Introduction and Advice

[yindiestudios]

Hi everyone - and DM admins. 

 

I'm Ivan, owner of Yindie Studios - a small independent game development studio. Nothing too impressive there so I wont go into details. 

 

Like many of you, I started to read the Wheel of Time many years ago - and more than a few years ago I got the idea to make a game based on it. To my dismay, I discovered Red eagle had the rights, so that put an end to that. I thought I'd wait for it to come out - looked forward to it - every few weeks looked for news of it. It never came. 

 

Of course, I found all the material that is out there on the idea and wasn't too impressed. I felt all attempts by others was disastrous, the kickstarter project to get it going was doomed to failure from the beginning. It slipped into uncertainty and eventually into oblivion. The game that was released years before didn't get that many great reviews and wasn't 'epic' like the books were. 

 

I'm not saying to insult, I'm saying it as it is. 

 

Then comes along little old me. With my mad idea's and my mad plan. I can't and won't go into detail on it now - suffice to say that I have reared my ugly head finally and I am very serious about developing a massive RS-MMO-RPG-RTS based in the fourth age in the universe Jordan so expertly created. 

 

Then tragedy - and it was a huge tragedy - RJ passed on and like many of you I didn't know what was going to happen with the series. I was struck down in a way. I had heard that he had written the ending, rumors ran amuck all around the internet but nothing was definitive. Then it was announced Harriet had chosen someone worthy to finish the series - I was skeptical of course - so I read into it - found out how those sequence of events had happened and why he was chosen and I was pleased. It seemed faithed. 

 

So, for the last five years or so, likely more, I can't be sure when it first began, I have been working on this idea for a game - making notes, making proto-types, engaging with people, with fans and keeping it low key - watching interviews with Robert, Harriet, searching out WoT trivial, history, theory and like everyone else, waiting for AMOL to be released. 

 

And what an ending... oh boy was it worth the wait. 

 

But it left me a bit empty. I didn't want it to end. I wanted more. But there would never be more. 

 

No one would ever be allowed to mess with the universe, no one would ever be allowed to write stories within the universe or continue books based on the little notes RJ left behind with regard to Mat, the Seanchan and others. I didn't know what I could do. Then it struck me. The seed that finally brought all my semi-thought-out-idea's together. 

 

Sure it might seem obvious to everyone, it even seems obvious to me with the benefit of hindsight. 

 

I knew I could do a better job of building the game than anyone else, I felt that I could get the right people on board, find the right artists, I know I could get the fans behind me and I knew what was important to the fans - and I felt, to some degree, I could make this happen and respect the wish's of all involved and not mess with things RJ didn't want messed with. 

 

In my supreme arrogance and excitement I decided, now is the time - but - there was a problem. I'm not a game developer - I'm a hacker slash network admin who's only other passion outside of gaming and books was IT and technology. Something had to change. I had to change. So I formed Otherworld Studios and began to teach myself the skills required - test idea's and so on. I had some success building small games for tourism and the like in my city while continuing to work as I always had. 

 

Then, two years ago - I decided - enough was enough - time to make it real - I quit my job, sold my business and myself and my love decided to come to Canada, to the Indie Hub - and find the skills we needed to make Game Development real. There was much we had to learn. Long story short, it is happening, it is real, it is making us some money and I am seeing it through - we are working on a number of games that will be released shortly and we are working on various assets for sale to other Indie developers - on top of that the company - Yindie Studios - is mainly there to help other Indie developers achieve their goals, because of my background in IT and my skills it was a big step from that - to this - but I found that other Indies faced the same challenges as me, funding issues been one of the top, infrastructure issues, equipment, skills finding help and the list goes on. What I realised was - I was better at that than them, so thats how Yindie came to be and soon we will be in full gear. 

 

Then - a few months ago I set out to rethink the Wheel of Time game again - this time I looked into how I could actually achieve it. I looked into likely costs, time-frames - who's who, whats what and many other things and I came up with a plan. 

 

But there are problems. 

 

1) I needed permission. 

2) I needed the blessing of certain people (because without it I wouldn't even attempt it)

3) I needed money (so I looked into crowdfunding)

4) I needed to fan - because the one thing Red Eagle and every other attempt screwed up on, was they didn't 'get' WoT and they didn't understand the 'Fans'. It was a money venture - a way to capitalize on WoT. Thats how it looked to us from our perspective. 

 

So. Why am I here?

 

I dont want to make the same mistakes. 

 

To begin that process. To find out if I can do this - and if not, why not - and what is in the way, what concerns I have to address, what legalities I have to take care of, who owns the rights to what and a long list of other questions. 

 

A few days ago I set up the twitter accounts, the facebook pages, began setting up the website and began talking to people. Last night I announced my intentions. 

 

My intentions are to build a proto-type (or complete the existing one) and to complete the game design document and raise support from the community, to show what 'could be' - and to approach Harriet and all others involved and to find out where I stand. 

 

I am aware of all copyrights and will not thread upon a single one. 

I am fully aware this may never happen and that I could fall on the first hurdle. 

 

All I ask is to be given information relevant to the topic and a chance to present my case to those that matter and to the fans. 

 

I do not ask money from anyone - I will raise the money myself. I have thrown thousands into this as it is but even that is just a grain of sand in a desert. 

 

And the sad truth is - if this is denied, if all avenues are closed to me - I want all to know that I will not release what I have done and I will not attempt to go forward without having everything in order. 

 

This project of mine is to raise support, to show everyone this could work - to build a game that has never been built before because I know that I can, I have the skills, I have an almost complete team of talented individuals who are themselves WoT fanatics. 

 

So, after my announcement and initial support run last night - I was contacted by various people with legitimate concerns. 

 

I wish to address them now in any way that I can. 

 

I realise I need to contact Bandersnatch first and I believe that is the best place to start. 

 

I also ask for any advice, comments, suggestions and criticisms from you - the DM staff and its members, fans and so on. 

Website. www.yindie.ca
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/wot4thage?ref=ts&fref=ts
Unoffical q and a thread: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2204133522/10153059275293523/?notif_t=group_comment
Email: info@yindie.ca

 

Thank you - and please for give my spelling errors and grammatical mistakes - my nerves are shocked atm :/

 

Greatest respect

Ivan

 

[yindiestudios]

Just an update.

 

I have been given information regarding who I should now contact with all my questions, legal or otherwise.

 

Thank you very much for your assistance!

 

Kind regards,

Ivan

[Aiel Heart]

Glad you got the advice you needed and I hope you stick around to give us updates and also just enjoy WoT with us :)

[yindiestudios]

Thank you. I did indeed. More than one member of team Jordan and others closer to WoT were more than happy to give me advice and set me on the right path. I thank them deeply for their assistence and I will take that advice and when I have something worthwhile to post I'll do so. 

 

In the meantime, if anyone should wish to keep track of my blog/everyday progress i've set up a page to discuss various topics related to it on facebook. 

This is unoffical, mostly unedited and written by me and should not be considered representative of the work my team is capable of. If this should ever move beyond a hope, I will post the related offical links for the project. Until then, this will have to do as I dont want to infringe on anyone's rights and its a real concern for me. The best advice I was given was probably "It is better to ask permission than to ask forgiveness". 

 

Again, thank you,

 

Best regards.

Ivan Malone

 

Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=619425784778600&fref=ts