The document discusses various types of contracts involved in video game development: - Development contracts determine what a developer is responsible for, guidelines they must follow, and allow the publisher control over development. - Licencing contracts are required for developers to legally make games based on other IP, and specify what aspects of the IP can be used and distribution details. - Non-disclosure agreements and confidentiality contracts prevent parties from publicly disclosing private information without permission during collaboration.

1. Development
This is a contract that is set up to ensure what a developer is meant to do and what guidelines they must or should follow
so they cannot make any major changes. Game studios will sign a development contractor with a publisher, but even
though they are making the game they are making it for the publisher and the development contract allows the publisher
to have control over the development.
The contract determines how long the games studio will have to work on the game, how much they will be paid for their
work and if they do get royalties the royalty rate. Ownership decides who owns the IP for the game some IPs are worth a
lot of money so this is very important. To protect theme selves or in some cases the other the developers must swear that
they will not use anyone Else's source code or assets and the publisher must swear that they have the right to ask the
developer to make the game this is called a warranty and if one breaks the warranty it will protect the other from blame.
Licence
Development studios want to make a game about a movie; they first need a licence to legally make it unless they already
own the IP. The contract will be written up by a publisher and the owner of the IP detailing the terms and the license. The
license will determine specifically what parts of the IP the developer can use for example some of the characters or plots
might be off limits to protect the IP.
The contract can also specify what platforms the game can be made, so it could maybe only be a console game or a game
for portable devices. Also the contract will affect what regions the game can be sold in, most developers will sell it world-
wide but the IP holder would charge more for this and in some cases it may not be beneficial that is why there are a lot of
games that only release in Japan because it would not appeal to a western market. Lastly the contract states the term
which is how long the developer will have a licence to make the game, most licenses last under five and when the license
run out if the game is not already released it won’t be able to.
NDA and Confidentiality agreements
Non-disclosure Agreements and confidentiality agreements are similar, in the way they both make it so that for the second
party to work with the other they must not disclose any information without the first party's permission that is currently
being disclosed to the public. If the second party reveals this information publicly in which case the first party can take the
second party to court.
Legal
The maximum amount a person participating in a business can lose or be charged in case of claims against the company or
its bankruptcy. A stockholder in a corporation can only lose his/her investment, and a limited partner can only lose his/her
investment, but a general partner can be responsible for all the debts of the partnership. Parties to a contract can limit the
amount each might owe the other, but cannot contract away the rights of a third party to make a claim.