Name my game :)

[Captain Gamer]

Hi... First post.

I'm working on a pirates game. I wonder if any of you have some ideas for a great name. The game allows you to be a pirate, privateer or mechant.

A few of my own:

Merchants & Mauraders (Maybe a bit too long and complex?)
Pirates & Privateers

Any other ideas? They dont have to be 'And' names :D

[cliffski]

call it Yarrr!
I'm serious by the way.

Difficult to remember how many rrrs there are, but I think it would get great word of mouth. When someone asks what game you are playing, you suddenly go into jack sparrow mode, just by mentioning the name.
Go on!

[Captain Gamer]

hehe... I did actually consider 'O Hoi'

[dxgame]

"Merchants & Mauraders (Maybe a bit too long and complex?)
Pirates & Privateers"

hmm...

Pirateer
IPirate :)
PirateEye
Pireek!
Pireeka!

Careful with the word Pirate in your title, could cause some unwanted traffic. ;)

[destron]

how 'bout -

"Pirate's Revenge"
"The Seven Seas"
"Terror of the Seas"
"Ships and Scalliwags" ;)

[oNyx]

"no ninjas, no robots, no monkeys"

[Christian]

I higly recommend you to read this links, they will teach you the secrets of naming products, belive me, there is a lot of myths around here that shouldnt be, and this will surelly help you, good luck.

http://www.market-impact.com/htmlfiles/articles/name.htm
http://www.igorinternational.com/process/naming-guide-product-company-names.php

[Adrian Lopez]

Cutlass
Walk the Plank
Scurvy

[Polycount Productions]

call it Yarrr!
I'm serious by the way.

Difficult to remember how many rrrs there are, but I think it would get great word of mouth. When someone asks what game you are playing, you suddenly go into jack sparrow mode, just by mentioning the name.
Go on!
I second this, Yarrr!

[val]

call it Yarrr!
I'm serious by the way.
Call this "Oi-wei, we have guests!"

Btw, what is the genre for the game? Adventure/Strategy or just another action puzzle? This may be important for the game naming, I believe.

[kay.altos]

Btw, what is the genre for the game? Adventure/Strategy or just another action puzzle?

Good point :)

[Captain Gamer]

A simple version of stuff like Cuthtroats, Sea Dogs, Pirates etc.

Thanks for the suggestions and links so far.

Keep 'em coming. :)

[mustardseed]

call it Yarrr!
I'm serious by the way.


Great name! If you don't use this name, I might make a pirate game just so I can use it :D

[Adrian Lopez]

For some reason Yarrr reminds me of Wii, which probably explains why I don't like it. :D

[wazoo]

For some reason Yarrr reminds me of Wii, which probably explains why I don't like it. :D

lol..which is why Cliffski added the bang.. ie. Yarrr!

Here's a quick brainstorm:

"Sunken Dreams"

"Big Trouble in Little Ocean"

"Buckaneer"

"Pirate Gold Farmers"

[ErikH2000]

"Yarrr!" is genius. Captain, you gotta use this title before somebody else does. Cliffski just gave you a gift here.

Seriously, I love that name.

-Erik

[spellcaster]

www.yarr.com is already taken by a squatter ;)

But I agree that Yarr! is a nice name. What about "Arr, matey"?

[electronicStar]

"Yarr!" (or "harrr")is hardly original, it's what every netizen can't prevent himself from shouting every time someone mentions the term "pirate" in a sentence.
It's like the year 2002 is blowing in my face all over again.

[Adrian Lopez]

I hate squatters! I've been thinking of several possible domains to use for selling the games I make in the future, but most of the ones I've tried are held by squatters who use their domains as link directories until somebody coughs up enough money to buy them.

I wish ICANN would establish official procedures for transfering domain names, where no domain name may be sold for more than whatever is owed to the registrar. Any domain owner trying to sell his domain through extra-official channels would lose that domain, which would be transferred free of charge to the person who offered to buy it.

Having said that, I don't think you need to register the game's name to be successful. I think company.com/yarrr would do just fine.

[PaulModz]

Hmmm, as usual, I like Cliff's suggestion. The only problem with using an onomatopoeia is spelling. Here's what came off the top of my brain:

Keelhaul - has there ever been a pirate game that implements keelhauling? Does yours?

