The Importance Of Contracts and Their Content (An Indie Dev Perspective)
summary
An indie dev working on Critter Crops lays out concrete rules: use template contracts, pay a lawyer ~USD 300 to review, and sign agreements before anyone works (even a signed napkin). Protect IP — don't sign IP to a publisher — and refuse clauses that hand over sequels or let publishers recoup marketing. Structure payments around publisher milestones, give contractors a milestones with cushion and pay per unit (eg. per minute of animation). Prepare two GDDs: with and without publisher.
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chapters (17)
- 0:00Intro
- 1:06How did you get into the industry
- 4:24How did you garner interest from publishers
- 8:11Other types of agreements
- 11:30Horror stories
- 17:02Employee vs Contractor
- 25:17Key Points
- 30:14Marketing Fund Limit
- 34:05Dont Do This
- 36:05When Should Contracts Be drafted
- 37:55How To Deal With Publishers
- 41:23Personal Experience
- 44:45Milestones
- 47:20Dont Give Up
- 49:55Understand Your Options
- 55:15Have A Plan
- 57:05How Would You Make It Different
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