🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Dec21.210345.20236@rose.com> colin.buckley@rose.com (colin buckley) writes:
>My partner/artist and I recently finished a game and got into an argrument
>over the split of the profits.

Unfortunately, I can tell you from experience that the game industry
is a turbulent business with a lot of unscrupulous turkeys in it.
Generally they are also unintelligent and if you keep your eyes open
you can avoid them.

Unless you share finances with your business partners, you should first
sign a contract and then do the work.  And you should have some sound
legal advice when you write or read this contract.  You don't
necessarily have to hire a big-time lawyer, but you should know what
you are doing somehow.

>How are royalties handled in the commerical and shareware game industry
>for outside games?  

Often, badly.

>I assume inhouse people get a salary and that's it.

I was a counterexample.  

For every conceivable profit arrangement, including a lot of fraudulent
ones, someone has probably done it that way.  There is no industry
standard for small software establishments.

>My Graphic artist wanted 50% for the basic concept and the graphic
>work.

If you are accurately characterizing your acquaintance's position, this
sounds dubious maybe to the point that you shouldn't work with this
person again.  My personal rule for both free and paid programming is
that concepts walk, programs talk.  Admittedly the graphic work counts
for something.  However...

>Sob story below related to the above, read at own risk...

The most important thing to do is to put it in the past.  Don't pick at
this wound.  If you've made a basic agreement, set its limits, put it
in writing, honor it, and keep it apart from your future business.