ID:2251628
 
Hi there.

Do I need permission to distribute my game commercially? I'm fairly new to Byond and don't see any obvious mention about distributing my game, and the details involved.

I tried using the contact form to ask, but I guess maybe it got filed as spam or something, or the developers are super busy.

Many thanks.
Nope, it's your game.
Ah ok, so Byond.com doesn't take a cut or anything from money made with games created in their engine?
If you use the built in subscription and credit systems it will take a 20% cut.
In response to Nadrew
Lummox takes a cut of commercial profit from off site games as well.

And yes, you need permission.
In response to Unwanted4Murder
Unwanted4Murder wrote:
Lummox takes a cut of commercial profit from off site games as well.

And yes, you need permission.

I thought that was only applicable if you request use of the standalone exe, which doesn't contain ads?
That's correct, if you don't use subscriptions/credits or the standalone you're free to do whatever you want with the thing (as long as you're not distributing pieces of the software suite instead of the whole thing which would violate the ToS).

Lummox only lets the standalone (which bypasses the ads) be used if the games using it are using subscriptions/credits or something that would generate a cut for BYOND automatically.

That's where the income comes from when using the standalone off-site, there's no implied profit sharing agreement outside of the existing one for subscription/credit purchases using the built-in stuff (20%).
In response to Nadrew
Then what about single player games like EPOCH and Nother? Pretty sure neither of those uses the subscription system and I was pretty sure Yut Put profit shares with Lummox.

I mean theoretically, yes, you could not bother to give Lummox any of the profit from what you make, especially if you use the web client. Integrate some sort of store front API and run everything yourself. I just don't understand why anyone would want to with all of the work that Lummox puts into the engine without forcing you to pay a cent.
Honestly, I think its probably because a number of platforms such as Steam already want to take a 30% cut. Coupled with that extra 20%, you're looking at a 50% slash in profits, at least.
In response to Unwanted4Murder
I may be stupid and/or remembering incorrectly, but I remember someone mentioning that Lummox will permit you to use the standalone (such as in the instances of EPOCH and Nother,) but BYOND receives 20% of all profit. Again, I may be braindead and wrong about that.
In response to Unwanted4Murder
Unwanted4Murder wrote:
Then what about single player games like EPOCH and Nother? Pretty sure neither of those uses the subscription system and I was pretty sure Yut Put profit shares with Lummox.

In those cases I imagine there was a special agreement made, same with NEStalgia, things on Steam are a special case.
20% is actually higher than anything we've done so far for standalones.
20% is what's taken automatically when you use subscriptions/credits, that's what I was talking about.