Fan Games Based on Anime/Games?

[Stride]

So are we allowed to use renpy to make fanbase games on anime and games. There are some 'yes to' and 'no to' this sort of thing but i saw Sailormoon games on the site.
So if I want to make a game base on Final Fantasy or the Bleach, and Naruto anime, saying something that

-it's fan-based because I like the anime
-not liscensed by the 'ppl in charge
-I do not make a profit of selling this game, it's free for fans
-and other I do not own this series

and
-using midi music for Final Fantasy (since ppl make it and it's suppose to be free)
- Using game screenshot for backgrounds (if can't, I'll make my own).
- Use own fan art of it (I guess we can't use the company's original art...can we?)

So would it be frowned upon if I released something like this? Or I would like some tips. I don't want to get flamed or dig myself a hole because I love these games and anime, and I want to make a free visual novel for the fans, and not to pose as the real thing.

[Samu-kun]

Well, from a legal stand point, it wouldn't be allowed regardless of circumstances. The only way you can make a fan game legally is to ask permission.

If I recall correctly, I don't think the Sailor Moon Dating sim was made on the renpy engine. However, I don't recall anything in the renpy license per se that would forbid you from making a fan game. Rather, it's copyright laws that would make it illegal, not the renpy license.

The question whether it'll be frowned upon is up to interpretation. It might be frowned upon by the company in question or it might not be. Some companies are protective of their property and they send people cease and desist letters. Other companies don't care and either quietly or (in the case of some anime companies) rather blatantly encourage fan work.

I don't think the majority of fans really care. The entire concept of doujinshi is about fan work, so you don't have much to worry about from the fans.

[Aleema]

This topic has been discussed many times.

General summary: No, you're not "allowed". Can you do it? Yes.

Personal opinion: Go for it.

[PyTom]

The Ren'Py license does two things:

- Prevents you from claiming you wrote Ren'Py.
- Disclaims any warranty liability on my behalf.

The LGPL (which is the controlling license for distribution of Ren'Py games) also requires that you have a link to http://www.renpy.org/dl/lgpl/ as part of your game.

I take no position on fan-games, other than an occasional bit of mild disdain when I see people with a large amount of talent working on something that is second-string.

[Sharyl Chow]

As a professional Illustrator, the answer is NO. But I am making a Bleach Dating Sim and so far none of the companies sent me anything about it. I do not plan on selling it either but I am conscious that it is no "legal".

But most of the creators of these " Fan Games " do not make a lot of money usually from these games, so most of the time the companies in Japan/Studios do not really care. However there are incidents in Japan that certain doujinshi artists are sued.

I remember that there was a Fangroup that released a Yaoi Eroge of Full Metal Alchemist and I do not think they ran into any problems.

[Melkoshi]

As others have said the anwser is No. But people still do it.

I'm making a fangame based on a MMO, but they are more open about fanworks. (Since they allow both fanart and fanfiction on their official boards. I wouldn't see why interactive fanficition would be a problem personilly. XD Plus, they've accepted a doujin game as official. )

On the note about that FMA game; If it's the one I'm thinking about. It was a Chinese game made by 4 students in 2004. It was shut down cause of copyright issues, but i believe they were selling the game(as it had a cd with box art with it). It is a very rare game to get ahold of now.

If it's for free(and all orginal works(art, music, ect) aswell.), it is still illegal, but alot of companies do overlook fanworks. I'd suggest researching the said company on if they have any issuses with the fanbases.(like shutting down fanworks, like Square-enix for the two Chrono Trigger fangames it's shut down for example.)

Only true way to know, is to email/write them and ask.

[Ramidel]

Generally speaking, Japanese companies don't go after people for doujins or doujin games. Doujinshi are free publicity for the main course. (Square-Enix is an exception: they're known for trying to nuke the Chrono community from orbit. Repeatedly.)

That said, the odds of anyone who speaks for the companies actually noticing your game and telling you to shut up is negligible unless you become well-known (what killed the Chrono projects).

I very much disagree about asking for permission, though. This is one of those cases where you're better off asking forgiveness than permission; what the company doesn't know about can't hurt them.

[ArkSkyheart]

I figure its fine as long as your not selling the game. most companies rage over poeple who make money off their IP's Square-enix is a big example. recently they sued the crap out of a korean singer who recreated a scene from advent children in one of her videos (the vid was garbage) but she made money off makeing the video, they also shut down alot of weapon manufactures who where makeing replica FF swords. reason being your making money of their IP

fan work is cool as long as its free and for personal use. if your makeing money square-enix "will find you"....

[Jake]

fan work is cool as long as its free and for personal use. if your makeing money square-enix "will find you"....

Squeenix shut down the Chrono Resurrection project, which I don't think was planning on making any money.

If nothing else, if you infringe on a trademark (like, pretty much any game character or name), then the trademark owner is actually obliged by law to actively protect that trademark, or they could end up losing it.

[PyTom]

I'll also note that, in some companies minds, there's a difference between fan-art and doujinshi and stuff, and an actual game. One is an expansion into a new media, while the other competes with the original work in the exact same market.

[~Julia~]

Japanese companies (for the most part) do not frown upon most media of doujin works and in some cases it can become so popular that the company actually offically licenses the product.

After I'm done with Devil Gene R I want to make a fan game based of a Strawberry Panic, my favorite anime of all time, so if you're having 2nd thoughts don't, just go with it, long as you're not making a profit you should be fine.