Pay-what-you-want or Pay-to-unlock-bonus-content Games?

[SundownKid]

As long as it's based on an existing series, it would be considered unlicensed - doesn't matter if you invent your own characters or not, it has to be an original universe.

You can work on it, obviously, but not charge money to buy it.

[Xamusel]

I mentioned that this was a friend's idea, the game, and I just wanted to know whether or not he was being wise about the DLC issue.

Thanks for answering the question thus far.

[dramspringfeald]

If they are selling it the only way he could get away with it would be to have Written (as in paper) permission from The Original Licence holder, The Region Licence holder, and the Country Licence holder where the game is to be released. Trust me it will be expensive as hell to boot.

Your "Friends" best bet is to scrap it and make a lawyer friendly knock off. this means a total rebuild of characters, names, designs, locations, ect. It falls into a grey area but it's what keeps the Dollar Stores afloat. Writing around Trademarks

and if your "friend" has decided to take "option 2" it would be easier to just make a new game and a different Humongous Mecha franchise of his own.