Game Credits with nicknames?

[Pegasus]

I have a question regarding Credits in the game. After having played some commercial rpg maker games, I was very surprised that some developpers do not put their name in the game's credits and instead put a Nick Name.

Now, we are all used to see real names of people who participated in the development of a game, either it is from a big company or a small indie company...but to put a nickname (example; ScriptP21705, Soleil Rose...etc), I feel that it gives the player the impression that the company itself is a very amateur one. Free games are fine when nicknames are used as we all know many rpg maker games are been made by passionate users from various forums and obviously they are not trying to get exposure in the commercial market + to get the company be known to the public/journalists.

What are your opinions on this? Don't you think that when one choose to go commercial, he/she is also choosing to go public and by putting a nickname (there are also silly nicknames I have seen) instead of a real name, it is sending the wrong impression that the developper/company is not a serious one but a very amateurish one. What are your thoughts?

Note added : I meant the owner of the company, not the people who are being commissioned.

 

[Usagi]

Well, they could ask every single person they used a resource from their real identity, but probably most won't want to tell. Some people like to get recognition and be recognizable from their nickname of familiar forums, for example, Hanzo Kimura and his game and his shops, almost everyone knows of him, but that isn't his real name. However, almost everyone can recognize him and that he is a familiar RPG-er.

 

[Shaz]

We use whatever name the people who give/sell us resources and scripts ask us to use. If they prefer to have their nickname used, so be it. If they are known by that name on forums, it's not a legal issue.

Some people prefer to not make their real names known for any number of reasons. It is not our right to argue against them about it.

I know of some very professional companies (non-RPG) who are more than happy to use nicknames in their credits list. I don't consider it unprofessional at all.

 

[TDS]

I think I've seen a few games with both real along the nickname, like Name "Nickname" last name. I don't think it's unprofessional, but it does make me look twice when I see it.

 

[Lunarea]

I usually ask not to be credited by my real name. Part of it is for security reasons, and a part of it is just that most people who are involved in RM know my by my nickname. It's much easier to keep track of credits when you just need to remember one nickname.

 

[Pegasus]

Some people prefer to not make their real names known for any number of reasons. It is not our right to argue against them about it.

I was referring to the owner of a company. I know that a little group people who are commissioned usually used nicknames compared to more professional users who are freelancers. But for the owner of a company to use a nickname, don't you think this is definitely weird and make the company look completely amateur?

 

[Shaz]

Ah, you said "in the credits" so I misread that as "other people" who provided resources for the game, not the developer him/herself. If it's a commercial game, you'd definitely want to have a company name somewhere. I would use my company name and maybe my real name on my own game.

 

[crimcrim]

Commercial wise? You aren't making an rpg maker game for insane profits. You are making it to get your name out there, so yes, putting your fill name is a good idea. However putting your nickname is also fine, all in the eye of the beholder. I see nothing wrong with using your nick. Nothing profitable, but nothing wrong.

 

[Indinera]

Commercial wise? You aren't making an rpg maker game for insane profits. You are making it to get your name out there.

Say what? :huh:

I use a nickname, personally. I'm making games because I like it and because I hope they do make profits, but definitely not "to get my name out there".

But for the owner of a company to use a nickname, don't you think this is definitely weird and make the company look completely amateur?

I don't know for sure, but I hope not. :lol:

Given the number of people that contact me daily for this or that or the other, I don't think it's considered all that amateur though.

The owner's name is secondary next to the website, the forum or the overall activity.

 

[Touchfuzzy]

I personally would probably do Nicholas "Touchfuzzy" Palmer, but that is because most people know my real name anyway. I don't see anything wrong with primarily going by a nickname, even in credits, if that is what the creator wants to do.

I mean, while I do know his real name, Goichi Suda is listed as Suda51 in the credits to several of the games he worked on (creator of Killer7, No More Heroes, and a good many other games). And I can barely remember Notch's real name (creator of Minecraft).

I would suggest possibly looking into DBA paperwork stuff though for where you live if you do that to release a commercial game.

 

[Probotector 200X]

I don't like using my real name for various reasons, so I'd probably use a nickname. Not one like this, where it's named after a video game character(s), but one of my more original ones...

Also, ever play a NES Mega Man game? There are tons of nicknames there. Like "Inafking" and "2m03cm Man" and "Yuukichan's Papa"...I think it's entertaining.

 

[amerk]

I personally would probably do Nicholas "Touchfuzzy" Palmer, but that is because most people know my real name anyway. I don't see anything wrong with primarily going by a nickname, even in credits, if that is what the creator wants to do.

