So I have developed a modified version of demo game(Star Shooter) and I like to host it in Play Store. Can I do it? Is it legal? Please help guys.
Hi @raj1 and welcome to the Corona Community Forums.
I’m assuming you mean the game that you build through the Getting Started guide, correct?
If so, that code is open source under the MIT license and you’re free to do with it what you want as long as you maintain the MIT license requirements. The artwork came from https://www.kenney.nl/ and are public domain art sources. However, the artist would like a donation from people using the artwork. You need to read the license for those and conform to any requirements imposed by that content creator. The audio comes from Eric Matyas http://soundimage.org/ and while he offers his audio on a donation basis as well, he does have specific requirements that you would need to meet. Corona Labs cannot grant you any license to the graphics or audio.
You could reach out to those two artists and work out usage details with them or replace the audio and graphics with your own or graphics you legally acquired from another source, but that’s all on you.
Now that we’ve answered the “Can I?” question, you should also be asking “Should I?”. Can you imagine what the app stores: Google Play, Apple’s App store would be like if there were hundreds of the exact same game available? First, you’re not going to get a lot of downloads because there are so many other similar “clones” out there. There is a high likely hood that Apple wouldn’t approve it anyway because they are working hard on avoiding clones. I believe Google Play is taking a similar strategy.
If I were answering that question, my answer would be “No, you shouldn’t”. Sure, go through the exercise of using it to learn how to deploy a game/app to Google Play. That process requires quite a bit of learning on its own. I just wouldn’t release it.
You can use the game as a framework to make a game that’s truly your own. There are tons of things that can be done to make the game different. The original asteroids game had alien ships that would occasionally fly through and shoot at the player. You could add additional challenges. Perhaps instead of hits causing the asteroids to go away, they should break up and spawn new smaller asteroids. Maybe have different rock shapes. Give the ship some movement through the screen, let it rotate, teleport, etc. of course those are all things that were in the original Asteroids game. Maybe add some gold asteroids that you want to run into that give you powerups or bonus points. In other words, make it your own. You will have more success if you do so. That said, there are still a ton of asteroid games in the marketplaces.
Honestly, your best bet is to take what you learned and come up with your own game concept that’s more unique.
Rob
Hi Rob, Thanks for your suggestion and reply. When I say modified, I meant, I modified exactly like you said. Removed sound and image and added my own.
Added new game logic, ship can shoot laser 360 degree, and more and more you score, the more and more it will get difficult. On top of that, I have added one new power boost which can be helpful if asteroid’s fill up the screen. So pretty much I’m improving but I have took the sample project as the one we have at getting started.
I know the store is filled with a lot of games and I’m trying to recreate a game which I played during my teen days(the good old, retro 8-but wonders)!! That is why I’m working hard and getting inputs from friends/family and colleague to continuously improve the game. I will not be publishing the game at much earlier stage and not without all the stuff the older game had. I forgot the name but I couldn’t find it in play store and that’s why I planned to create it.
All I wanted to know was, since the original base code was taken from Corona Demo, is it ok for me to replicate, which you have answered.
Thanks for such detailed response and for your time.
Sure you can release but don’t expect any downloads unless you have a marketing and UA plan. Sad but true.
The days of release a sub-par game and get installs has long past on all platforms.
Hi @raj1 and welcome to the Corona Community Forums.
I’m assuming you mean the game that you build through the Getting Started guide, correct?
If so, that code is open source under the MIT license and you’re free to do with it what you want as long as you maintain the MIT license requirements. The artwork came from https://www.kenney.nl/ and are public domain art sources. However, the artist would like a donation from people using the artwork. You need to read the license for those and conform to any requirements imposed by that content creator. The audio comes from Eric Matyas http://soundimage.org/ and while he offers his audio on a donation basis as well, he does have specific requirements that you would need to meet. Corona Labs cannot grant you any license to the graphics or audio.
You could reach out to those two artists and work out usage details with them or replace the audio and graphics with your own or graphics you legally acquired from another source, but that’s all on you.
Now that we’ve answered the “Can I?” question, you should also be asking “Should I?”. Can you imagine what the app stores: Google Play, Apple’s App store would be like if there were hundreds of the exact same game available? First, you’re not going to get a lot of downloads because there are so many other similar “clones” out there. There is a high likely hood that Apple wouldn’t approve it anyway because they are working hard on avoiding clones. I believe Google Play is taking a similar strategy.
If I were answering that question, my answer would be “No, you shouldn’t”. Sure, go through the exercise of using it to learn how to deploy a game/app to Google Play. That process requires quite a bit of learning on its own. I just wouldn’t release it.
You can use the game as a framework to make a game that’s truly your own. There are tons of things that can be done to make the game different. The original asteroids game had alien ships that would occasionally fly through and shoot at the player. You could add additional challenges. Perhaps instead of hits causing the asteroids to go away, they should break up and spawn new smaller asteroids. Maybe have different rock shapes. Give the ship some movement through the screen, let it rotate, teleport, etc. of course those are all things that were in the original Asteroids game. Maybe add some gold asteroids that you want to run into that give you powerups or bonus points. In other words, make it your own. You will have more success if you do so. That said, there are still a ton of asteroid games in the marketplaces.
Honestly, your best bet is to take what you learned and come up with your own game concept that’s more unique.
Rob
Hi Rob, Thanks for your suggestion and reply. When I say modified, I meant, I modified exactly like you said. Removed sound and image and added my own.
Added new game logic, ship can shoot laser 360 degree, and more and more you score, the more and more it will get difficult. On top of that, I have added one new power boost which can be helpful if asteroid’s fill up the screen. So pretty much I’m improving but I have took the sample project as the one we have at getting started.
I know the store is filled with a lot of games and I’m trying to recreate a game which I played during my teen days(the good old, retro 8-but wonders)!! That is why I’m working hard and getting inputs from friends/family and colleague to continuously improve the game. I will not be publishing the game at much earlier stage and not without all the stuff the older game had. I forgot the name but I couldn’t find it in play store and that’s why I planned to create it.
All I wanted to know was, since the original base code was taken from Corona Demo, is it ok for me to replicate, which you have answered.
Thanks for such detailed response and for your time.
Sure you can release but don’t expect any downloads unless you have a marketing and UA plan. Sad but true.
The days of release a sub-par game and get installs has long past on all platforms.