Porting Conker's Bad Fur Day/Conker Live and Reloaded to PC ?

[lewisg743]

Ok so i own just about every good console starting from 1969 and one of my favorite games was Conker's Bad Fur that came out for the N64. Then they re-released it for the Original Xbox which was even better. Now i think that presuming you can get all the rights/permissions from Microsoft? (it was Rare game, reason it is so good) and then make it available on steam i know that the game would be as popular as TF2 and alike. Get back to me if you could enlighten me on some information to whether or not this would be possible. If you want more information seeing as this is just a brief description let me know.
Thanks, Lewis.

 

[Tom Tancredi]

Really it isn't that simple, if so, any company would be all over redoing so. First issue is legalities, it isn't that "Microsoft owns it", Microsoft could have worked a limited release license for the life of the XBOX (which is another reason hardware needs to be replaced every few years) with Nintendo or Bandi or whomever at the moment held the licenses, to port to the Xbox, the 'images, sounds (voice actors get paid too), music (the musical score gets its part), the programmers, game engine originators, etc. etc. etc." all were properly accredited with the creation and content in the game THEN what portion they all should 'earn' based on previous and on going contracts and licenses.

Once you get past that year or more of legal wrangling ALL the participants whom EACH had to sign off a particular contract to allow the game to 'proceed to development' then we are talking programming language and engine used. This is the complex part, just look at Duke Nukem and how many engine changes it went through AND THAT WAS ALWAYS A PC GAME. So technically it might not even be feasible unless a full rewrite was done to the code, now your talking a whole new programming direction. Further, the licensing for generating the images may be locked (just look into JPEG2000 licening! OMG!!!) or unportable to the new platform, well then you need artists whom can 'capture the likeness and imagery' which is another whole new slew of work (Just look up DuckTails new game production video to see the challenges they went through AND THAT is totally owned and made by DISNEY!).

Then of course whomever has made the license might not really (as in the case of Microsoft, Origin, and others) want to use STEAM as the selling vessel. Microsoft dumped the PC gaming to all third parties, so many games are still tied into the shut down Windows LIVE! system for activation and licensing content authorization for example. Further is EA/Origin was to be 'required' in this mix you can forget about the response by the customers (just look at what is happening with BF4!).

All this of course needs to be laid out in a full business plan, including costs, unexpected issues (what if your team all quits and starts its own company - happened before!), funding requirements, profit / loss ratios, production costs vs profit expectations, outlet distribution models, cost for advertising (TV, Radio, Print) etc. and so on ALLLL need to be laid out in a full plan to GET approval for FUNDING this whole thing, and that doesn't even take care of any of I mentioned.

The actual 'business' of business gets in the way for artists and 'evangelist' of concepts. If your serious, then team up with a business partner with actual MBA and develop the business proposal, do you research (look at the game and write down EVERY name, position, job, etc. in the credits in BOTH editions, because that is EVERY single person you need to contact and get to 'agree') then see if you can convince a bank to fund your business. Good old Gamers (www.GoG.com) does this all the time for example.

 

[lewisg743]

Really it isn't that simple, if so, any company would be all over redoing so. First issue is legalities, it isn't that "Microsoft owns it", Microsoft could have worked a limited release license for the life of the XBOX (which is another reason hardware needs to be replaced every few years) with Nintendo or Bandi or whomever at the moment held the licenses, to port to the Xbox, the 'images, sounds (voice actors get paid too), music (the musical score gets its part), the programmers, game engine originators, etc. etc. etc." all were properly accredited with the creation and content in the game THEN what portion they all should 'earn' based on previous and on going contracts and licenses.

Once you get past that year or more of legal wrangling ALL the participants whom EACH had to sign off a particular contract to allow the game to 'proceed to development' then we are talking programming language and engine used. This is the complex part, just look at Duke Nukem and how many engine changes it went through AND THAT WAS ALWAYS A PC GAME. So technically it might not even be feasible unless a full rewrite was done to the code, now your talking a whole new programming direction. Further, the licensing for generating the images may be locked (just look into JPEG2000 licening! OMG!!!) or unportable to the new platform, well then you need artists whom can 'capture the likeness and imagery' which is another whole new slew of work (Just look up DuckTails new game production video to see the challenges they went through AND THAT is totally owned and made by DISNEY!).

Then of course whomever has made the license might not really (as in the case of Microsoft, Origin, and others) want to use STEAM as the selling vessel. Microsoft dumped the PC gaming to all third parties, so many games are still tied into the shut down Windows LIVE! system for activation and licensing content authorization for example. Further is EA/Origin was to be 'required' in this mix you can forget about the response by the customers (just look at what is happening with BF4!).

All this of course needs to be laid out in a full business plan, including costs, unexpected issues (what if your team all quits and starts its own company - happened before!), funding requirements, profit / loss ratios, production costs vs profit expectations, outlet distribution models, cost for advertising (TV, Radio, Print) etc. and so on ALLLL need to be laid out in a full plan to GET approval for FUNDING this whole thing, and that doesn't even take care of any of I mentioned.

The actual 'business' of business gets in the way for artists and 'evangelist' of concepts. If your serious, then team up with a business partner with actual MBA and develop the business proposal, do you research (look at the game and write down EVERY name, position, job, etc. in the credits in BOTH editions, because that is EVERY single person you need to contact and get to 'agree') then see if you can convince a bank to fund your business. Good old Gamers (www.GoG.com) does this all the time for example.

Wow thanks a lot for all that detailed information, puts things into perspective. Forgot to mention that Rare owned the original and then Microsoft bought over with the remake, this game is probably one of the worst for licensing. I also hadn't heard of things like the JPEG2000 deal, very interesting. The thing is i'm no programmer, i'm just a lowly Network Engineer/Admin 😉 so this is more of an idea which if was to go ahead would be quite successful in the end. (Given that all proprieties are in order etc etc) What i could offer is more of an administrative status that would make sure the game keeps its, well authenticity so to speak. With the cost part you obviously couldn't start a kickstarter due to legalities but again not my area of expertise. I mean if you or anyone that you know would be interest in being involved in this sort of project let me know or get the word out because this game deserves to be recognized and people are really missing out. If lets say it was a year or 2 down the line and the game was to be release via steam, i would think better if the game was completely free (even if i was to miss out on money) although free probably wouldn't ever be an option so something like £5 would a nice little price tag for a game with so much to offer.

 

[Tom Tancredi]

LAUGHS. You REALLY need to take some basic Business 101 classes. You can't give away a game that just cost you $1m to make, much less for only 5pounds because that personally is what you want to pay. Any game like that would be paid for at the 'full retail price' common for it, so they can 'recoup costs' they put into makeing it, marketing it, etc.

Realistically, you only suggested route would be 1) see if GOG.com or other 'legacy gaming' company would look for 'input on the next game' to port 2) get a real large group of Tweets, YouTubes, etc. of people all interested as a way to 'market influence' the company (with petitions of course) that making the game would be 'profitable' because each of those people signing it potentially would buy it at 'full retail price'.

 

[lewisg743]

No need to be smug but thanks anyway, i'll look into it further.