Possibility of being sued "Cube Runner" vs "Ramp Runner"?

So.. im working on a game for the iPhone and Android that involves a little ball going forward under your complete control dodging and jumping off of little ramps. It's called Ramp Runner. There's gonna be at least six different modes with special abilities and stuff.

I'm wondering if The Cube Runner guys could sue me or what have you for having a similar name, and a *somewhat* similar game. I did not try to copy them at all, and this is just a ridiculously simple game thats really addicting (or so i've been told).

Will i be fine calling it Ramp Runner? or should i change the name just to be safe, and if so, I'd gladly take any suggestions you have.

Heres an example i put online:

http://fpsyndicate.webs.com/ramprunner.htm

It'll be finished this summer so i have some time, but i just wanna know how safe the name would be.

Thanks!!

 

None

 

Call it Ramp Roller.

 

call it ramp runner

 

Call it Run Ramper.

 

Call it Ram Humper

 

sweet. My brother is doin the artwork for it and was kinda freaking out about that. I didn't think we would have a problem, but we're having legal troubles with our other game anyways so we're checking just to be safe

 

Yeah, but then it becomes a Jeff Minter game.

 

IMHO, you have no problem with either the game or the name.

Had Cube Runner trademarked their game then you *may* have had issues, but only in so much that if they decided to play hard-ball you might have had to get a court ruling on it.

As for the game, from the little I've seen they are two very different concepts (cube runner avoid the cubes, ramp runner aim for the ramps), that share a similar visual presentation, that is not unique or have any identifiable IP. So no problem there, but then IANAL.

However I do think 'Ramp Runner' is a bit of a poor name. I know many games like to use this 'simple' naming type method (e.g. Temple Run), but to me it does your game (or rather its potential) a disservice. It needs more panache to it, more excitement. Something like 'Reckless' or 'Reckless Ramp Jumper', use a thesaurus and see what interesting, dynamic words, especially adjectives you can find that fit with the game.

 

Owh my goodness!

a) You still post

and

b) That is one scary looking guy, with some awesome game titles.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3-D_WorldRunner

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lode_Runner

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Runner

If someone were to have gotten in trouble for using the word "runner" in the title of something, it would've happened by now. Not that there isn't any reason to come up with a catchier title.

 

Fantastic game by the way.

I would make the movement less smooth though. You need to be able to turn on a whim.

 

Thanks for all the feedback, as i said, i never thought we would have a problem, but my artist is freaking out. I'll think about a catchier title, but i want something memorable because this is a mobile game.

And as for the smoothness, ill up the turning a bit, but this game is to be controlled by the tilting of a mobile device so it adds a completely different aspect to the game. Along with that, the slow turning makes it harder to dodge some ramps making you bounce off easier. Its supposed to be seemingly easy but annoying so it becomes addicting Also the different modes are gonna add their own aspects to it

 

There is no a problem from the moment you set a different name and different logos/trademarks.

But in every other case a "catchy" name will make you stand out on your own, do whatever you like just throwing ideas.

 

Huge personal and professional workload keeping me very busy.

 

Probably none.. unless that Cube game is awfully popular and the guys/gilrs who made it have copyrighted it and whatever else legal stuff they can do to make sure that none of it gets.. well, copied or stolen.. so the chances of that happening are pretty much 0.