Summary
This week,Tekkenseries directorKatsuhiro Harada asked fans to stop sharing concept characterswith him. The gist of the post was that sending him your ideas actually makes it less likely that they’ll ever happen - not because of a personal vendetta against you, but because of the legal ramifications. He’s right. But that doesn’t mean you should stop entirely.
Harada is not the only one who takes this view. Many other game designers, as well as comic book writers, have made similar requests. Some refuse to sign or look at fanart, while others block fans on social media for tagging them in concept posts. We live in a litigious world, and while you might think it’s fun to share your art with its main inspiration, or would consider their inclusion in the game reward enough, others would see it as an opportunity to make a quick buck, and that ruins the fun for the rest of us.
Why Don’t Creators Want To See Fan Concept Art?
If Tekken 9 includes a Pakistani boxer (which is the post Harada was replying to), then even if the original poster is initially overjoyed, chances are someone somewhere will whisper in their ear that they deserve a slice of the profits. In swoops a fancy lawyer with slicked-back hair, and Harada curses under his breath that he was right to ignore fans. Would a fan actually win in this case? It would likely come down to whether the final design has any links to a fan’s original art, but you can understand why creatives would rather swerve that potential pitfall all together.
However, is that really the reason we make these fan concepts? Cool as it may be to see them end up in Tekken (or whatever game) some day, if you are doing this solely so the director notices you and listens, you’re in it for the wrong reasons. You’re also the most likely suspect to sue if you do eventually get your way, too.
There is joy in creating, in speculating. That should be enough. you’re able to create something you’re proud of, build up those creative skills, and use them to make something else. Or, alternatively, not. There doesn’t always need to be a ‘next’. Life is not an exercise in improving your CV. Making something just to make it is the sweetest joy of all. Please, don’t stop making Tekken characters.
You Should Create Just To Create
I spent my childhood being inspired by games, creating things that went nowhere, building projects for no one. No one but myself. With the easy access to everyone on the planet the internet gives us, it can be easy to fall into the trap of judging the success of something by its audience reaction. How many likes, how many subs? Did my notebook sketch make it into the billion dollar corporation’s game or am I a failure? The best measure is your own enjoyment.
I designed levels forCrashandSpyro, I sketched tombs forTomb Raider. As I’ve written about previously,I imagined mini golf courses and theme parks for my favourite games. This time wasted with no chance of these things actually happening nurtured the creativity in me. As an adult, I’m designing every aspect of my wedding, I make my own board games, and a decent percentage of the gifts I send every Christmas feature some handmade element - all of which has roots in Halfwit Halfpipe, the skateboarding Crash Bandicoot level I made up.
How weird is it that for all his ’90s X Games energy, Crash never had a skateboard level? Even Spyro did!
Meanwhile, as many of you arelikely sick of me making articles about, I write my ownD&Dadventures (the TG team is about to start another that featuresMonster HunterandPokemonelements - buckle up for more features). This also has roots in gaming, with the fake side quests I used to write forMass Effect,Dragon Age, andRed Dead Redemption. As does, somewhat more importantly than my hobby telling people to fight fictional dragons in made up dungeons, my career as a writer.
The point is, if you love a thing, you own it. At least in your own imagination and your notebooks, you own it as much as the creator. More, even. It’s yours. Be inspired by it. Use it as a foundation to create, to express yourself. Yeah, it’s probably a bad idea to show the actual creator and tell him he should use your idea in his next game, but don’t let that stop you from doing it. That should never have been your reason in the first place.
Tekken 8
WHERE TO PLAY
Tekken 8 is the next-gen evolution of the long-running fighting game series from Bandai Namco. It brings back several popular characters and adds new, while it also introduces the new ‘Heat’ mechanic.
