Receiving prompt response from The Man Upstairs -- and that's really what makes this company great, having direct connection to the head if you have issues! Seriously! -- I have received my answer.
(shortened for space constraints)
Quote
10:59 PM spamguy: moki: quick question
11:00 PM moki: ya?
11:01 PM spamguy: Who has ownership rights to a game you ship: Ambrosia, or the game's author?
11:01 PM moki: we do
11:01 PM spamguy: That's what I thought
11:02 PM spamguy: So if an author agrees to hop on the Ambrosia boat, he agrees to hand all rights to you?
11:02 PM moki: spam: well, it isn't "all rights" -- it isn't that simple
11:03 PM moki: but yes, a good bit of the intellectual property by necessity has to become the publishers
11:03 PM moki: this is industry standard
11:03 PM moki: (and with good reason)
11:03 PM hawk notes that George Lucas took a pay cut for the first Star Wars in 1977 in exchange to full liscensing rights
11:03 PM spamguy: Righto...the Ferazel people are having an argument about that
So there we are. There will be no Ferazel 2 for any reason because
- Ambrosia owns generally all conceptual rights to the game, not Ben
- we would need Ben's input, which is utterly impossible since moki kicked him out
- we have no ability to competitively top the original without stealing media from it
- people would be demanding 3D and multiplayer, and we can't offer that :rolleyes:
I would prefer and insist that this topic die a quick death, since it encourages unrest among the peaceful citizens.
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"Mr (spamd00d) stood far back, his hat in his hand, counting the bared heads. Twelve. I'm thirteen. No. The chap (with) the macintosh is thirteen. Death's number...silly superstition that about thirteen." (12/10)