Credit where credit is due?

Fixer90

Member
To what extent do I have to mention GameMaker Studio at all in the creation of my game? Can I literally make a game and pretend GMS had nothing to do with it? (NOTE: I'm using Professional Edition)
 

kburkhart84

Firehammer Games
I'm understanding that you don't have to mention GMS anywhere if you don't want to. I remember something about the EULA of your game's installer needing to mention it, but I don't remember the details. I remember it had something to do with liability more than with credit for using the software though. And honestly I don't clearly remember any details, just that I saw something like that somewhere, maybe on these forums or the old GMC.
 

FrostyCat

Redemption Seeker
Section 3.4 of the GMS 1.4 EULA said:
the Applications and all materials accompanying the Stand-alone Applications shall include a notice and End User Licence Terms: (i) identifying the rights of YoYo Games and that they include, are based on and made using the Software; (ii) that such end user will have no right to modify, adapt, decompile or reverse engineer the Stand-alone Applications or make any use of the Software contained therein nor to permit anyone else to do so; and (iii) that such end user must not remove, disable, modify, add to or tamper with any program code or data, copyright, trademark or other proprietary notices and legends contained within the object (compiled) code of the Software;
 

kburkhart84

Firehammer Games
I KNEW I had seen something to that effect somewhere.

So in basic terms(not legal advice of course :) ), technically, if you release a game, it needs to say that it was made with GMS, and therefore it cannot be modified, decompiled, etc.... This isn't so much that Yoyo cares that everybody that plays your game knows you used GMS, rather to protect their rights as far as the code, etc... So, if you have an installer for your game, you should probably have an EULA anyway, and should include this tidbit in there. You DON'T have to make it state anywhere during the game's runtime that it was made in GMS(as far as I know), although it wouldn't hurt anybody to put it in your credits.

The reality though, is that I know very few people who install games that actually read EULAs, or the credits. Generally, the average gamer won't read these things, but then they won't generally break the rules outlined in these things either(of course there are exceptions).

***************

Remember that nothing in this post constitutes legal advice. It IS how I see and understand things, and that is ALL that it is.
 
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ParodyKnaveBob

Guest
Did YoYo change something? Am I missing something? I'm not trying to necro just to necro, but here's my very related issue:

It's been a couple years since I actually published anything using GM, but today, I started the usually quick legal prep for a limited distribution alpha. However, I can't find any semblance of the EULA I'm used to seeing. This is for GameMaker Studio 1.4 thus shouldn't be anything earth-shatteringly new, yet these all appear to be the same:
  • GameMaker-Studio folder, License.txt
  • GameMaker-Studio/Licenses folder, YoYo_License.txt
  • GM IDE (on load) -> Licenses tab -> YoYo License
The familiar 3.4. which iirc had only nominally changed since way back with Mark Overmars, (and which @FrostyCat posted above a mere six months ago, some eight months after the above license texts' date,) is nowhere to be found...
the only license I could find (in section 3.4.) said:
Responsibility for Publisher Property. Publishers are responsible for how their Publisher Property is displayed and marketed via the YYG Platforms. We take no responsibility or liability for Publisher Property or how they are displayed or marketed, what they do or do not contain or how they perform. All such issues should be addressed further in the relevant EULA (which will be either the YoYo Games Platforms Default Publisher EULA or the relevant publisherā€™s own EULA, depending on which the relevant Publisher has chosen to apply) and in any event are a matter for you and the Publisher.
This looks closer to my memory of how the Marketplace EULA ran when I almost had something there a few years ago.

Does anyone know where the expected license is? -- or does anyone know for certain that YYG changed it when I wasn't looking? Going by that text and @Nocturne's help desk article from nearly two years ago, ("you may wish to include your own EULA" emp. mine,) it appears YYG no longer obligates us to even include an EULA, let alone that we must identify YYG, our inclusion of software thereby, and the rights thereof. Or, maybe I'm just too tired to be researching this and missed something obvious? $:^ .

Thank you in advance for any case-closing answers,
Bob
 

Yal

šŸ§ *penguin noises*
GMC Elder
Considering what's happened to Unity recently (relevant video), it might be possible YYG intentionally removed the clause in order for GM to maintain a more professional appearance. But that's just a theory.
 
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ParodyKnaveBob

Guest
Thank you, Yal, for that interesting information and thought -- although GMS' splash screen still exists (and frankly, most people probably weren't likely to care enough about the EULA to even follow it, whereas the splash screen 'll getcha). (On another note, you might've wanted to warn GMC readers that the video has gobs and gobs of foul language, though..)

If I don't fairly soon see any swift, certain answers (preferably citing YYG if not directly therefrom), then I'll see about asking the help desk. It's just such a pain to since I like Microsoft Edge, but Zendesk fails on it, at least last I checked, and I'm sure I'd have to recover my ZenhelpYYDesk account all over again due to lack of use, baaaaah.
 
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ParodyKnaveBob

Guest
All right, I got into Zendesk and asked YYG, and the answer I got amounted to this: https://www.yoyogames.com/legal

Now, I'm no lawyer, but I've concluded that YYG has in fact changed their EULA to us, to where only if we're publishing in such a way that our end users license or access our product/service (e.g. game) through GMS, a YYG website, etc. (such as Marketplace assets, a game uploaded somewhere on YYG, etc.), then we must include certain information (see the "Default Publisher EULA" vs. "Minimum Guidelines"). Otherwise? Scot free. Feels weird.

At least now I don't feel obligated anymore to take up limited Jam time c/p'ing and modifying a new, unique EULA...
 
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ParodyKnaveBob

Guest
Sometime later, I realized, technically, (by my understanding,) uploading a YYZ/GMZ to the GMC to be reviewed in GMS requires the full EULA with YYG info. Lol.
 
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