Plank Trek - If it works out, you can call the sequal Plank Trek:TNG

[overture]

"no ninjas, no robots, no monkeys"

If there's no pirate ninjas, then what's the point of playing?

[cliffski]

just avoid these ones:

http://www.gamerevolution.com/feature/worst_names

[Adrian Lopez]

Eureka! ...

Call it Puffy Shirt!

Read all about it, matey (http://www.sonypictures.com/sphe/seinfeld5and6/)!

[Mark Sheeky]

Plank Trek - If it works out, you can call the sequal Plank Trek:TNG

Plank Trek! Go for Plank Trek! I love it.

Mark

[Captain Gamer]

Hi - but somehow I would like the name to signal that its not only a pirate game. You can choose the life of a merchant, or a privateer. Kind of hard finding a great name, thats somehow neutral to whether your a pirate merchant or privateer :(

[delsydsoftware]

High Seas Drifter---it's pirate/merchant agnostic, and it's a play on a great Clint Eastwood movie title. You can't miss. :D

[Popcorn Boy]

How about:

The Arrrrrrrgonauts
Plankwalkers
Barnacles!
Wind and Wenches
I Can't Believe It's a Game about Pirates!

Seriously though, you could go the way of a subtitle. I don't think you need to overcomplicate the main title - you want to draw in anyone who is remotely interested in pirates. You're trying to cast as wide a net as possible, so what you really need to communicate is that it's a pirate themed game. I think you are unlikely to turn off anyone who prefers to focus on the merchant or privateer aspects of you game if you give it a pirate-oriented title.

How about something like:

Yarrrr!: High Adventure on the Seven Seas
Keelhaul!: Pirates & Privateers

Good luck!

[destron]

how 'bout

Killin' an' Keelhaulin'?

:D

[BantamCityGames]

how about:
- Plunder
- Poop Deck
- Landlubber
- Aye, aye!
- Sea Dog

thats all I got right now.

[Artinum]

I think "High Seas Drifter" is the best so far - though "Plank Trek" has appeal!

My own tuppence:
Carribean Cruise
First Star On The Left
Treasure Island (surely the copyright has lapsed on that by now...?)

[Popcorn Boy]

World of Seacraft!

Sails, Swords, and Scars...

Treasure Island is indeed in the public domain now.

[Captain Gamer]

Cheers guys...

Still looking though...

I LOVE the name "Age of Sail" but its taken - and is maybe a bit too generic in the sense that it might as well be about Napoleon in Europe.

But still...

[LilGames]

<offtopic>
Captain, when's your release date? Right now, I'm getting sick of all that is "pirates" all over north american media. Hell, I went through a McDonald's drive through last week, this is sort of how the conversation went:

McMonkey: "Hello, can I take your order please"

Me: "I'll have the XXXXX meal"

McMonkey: "Would you like that pirate sized?"

Me: "... !?"

StepDaughter in passenger seat: "Did they say pirate?!?"

Me: "Yarrrrr! Make me a larrrrrrrge matey!"


Anyways, I'm getting sick of pirate this, pirate that. I hope you game either comes out RIGHT NOW, while it's still timely marketing or you wait a while, because everyone's going to be sick of piratey things in the coming months.

</offtopic>

Regarding the name, I too vote for something along the lines of "Arrrrrr!" or "Arrr matey!"

[Artinum]

The only potential problem with "Arrr!" is the number of Rs. More than three will cause no end of hassle for people using search engines.

[DanMarshall]

Plundarrr.

[Popcorn Boy]

Crossbones
Crossbones & Cutlasses :)
Crossbones & Cannons
Crossbones & Cannonfire
Piracy
Age of Piracy
Scalliwags

[Cyruz]

Denizens of the Sea
Open Water

[rioka]

Pirate Legends
Pirate Booty (as in treasure NOT the other kind!)

[GeekNProud]

I don't know much about naming games but here are a few thoughts

Treasure Trove
Cutthroat Lagoon
Spyglass
Flintlock Cove



Like I said I don't know much about this stuff. Those are just some names that sounded good in my head...

[Mark Sheeky]

Age of Pirates
Command and Plunder
Booty (okay, an old game name but reusing names often happens)
Buck 'N 'Ere
Scallywag

Mark