Name My Game!!

[Ron Edwards]

Lords of the Ring is perfect. Utterly friggin' perfect.

Best,
Ron

[unheilig]

I like "I, Wrestler", but the humor may be lost on many potential players.

P.P.V. is actually pretty cool...

but the best Idea would be Mike's. Come up with the name of your ficticious wrestling organization, and make its acronym your name.

unheilig.

[unodiablo]

Yeah, I agree, you won't get much better than Lords of the Ring!!! That's the kind of wit that WON'T be lost on gamers.

Pin Fall isn't bad, Inside Angle is OK too. And I still like Into The Fray... But LOTR is easily the best.

Sean

[Time]

"The Squared Circle" was always my favorite Mean Gene Oakerland-ism from way back.  


-Time

[Mike Holmes]

Hey T, howya been? Great suggestion. I wonder if Mean Gene has that trademarked? Maybe Matt can call him and get a license for cheap. Then he could include Gene in the book in pictures and write it as though he was delivering it.

Mike

[hardcoremoose]

I thought the Squared Circle would be a cool title myself, but the Lords of the Ring is frickin' fantastic.  Go with that.

[Matt Gwinn]

I like "Lords of the Ring" too, but there is one potential snag.  THere is a wrestling video with the name

Lords of the Ring:  Superstars and Superbouts

Do you think there would be a copyright infringment there?  I can't find any other potential problems and I only found one web site with that title and it's about boxing.

lordsofthering.com is an available web site aswell, unlike kayfabe.com

I think I'm gonna use it.

[hardcoremoose]

I'm not sure about the boxing video, but the WWF also uses that title on one of their videos.  Apparently they weren't concerned about copyright infringement.

But when you're Vince McMahon, you don't really worry about anything.

[Jack Spencer Jr]

I have heard the name Lords of the ROng before, too, in regards to wrestling.  Don't exactly recall where.

Besides, The Tolkien estate just may take offense.  SOme paralegal in their offices hears someone is making a role-playing game called "Lords of the Ring" and releases the hounds, nevermind that your game is pro-wrestling.

I suppose what I'm saying is, I wouldn't use that name were it my game.  Partially because of potential legal trouble but mostly because the name is so close to Lord of the Rings.  Had I been writing such a game I doubless would have come up with the name and then ashcanned it in disgust with myself because I couldn't think of a name that was not a variant of a fantasy property.

Not to dump on the name.  It is a good name and everyone else seems to like it.  I just wouldn't use it, personally.



TURNBUCKLE!  < whap! >

[Matt Gwinn]

Damn Lawyers!
THey have to ruin things for everyone.

I don't know what to do now.
I guess I will just throw out a few more options

"Main Event"
"Shoot"
"Behind the Curtain"
"House Show"
"Body Slam"
"Grapplers"

Hell, I think I may stick with Kayfabe after all.  All the good names are taken anyway.

I suppose adding "the indside wrestling RPG" to the end of whatever I choose would make it different enough to cover my ass.  The big question is "is Kayfabe a good name?"  I like it and Moose likes it, but will enough people recognise it to convonce them to buy it?

[Jack Spencer Jr]

I only occasionally watch wrestling.  I try not to watch it too much or else I'd be one of those freaks with my favorite wrestler's name an image tatooed on my face I 'd get so caught up in it.

So, what does "Kayfabe" mean?  I assume this was explained earlier.

It's a wimpy sounding word.  I mean say it. "Kayfabe" Sounds like a transexual model or something.  It just doesn't bring to mind pro-wrestling.

[I did a search and found a wrestling term dictionary!  Lots of crap on the 'net.

http://www.lordsofpain.net/misc/dictionary.html

"Kayfabe - Of or related to inside information about the business, especially by fans. Origin is carny jargon talk for fake."]

I suggest this term isn't that good as a title, but who am I to judge.  Maybe there's some inspiration on that site.  (Faces & Heels?)  Take a look.

In either case, I do like Lords of the Ring better than Kayfabe.  How about changing LotR a bit.

Masters of the Mat
Kings of the Canvas
Royalty of the Ropes
Princes of Pagentry

Or something like that.  The important thing is the title should immediately call to mind the subject matter.  Otherwise you'll face the uphill battle of explaining what the heck your game is about every time.  

A subtitle or tagline like "The wrestling RPG" might help, but not as good as a strong title in the first place.

Personally, I like simple, straightforward titles, like "Grudge Match" or something.

[Matt Gwinn]

The reason I used kayfabe in the first place is because of the definition.  My game is about the inside stuff in wrestling.  The game doesn't have "to hit" rolls or dodging or damage or anything like that.  It's all about how matches "really" work and how a show comes to be.  Players control teh creative aspect of the wrestling shows as much as they control the physical part.  I don't want people to pick up my game thinking it's a kicking ass and taking names type of game.

The game isn't a fighting game and I'd like the title to express that in some way.  I want the title to say

"This is a game about the wrestling industry."

[Matt Machell]

Hey, much sympathy to Eloran.

I'm in a similar situation having just found out another game has a very similar name to Agency 13 :sad:. So I'm trying to think of an alternative to avoid confusion etc.

Matt

[Ron Edwards]

I have a heretical comment. Please ignore if it bothers you.

Who cares if the title has been previously used?

- Many movies have the same title; many books have the same title
- Many books and movies with no relation to one another have the same title
- Many record albums have titles similar or identical to those of books or movies
- Many role-playing games or products have titles that differ only by one letter or even a grammatical mark (Swashbuckler vs. Swashbucklers! for instance)

So I suggest that absolutely no problem accrues by using either Kayfabe or Lords of the Ring. I had never heard of the term Kayfabe when I read Matt's game. He defined it up front in the text and I thought it was the perfect title. He wants another one? Fine - Lords of the Ring is another perfect title. I also suggest that no one cares if he uses either of them, and if they do, he can say, "Eat me," and be legally all right.

Okay, I'm done with my heresy. Don't bother to reply; I know the responses. Safe is better than sorry. Intellectual property is sacred. Respect demands that we minimize potential miscommunications. Fine, fine. All done, I'm wrong and going away now.

Best,
Ron

[hardcoremoose]

I've been begging him to stick with Kayfabe.  It's a widespread term that Smarts (someone whose hip to the inside workings of wrestling) know and recognize instantly.  Cover art and taglines will draw everyone else in, right?

There's not one, but two other rpgs called NightWatch (okay, one's vaporware, but you know what I mean). There's a movie by the same name.  And there's a superhero RPG called Guardians that has a group of heroes who call themselves NightWatch (this last is where I stole the name from, long before any of the others ever existed).

Both Matts should keep whatever name they like best.  Agency 13 rocks, as does Kayfabe.

- Scott