[Scummvm-devel] ScummVM name

[M. Uli Kusterer]

Hi,

  I haven't really ever contributed anything to this project except 
annoying Max with reports about MI3, but I thought I'd un-lurk for a 
moment:

  I think renaming ScummVM is a bad idea. Yes, there are cooler names, 
but it is *very* hard to build up brand recognition as good as 
ScummVM has right now, and it's be a waste to change the name and 
have to do all of that again.

  Also, Scumm games are the most popular of the bunch, so people 
looking for adventure game emulators will probably look for Scumm or 
even Scumm games first. So ScummVM is probably a good choice of name 
to be easily found.

  In addition, the job of renaming and re-routing all the servers, 
projects etc. will probably end up in the hands of those people that 
already do the most work on this project, and thus keep them from 
doing more interesting things.

  I also agree that adding more and more engines isn't a good idea, so 
keeping the name ScummVM will probably provide a nice entry-level 
barrier that discourages people from heaping one VM after the other 
on ScummVM.

  However, I could see people going off and creating a "mother 
project" for a family of emulators based on the ScummVM 
infrastructure (especially the classes it uses for portability), in 
which ScummVM would be but one module. But I don't think that has to 
mean ScummVM needs to be renamed or moved there. Just announce a new 
project to "package and organize" emulators and commit changes to the 
various projects to homogenize their code. Maybe try to extract the 
portability layer out into its own project.

  That way, you'd get the best of both words: A new, nifty name and 
project to pull in new blood, *and* the brand recognition of ScummVM, 
because it is "part of that package" and "based on ScummVM 
technology". --> Immediate rise in goodwill even before the project 
has achieved much.

  People *do* notice if a seemingly 'new' project turns out to be just 
a renamed old one (Just look at Marvel comics' slouching sales of 
their copious #1 re-launch issues for proof), and they'll feel 
cheated. Or if you tell them right away, it won't have any impact, 
except maybe providing another news item that carries the baggage of 
implying you have nothing better to do, so you start renaming the 
project to give at least a semblance of progress.

  An actual release (be it "just" 0.7.0 or a real 1.0) will have much 
the same impact, without the damage to your image.
-- 
Cheers,
M. Uli Kusterer
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