[Scummvm-devel] ScummVM name

Vincent Hamm vincent.hamm at gmail.com
Mon Dec 6 14:26:01 CET 2004


This may seems odd for you to see me reply to this thread, but the
scummvm naming issue has always been an important to me.

[...]

> Before I answer that: what are the arguments *for* a rename? You claim
> that the name "ScummVM" is a bit misleading. I say, it's maybe a bit
> misleading for a few people, but I don't believe the majority of our
> users care. Of course, we both are just guessing, to know for sure we'd
> have to conduct some kind of research into the matter (with polls and
> forms and stuff like that).

My argument for the name change is more personal. ScummVm was created
to play scummvm, not to play every adventure game to date. That's a
minor argument I agree, but I always fell bad when I see new games
beeing hadded to scummvm. For me it's like the project go deeper
deeper on a wrong path, and it will be harder to get away from it
later on.

It's not missleading to users, but it can be to developer. I know a
few people who agree with me and wouldn't want to have their project
moved to the scummvm brand just because it doesn't mean a thing.

> * We have to come up with a very good new name ("AdventureVM" just
> doesn't cut it, far to generic). Not that trivial either, just remember
> the Phoenix/Firebird/Firefox drama :-)

The new name is an issue, but I thing it can be overcome. That's a
step later, the first one is to at last agree with the name thing.

> * Different project name at SF.net, leading to lots and lots of work.
> Sure, this is not a fundamental problem, but it *is* something we gotta
> keep in mind.

I don't have much to see in that matter. I'm not sure it will that
much harder. It's not like they were 100 modules at the momment.

> * ScummVM is a well known "brand". People know it, people use it. If we
> rename, people will at first not know that new thingy at all. We'll
> have to do lots of PR to make the new name as well known as the old is

The ScummVm name in itself doesn't have to disapear. It can just be
the name of the scumm related code of a more larger project that would
encompass the others.

> Why not keep the good old name? It's not that I am deeply in love with
> it, but then, I don't loathe it that much that I absolutely want to get
> rid of it...

In another point of view, changing the name may also reinvigorate the
project in some way.

 My own 2 cents too

Yaz




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