I am playing around with the Java LWJGL OpenGL binding, and decided I would give a go at creating a Generation 5-style game in Java. However, I was stumped at something that did not involve programming, but ethics. Every project needs a proper name, and yet I haven't been able to find a nice-sounding name. Given how the general simplicity of starting a game with RMXP, almost every name is taken (even a most obscure "Pokemon Hyacinth Version"). Alas, most of these games never made it past the ideas or games in progress board. Many have been abandoned. Loads haven't been updated (no downloads, either) since before 2007.
My question is this, and its multi-part:
Is it alright to take the name of a game which has:
A) Not been active for a long time, or
B) Has been abandoned by the developer
What about games which didn't take off from the ideas forum section? Is it alright to use the name of an abandoned/unstarted game? I reckon the latter would be a most sure "Yes", while for the former I'm not so sure. I mean, what if the developer decides to work on the game again, and finds that you've taken up the name? That could get messy.
What do you think?
My question is this, and its multi-part:
Is it alright to take the name of a game which has:
A) Not been active for a long time, or
B) Has been abandoned by the developer
What about games which didn't take off from the ideas forum section? Is it alright to use the name of an abandoned/unstarted game? I reckon the latter would be a most sure "Yes", while for the former I'm not so sure. I mean, what if the developer decides to work on the game again, and finds that you've taken up the name? That could get messy.
What do you think?