Hi! Recently, Ive been in contact with a dev team who is interested in "hiring" me as a level designer. The team chief said he would make me sign a contract that stipulates that all profit would be shared. The only problem I can see though, is that this indie game development company is "unregistered".. SO here are my questions: 1) Does this contract have any value if the company isn't even registered?? 2) If it isn't, what kind of possibilities do I have so that I can work trustfully with total strangers forming indie teams who "will pay me once they actually get money". Is there a way to make a contract that refers to a person and not a company..? Thx for the advice ;-)

The real question is whether you will ever get paid! These guys don't have any money to make a game -- so that means they don't have any money to get a game published either. You should take a look at the contract, and have an attorney read it too. Yes, I know that costs money. But not having an attorney read it could cost you even more, later.

In my opinion, the best reason to join a venture like that is for the educational value, and the portfolio value. You won't make money from it, and neither will they. Nobody makes money from just one game. But you can learn a lot, and if the contract permits you to use the game in your portfolio, then you could have a portfolio piece too.

Lol, first lesson learned: you need money edit your game :p I was also wondering: don't you have to register your company to make your alpha version become public?


Nevertheless, let's just consider this game DOES somehow make money (because you never know, and also in case I ever do find a indie project who actually works out), is there some sort of contract form that exists where I would not get completely ripped off moneywise. Im thinking of not signing a contract with a company, but rather with a team, an actual person, or conecerning a product..?Does this exist, are there any sort of their alternatives?

Just in case, here is the link of the project : http://www.riseofheroesmmo.com/guide/index.php

Quote: Original post by illison terry
1. don't you have to register your company to make your alpha version become public?
2. let's just consider this game DOES somehow make money (because you never know, and also in case I ever do find a indie project who actually works out), is there some sort of contract form that exists where I would not get completely ripped off moneywise.
3. Im thinking of not signing a contract with a company, but rather with a team, an actual person, or conecerning a product..?Does this exist, are there any sort of their alternatives?

1. Not to release an alpha of a game, no. A company needs to be official for tax purposes only (when the company is making money or has investors).
2. Yes, that's why you hire a lawyer.
3. Again - that's why you hire a lawyer before you sign any such contract. You might want to read some of the other posts on this forum. And the forum FAQ. Read about collaboration agreements especially.

Ok, so as I understand it (and by reading other posts):

No Lawyer = No Protection

and I guess even less protection in the situation where this company isn't even registered..


I guess I'll have to take the risk to get ripped off then, since Im a student who doesn't really have a hundred bucks or so to spend on a lawyer :(

Thx for the answers anyway ;)

Make sure you keep a copy of the signed contract.

One problem I foresee, depending on your law's jurisdictions-- if no individuals are named except you in the agreement, and the company isn't registered even as a DBA, the contract may be void due to lack of an existing party. A company needs to be registered to formally exist-- it's an entity independent of its members/agents, so you'd be making a deal with no one in the above-described case. The exception would be if each member of the team is named in the agreement and defined as "X company"; a court in that case would interpret the company as a general partnership between the named individuals.

Best,