I mean, while I do know his real name, Goichi Suda is listed as Suda51 in the credits to several of the games he worked on (creator of Killer7, No More Heroes, and a good many other games). And I can barely remember Notch's real name (creator of Minecraft).

I would suggest possibly looking into DBA paperwork stuff though for where you live if you do that to release a commercial game.

See, I learned something new. I thought Nick Palmer was Nathaniel.

But to add my own two cents, I don't think it matters what name you use. If the point is to get your name out there, you're better off building your portfolio through loyalty with the communities, your games, and the contributions you've made, and sharing those with a larger "for profit" company looking to hire game makers.

However, most people (even commercial RM developers) are just looking for a way to be paid for their hobby, as supplemental cash. I doubt most are planning to retire and live large off of RM, so it probably doesn't matter.

I would, however, encourage you to stay with one name regardless if it's commercial or not, and even if it's just a nickname. That way people can identify who made the game. Case in point, I can usually identify a darkhalo game (typically found on RPG Revolution) within the first few moments of playing the game, but it's still nice to know for sure. If she/he suddenly switched up and used a more legit name, I may have trouble identifying the developer since I know them by darkhalo.

 

[Indinera]

I thought Nick Palmer was Nathaniel.

Nick Palmer -> Nathaniel B.? :huh:

I doubt most are planning to retire and live large off of RM, so it probably doesn't matter.

Don't see how it *would* matter anyway, even if you "plan to retire and live large off of RM", though.

I would, however, encourage you to stay with one name regardless if it's commercial or not, and even if it's just a nickname. That way people can identify who made the game. Case in point, I can usually identify a darkhalo game (typically found on RPG Revolution) within the first few moments of playing the game, but it's still nice to know for sure. If she/he suddenly switched up and used a more legit name, I may have trouble identifying the developer since I know them by darkhalo.

I agree it's best to stick to just one name in general. However it's interesting to note some authors, especially novelists, have had works published under different names or nicknames. RM games are not so different from novels (after all, it's often one author telling one story through a game), so I guess it could and probably has already happened.

 

[Lunarea]

It's not like using a nickname it's a new concept, either. Lots of authors used to (or still do, sometimes!) have pen names that are different than their real names when they publish novels. Sometimes it was for marketing purposes (especially when it was unheard of to have female authors), other times it's because they are well-known and wanting to move away from their niche. It's not regarded as less professional in that industry.

There are also actors and stage performers who use a name different than their legal one. It's also not regarded as unprofessional.

Why is it different for the video game industry? And how would you be able to tell for sure that someone is using their full name instead of made-up alias? I've met people with really weird names - to the point where if they used their legal name, people would assume it was a random forum nickname with a last name attached.

 

[Indinera]

Why is it different for the video game industry?

In fact, the OP may be asking for names looking like forum names such as Sephiroth765, SuperCoolDude22 or whatever rather than just nicknames as opposed to your real name.

Nobody in the novel or music industry is called like that (yet xD).

 

[Lunarea]

Well, to be fair, that may have more to do with the fact that books and movies existed before computers/internet. They set up the industry standards. Video Games are still fairly new, however. I think there's room to figure out whether (or how to) incorporate nicknames versus full names.

Personally, I don't care what's used (real name or not), as long as it makes it easy to find the person via google. If all you've ever done has been done under an alias (nickname), then googling the real name won't tell me anything.

 

[Indinera]

Well, I'm all for using nicknames in creation, and that includes video games. ^^

However, I wouldn't personally use a nickname that looks like a forum or chatroom name. It feels less serious to me.

 

[Lunarea]

Oh! I should also mention that not all nicknames are appropriate. If your nickname is something like HorseBanger or Genericnamewith#####, it would probably be a bad idea to use it. But if you have an original and recognizable nickname that you use virtually everywhere, it would be good to include it.

 

[Indinera]

Agreed. I do use the same one for all my games.

 

[Celianna]

Nicknames that sound like passable names are pretty good in my opinion. Not something like IAmTheDeath666. But either way, no it doesn't really look unprofessional, there are plenty of professional artists out there who use stage (or pen) names instead of their real name. I mean, who really knows what Pink's real name is? And like Touch said; what about Notch? Touch actually reverted his name back to Touchfuzzy on the forums, instead of his real name.

If you google Celianna you get all of my resources for the RM community. Google my real name and you ... might get my facebook, and that's it. It's all about recognition, really. Nicknames are easier to remember than real names. But make it unique, and lay off the numbers.