Help! How do you make a long-range collaboration work safely?

[firststef]

Hi guys!

I want to start a game with a guy that is very far away. And i wanna go Kickstarter. How can i prevent stuff like him getting a cashgrab or shutting me out when the project's done?

I was thinking a contract trough an impartial lawyer.

Please help i'm desperate.

 

[Isabella Ava]

Never work with people you don't trust

 

[Gallia]

Never work with people you don't trust

i totally agree!

 

[10kk]

A game with serious enough profit potential (such as being Steam-tier), would likely be very easily proved to be stolen work with the right evidence. Valve really doesn't want to be responsible for the mess of hosting stolen content.
You could also prove to whatever forums administrators it's not original content, and most good-faith forums would take it down.

Hence, it is unlikely they would get a very serious amount from it without support from Steam or the major RPGMaker forums.

 

[Kes]

A contract is necessary, even with someone you trust.
Everyone needs to be crystal clear about what they can expect and what their responsibilities are. Vague "oh, we'll sort it out at the time" style comments are a recipe for disaster.
People fall out, and you need to have something in place that doesn't rely solely on good will.
You need to think of the other person too. You could fall under a bus (or have some other fatal accident) and then that person has no way of proving that they have a share in the game.

 

[firststef]

A contract is necessary, even with someone you trust.
Everyone needs to be crystal clear about what they can expect and what their responsibilities are. Vague "oh, we'll sort it out at the time" style comments are a recipe for disaster.
People fall out, and you need to have something in place that doesn't rely solely on good will.
You need to think of the other person too. You could fall under a bus (or have some other fatal accident) and then that person has no way of proving that they have a share in the game.

I also had this idea. But how exactly i can do a contract? Does it have to be registered? if so In which country - i'm in Europe he is in Canada. I though using DocuSign to have it signed by both of us.

 

[Kes]

You need to take proper legal advice in your own country, as these things vary, and no one here can give a definitive answer according to international law. Either we don't have the qualifications or, if we do, we could not give that advice in these circumstances.