Why I Turned Down a Publishing Deal

As a solo indie game developer I have to go with my gut and given my current funding and vision for Hexagod, working with a publisher just isn't the right decision for me right now.. but only time will tell if this was a mistake.
#gamedev #indiedev #aarimous
My Games:
Hexagod Demo: store.steampow...
Chess Survivors: store.steampow...
Social Media:
Twitch: / aarimous
Discord: / discord

[@Aarimous]

As a solo indie game developer I have to go with my gut and given my current funding and vision for Hexagod, working with a publisher just isn't the right decision for me right now.. but only time will tell if this was a mistake. Please consider wishlisting my upcoming game Hexagod to help me continue this journey: store.steampowered.com/app/3059390/Hexagod/

[@gdomjan83]

I wish you named a few specific examples about those risky points in the contract. Not naming the publisher of course, but just to give examples of what to be on the look out for.

[@Aarimous]

I thought about framing the video this way and talking about terms the lawyers said were a risk/needed to change. But I think the reason I walked away from the publisher wasn't because of the terms of the contract, but instead was the fact that signing a contract like this carries inherent risk. My gut was saying to me "hey this risk doesn't seem to be worth the reward given my context". I will say I think the publisher would have worked with me to get the contract into a spot where we were both happy. The other reason I leaned away from sharing specific terms is that I am not a lawyer so I don't want to get into the position where I am giving legal advice that could be false or misleading (even if I do the "I'm not a lawyer" disclosure, people might still take the info as facts). Thanks for watching the video and good luck out there.

[@FillMakesGames]

Thanks for sharing. This is a topic that should be talked about more. Keep it up!

[@fray989]

The reason for getting a lawyer to review contracts is specifically so you end up getting clear terms on paper and NOT relying on a gut feeling. You hired a lawyer that did their job (any contract like this will need back and forth edits) and then instead of following the process you based a decision on a gut feeling and pulled out. This video reads to me that you're not sure if you made the right decision so you're posting on YT to get validation from your audience that you didn't mess up. There's nothing here thats helpful for anyone in this same situation.

[@otnima]

Before refusing the deal, did you go through any of the points highlighted by your lawyer with the publisher ? Could they have been unintended maybe ? It seems strange to me that over the course of your exchange with the publisher that some of these things weren't invoked upon. If they were indeed intended but not specifically mentioned that seems sketchy as hell and anyone in their right mind would've probably done the same in refusing the deal, whether they need the funding or not.

[@ThomasStewartDev]

You have a good head on your shoulders. Kudos to you for thinking about your long-term goals over short-term gains.

[@tomwor3380]

Very good advice. I have 20+ years of self employment behind me as a software engineer. The jobs I took when my gut told me otherwise *always* went sideways. And realizing I knew before was torture. I later learned that lesson and walked out of the room several times with a smile, since I knew I dodged a bullet. Good luck with your game.

[@prodigalsongames]

How am I supposed to watch this video but also be watching you live on stream? That is not easy for a man of capabilities.

[@MA-xb2yz]

Bought chess survivors. Looking forward to your next game!

[@astoldb]

I've played hexagods and it was so fun! Good luck on your journey!

[@Aarimous]

Thanks for checking it out :)

[@sindelio]

Thanks for sharing your experince and thoughts!

[@_I-OvO-I_]

Interested to know where did you get your lawyer that handles entertainment/games?

[@Aarimous]

I googled "game dev lawyers for publishing contracts" and met with a few until I found ones I wanted to work with.

[@LucasVogel]

A comprehensive video on what a publisher can offer and whatnot would be great imo, as long as you can do it without disclousing anything you don't want to obviously.

[@OldRod99]

Great video - you did the right thing by contacting a lawyer. Contracts like that are written to be obscure, and there's always something hidden in there that you just won't see without knowing to look for it.

[@DestinedProductions]

can you speak to some of the things in the contract which worried you?

[@luckyknot]

Great advice for travellers, thanks!

[@paipai762]

Cool story, but it's not really informative. I feel like all the information that could be interesting and give the viewers any value was excluded

[@Limdorn]

Added to my list

[@somefishhere]

What was the process for looking for a lawyer? Did you ask a friend? A gaming forum? A personal recommendation? Or someone who has game industry contract experience?

[@Aarimous]

TBH, I googled "game dev lawyers for publishing contracts" and met with a few until I found ones I wanted to work with.

[@infinitivez]

Look, I know you don't want to talk about what terms, but you walked out of a lawyer's office with a laundry list-- that kinda sounds like you should be passing on some "considerations" to others.

[@AronKjösnes]

Yeah, no need to name anyone, but perhaps this could be a good teaching opportunity on some things that up-and-coming game developers can look out for.

[@thiagosoares7414]

I think it is a wise decision. Since you dont need it, you can just accept something that would be really good for both. Also Im lil curious to know what were the non-optimal terms on the contract. Im really enjoying your content, since Im soloing just like you!

[@gameboardgames]

Right on man! Follow your gut is good advice. I think in your situation, if you don't need the money, and you don't need the promotion/marketing as much because you have this channel and knowledge, then ya, you don't really need a publisher that much either. This also bodes really well for Hexagod, may turn out to be a hit :)

[@Aarimous]

Thank you :)

[@Sourusophyexe]

First. May the Omnissiah guide you 🙏

[@Nobody6146]

For all those complaining he didn’t provide enough information, the reason is he’s likely under some sort of NDA

[@LucasVogel]

or he just doesn't want to share details, as he stated, because it reads as unprofessional and it might hinder future sponsorships or publishers.

[@ultimaxkom8728]

No NDA has been stated. _"I am not a lawyer so I don't want to get into the position where I am giving legal advice that could be false or misleading (even if I do the "I'm not a lawyer" disclosure, people might still take the info as facts)."_ He said.