Selling On The Various Marketplaces - Conflict of Interest

Grimmstrom

So this is mainly a question for anyone currently working at a professional game studio and selling assets on any of the Marketplaces. I know there are a lot of people that do both so my question would be:

Did you ask permission from the studio first? and / or have you met any resistance from the studio?

I'd really like to start using the marketplace business model to generate some extra income to support my family but nearly all contracts will say something along the lines of:

"You should not continue to or take part in any other business without prior written consent"

passerby

This very much depends on the studio. I do contract work and have sold assets on the Unity store. But I also work for a very small studio of 18 people, that has a very permissive contract.

Your best just to ask at work. I see you have a senior position so you may be able to get your self a little more leeway in the contract and negotiate something that works better for both your work and yourself. Also it might be worth trying to figure out how much you are worth to the company, might be able to negotiate either a more permissive contract or negotiate a raise.

Snefer

In general working for the big publishers prevents you from earning money in any way from game-related stuff, so yeah. For example, im pretty much 100% you are not allowed to since you work for ubisoft, sure wasnt allowed when I worked for them.

WarrenM

Yeah, just ask your HR department. They will tell you quickly and definitively yay or nay.

praetus

Also, if you are allowed to do it, it should go without saying but never cross pollinate your work files with personal files. Don't work on Unity item stuff on lunch breaks or anything like that. Most studios are set up that if it is created during work time or on their computers they own it. They can potentially sue you for any profits you make and you'll probably be fired.

Geezus

Snefer wrote: »

For example, im pretty much 100% you are not allowed to since you work for ubisoft, sure wasnt allowed when I worked for them.

When was this? They took no issue in people selling assets on places like Turbosquid and the likes, when I worked for them. They didn't even care if we worked on side projects or mods. This was ~5 years ago now. Doing contract/freelance work for a competing title?... probably not.

RyanB

Grimmstrom wrote: »

So this is mainly a question for anyone currently working at a professional game studio and selling assets on any of the Marketplaces. I know there are a lot of people that do both so my question would be:

Did you ask permission from the studio first? and / or have you met any resistance from the studio?

I'd really like to start using the marketplace business model to generate some extra income to support my family but nearly all contracts will say something along the lines of:

Totally depends on your contract. I sell stuff online and I'm working as a contract VFX/tech artist at a startup. The startup knows I sell stuff online and has never asked me to stop. Part of what got me hired was my asset store effects packages.

I've seen contracts with all kinds of restrictive language. It's to cover those extreme situations where someone is stealing company resources. If you aren't using company resources, they probably won't care.

If you are working at a large company, ask. You might have to be specific about what you are working on at home. I would also choose to make asset packages that have nothing to do with the genres you do at work. Choose sci-fi if you are working on sports, etc.

You can also teach your spouse and other relatives how to make stuff. Then they can sell their stuff online.

aesir

If you haven't already signed something to that effect, then I'd just go ahead do whatever you want. Easier to ask forgiveness than permission. If you don't know what you've signed, read over everything you've signed.

juniez

aesir wrote: »

Easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

I dunno about this

kanga

You are working for a big studio and you have to sell stuff to help support your family? Is it that you need 3 cars instead of 2 or is the pay that low?
Anyhow what I would do is make stuff in a different style in my own time and just sell it and not mention it to anyone. You cant sell products from your work that is a no brainer but if a company wants your exclusivity 24/7 then you should be compensated for it. But thats just me.

Snefer

"Easier to ask forgiveness than permission." does not work when dealing with legal issues and laws etc

pior

"Easier to ask forgiveness than permission." does not work when dealing with legal issues and laws etc

Exactly. On top of that, getting revenue from such marketplaces will require you to spend some time setting yourself up with the IRS, working late during on weekdays and weekends, and so on. This are all things that your coworkers are most likely going to hear about, and from there producers and higher ups will probably soon know about it too ...

WarrenM

Yes, snefer nailed it. Asking forgiveness when you've done something outside your employment contract doesn't always work out well.

Ask HR.

Grimmstrom

Thanks everyone you've been great. After the advice I received here I decided to ask my MD. I'm still waiting for a response. I'll let you know the outcome.

Individual replies below:

You are working for a big studio and you have to sell stuff to help support your family? Is it that you need 3 cars instead of 2 or is the pay that low?

I can't really complain about the pay. Its good. However my single wage supports a family of four.

Easier to ask forgiveness than permission. If you don't know what you've signed, read over everything you've signed.

Not sure I agree with this

sprunghunt

Every contract I've signed has defined a conflict of interest as being dependent on the company in question being present in the marketplace. As far as I know no large games companies sell assets on these markets. So it's never been a problem.

Snefer

Depends on how they choose to see it. If your content can make your way into a competitors game, then you are helping them compete. They dont care so much if its via freelance or turbosquid.