th3sharkk

Well, I can't say I didn't see this coming. A week ago I got a call from an attorney asking me to remove public access to the game Pokemon Evoas in order to protect Nintendo's intellectual property. I knew very well starting the project that I was infringing on their copyright, so I'm not going to fight this decision. In fact I'm relieved the process is rather informal, and I didn't have to wade through paperwork or get an attorney myself.

I apologize to everyone that was looking forward to the game's release, and I especially apologize to all the contributors that graciously donated artwork and other assets to the project. Believe me, I had and still have every intention to keep the project going until completion. This post reveals many new mechanics that would be added to Evoas that wasn't shown in the demo, and this google doc reveals in detail how the game would progress.

When I got the call, I was given a week to remove public access to the game. I responded by sending the attorney a long list of questions (including what could happen to other pokemon fan games, can I still distribute the assets, etc.) and while the query was forwarded to Nintendo as of now I've yet to hear back from them. And yes, a real attorney literally got my cell-phone number and called me up to say the game needs to be taken down. To say it was the scariest phone call in my life would be an understatement.

For those wondering, I have no intention of simply swapping the images around and calling the game "Monster Quest" or whatever. This is a pokemon game through and through, and I won't let it be called anything else. I try to make my works original, and if I'm taking clear inspiration from something I'm going to be upfront about it.

Even with the project suddenly halted, I don't regret the past 9 months I've spent on it one bit. The programming and directing skills I've learned while making Evoas, as well as the connections and friends I've made, are invaluable and well worth the time I've spent. I still have tons of ideas for other amazing (and legal!) games that I can make, and I'll be starting my next project before the semester is over. So if you wanted a reason to not unfollow me on DeviantArt or Twitter, that would be it. I will also still keep Evoas' subreddit up as an archive of sorts.

Thanks for all the support, it really meant a lot to me. Here's to the future.

If I were to stream myself making the game, what parts of development would you like to see?  General programming, adding pokemon, creating moves, aimless internet browsing, etc...

I think streaming would be fun. I can talk about stuff, respond to questions in chat. How many of you would tune in anyway?