Dev Diary, March 17th, 2023 (Patreon)

In this part of development, I'm putting all the scenes and dialogues into RenPy, and rendering extra images where needed. It's a fairly simple process and just about getting everything working as it should, and in some cases, even the dialogue is kind of uninspiring and bland - but it's just about getting it all in there.

When that's all done, hopefully, I'll have a few weeks available where I put in the actual finished version of dialogues and add visuals. To compare with LoF, it's scenes such as Cece recovering in chapter 7, the reactions to her attempt in chapter 6, or random stuff like singing in Lexi's limo.

Many have asked about a certain someone from LoF making her appearance in u4ia, and the image below should be proof of that. Sea is not a huge part of episode one of u4ia, but she's a fully-fledged love interest.

I got a question about the #sfw version of LoF in the last update comments. And as I mentioned earlier, it's something I will have to see if I have the time to do without butchering the original LoF version completely. The hard part is not the actual sex scenes, which can easily be replaced with cropped versions of animations or simply fade to black (or after sex cuddling). There's also a lot of visuals and humor in LoF that's on the pervy side. To mention a few, Robin's dildo, Holly on the balcony, Lexi and Holly on the yacht, Linda's masturbation, the whole ass game, and so forth. In other words, I suspect it might end up being one of those projects that end up growing exponentially. Whatever I end up doing (or not doing), I do have big plans for LoF for the future, but it's depending on how u4ia ends up doing financially.

I'm also getting constant questions about music licensing/DMCA, so I'll add just about everything I know at the bottom of this for anyone interested, current, or aspiring game developers.

Wishing you all a nice and relaxing weekend, and stay safe out there.

// Drifty

What is a DMCA Takedown Notice?

A DMCA (the Digital Millennium Copyright Act) Takedown Notice is a claim that an item you're using in your game (music, graphic, 3d asset, background, render engine, game engine, image, piece of code/script...) is unlicensed or used without proper permission. It's not just for music!

What happens if I get a DMCA Notice?

Technically, there's no penalty if you receive a DMCA notice from someone directly. That means you have 48 hours to remove contested content from your game/production. Though, having said that, no developer will get a DMCA notice directly. It will go through the platform of wherever your game is released, like Steam/Valve, Patreon, Subscribestar, GOG, Itch, and so forth. Getting a DMCA takedown notice through those platforms will lead to them having 48 hours to remove your game instead to avoid becoming financially responsible. This is why this is often an automated immediate removal, and it's up to them to put in the effort of clearing your game or banning it completely which is often the easier option.

Are DMCA strikes only valid for games without Honey Select graphics?

No. Although, everyone using any version of Honey Select is already at risk for a DMCA, as they are already using software they are not having a valid license for (the Honey Select engine).

So with that part out of the way, let's focus on music.

Can I use music from Epidemicsound in games with adult content?

No. Epidemicsound very clearly states that they do not allow their music to be used in adult games. They have been very open about this, and everyone I've talked to within Epidemicsound has confirmed this.

Can I use music from Artlist in games with adult content?

No. They had no mention of adult content earlier, and at one point even approved directly via customer service, but have since changed the terms of their licenses.

Can I use music from Premiumbeat in games with adult content?

Premiumbeat allows adult content but has a limit of 1.000 downloads. If you need more than that (which is everybody making a game) it means getting the enterprise license, which is handled by Shutterstock because Shutterstock owns Premiumbeat. Shutterstock does not allow adult content. Do note that Shutterstock uses external sellers working for provision, so they will avoid the question, or tell you anything you want to hear to get the sale. Their lawyers on the other hand will confirm it's not allowed, also backed up by the small print in the contract you will be asked to sign.

Do these companies actually check games for any DMCA breaches?

Most likely not. In the case of music, musicians have their songs on different artist sites, meaning Artlist/Epidemicsound/Shutterstock is just one/more of their platforms. The musician will have to fill in a complaint first, and the sites will have their lawyers act on behalf of the musician, who in terms will have to verify that the music is not used on other sites. So when it gets to the point where you are notified, lawyers are already involved.

The exception is when Artlist/Epidemicsound/Shutterstock order special songs directly from one or more musicians (kind of like Daz Originals or Daz Store) where they end up owning the song and license rights completely and exclusively.

So how do I go about licensing music for my game?

Contact musicians directly. Don't be overly professional, but explain you're an indie developer and you're making a game. Be honest about your project and what it contains in terms of adult content. Musicians are just people like you and me, and some even enjoy working with indie developers and will give special permissions for indie projects. Not everyone will say yes (far from), but you will certainly sleep better at night if you have long-term plans for games.

You can also order special music from sites such as Fiverr. Although, the prices normally reflect the quality.