copyright. At least that’s what I am assuming.

Yeah. I think thats the way it would have to go… Though it seems like the df team was hesitant about such an idea. With if im correctly recalling the statement in the doc Tim was worried that not providing that freedom for individuals to own ip not used… would lower the odds of people wanting to come forth with creative ideas.

[Resist]

These sort of mash ups aren’t exactly rare in the industry… just no one expects to own the IP they created using company time and resources. Tim should have never set that expectation when they were independent because it’s extremely legally grey and people would still participate because game designers are generally creative people.

[morventhus]

@Resist

These sort of mash ups aren’t exactly rare in the industry… just no one expects to own the IP they created using company time and resources. Tim should have never set that expectation when they were independent because it’s extremely legally grey and people would still participate because game designers are generally creative people.

Yeah… it is/was a very odd thing to be like… work on this thing… if we dont use it we wont keep it.

I know its not tied to just games… my company where i work… heck even my university had the rules of what you make on company time or company tools is the company.

[Searsy82]

@morventhus

Yeah… it is/was a very odd thing to be like… work on this thing… if we dont use it we wont keep it.

I know its not tied to just games… my company where i work… heck even my university had the rules of what you make on company time or company tools is the company.

This is the case at the university I work for.

[Chosen]

They did one after the acquisition.

[morventhus]

@Chosen

They did one after the acquisition.

The one after the acquisition is the one talked about in the doc. Booty tells them it can continue but after this one it needs to be looked at for legal reasons.

[morventhus]

@Searsy82

This is the case at the university I work for.

Yeah… its a really weird exception doublefine created

[Mort]

@morventhus

The one after the acquisition is the one talked about in the doc. Booty tells them it can continue but after this one it needs to be looked at for legal reasons.

Yeah, that one was during the closure of the deal. We also don’t know what was said about that afterwards, it seemed like Booty did not know about it at the time. My guess is they shut that down.

[morventhus]

@Mort

Yeah, that one was during the closure of the deal. We also don’t know what was said about that afterwards, it seemed like Booty did not know about it at the time. My guess is they shut that down.

Well they do seem to happen between a 2 to 4 year timeframe… soo we on average should be seeing one soon if they arent dead.

I do think MS would not shut it down unless Tim and co stated they would not do it unless creators could keep the ip.

[Mort]

@morventhus

Well they do seem to happen between a 2 to 4 year timeframe… soo we on average should be seeing one soon if they arent dead.

I do think MS would not shut it down unless Tim and co stated they would not do it unless creators could keep the ip.

No, I mean they probably shut the creators own the IP thing down. I do think the events will continue, great way to get new ideas for games going in the studio.

[morventhus]

@Mort

No, I mean they probably shut the creators own the IP thing down. I do think the events will continue, great way to get new ideas for games going in the studio.

Oh gotcha yeah i lm leaning that way myself. Apologies for the confusion.

[MrEvil37]

I would imagine the individual pitches (worked on outside company time) would not be owned by MS, but if the pitches get selected for AF and worked on for those two weeks, then they would be. But I’m just guessing.