[space shoot] Help me choose the name

Hello all,

I'm doing an HD standalone shoot them up. This is not my first game but my first with unity. Work is progressing nicely, 2 month of work so far with an almot fully working game, 4-5 month to go.

Now this is ridiculous, I can't really decide for my game's name while I need it to fix things.

-A name that tell immediately whats the game is for.
-But something a bit original so it's surprising and I hope appealling for peoples.
-Something in two part with the first being a common "space war". (the explicit part)

The problem is that the actual "spacewar eta carinae" sound a bit... moronic to me what you think ?
But a "spacewar nemesis" or "spacewar andromeda" would be so common that customers would felt asleep before even thinking to try it.

Any idea welcome (Does "Eta carinae" sound really moronic in english?)

Here are some shot:

First one hi res image 1920x1024:

 

In english there is an abbreviation E.T.A.
Estimated Time of Arrival

When I first saw the image thats how I read it even though it didnt have the dots.

 

While it's not a bad name, as Tzan mentions, it's a little hard to parse for an english speaker not familiar with astronomy. That said, there is stuff about Eta Carinae that you can draw naming inspiration from. While anachronistic, maybe lean into the fact that when Eta Carinae brightened, the event was called "The Great Eruption."

Which sounds badass as hell.

Another important note is that "Space War" is likely still trademarked by Atari, who are notorious for holding on to things. Even if they sold it off, that still means the name may be in a sort of worrisome legal area. As Atari's various incarnations have been pretty litigious, I'd probably aim for something else. It looks like you're going for a shmup of some variety, so like... I dunno... Gotta make it punchy. I don't know anything about the game, so I just kinda took the verb of what's going on (an attack, or assault) and the primary player representation, a ship, so...

Assault Ship:
The Great Eruption​

 

Maybe have a look at the names of some constellations.

 

I have no idea. The one you picked was pretty cool as it relates to a real place in space.
Another positive about the name that you chose.
I believe that you are the only person in the world to ever name your game with exactly those 3 words.
so you won't get into any issues with someone else with the same name.

And I am not a lawyer, but I know this.

The way trademark law works in most places, the guy who made a game using the name first in trade generally has the right to it. There are all kinds of other considerations but that one is the biggest. Even if he didn't copyright it or file trademarks. If he put it out there, and was distributing it. He has a very good claim to that name in most parts of the world.

So if you come up with a different name. Make sure you do a thorough search. At the very least. Do this.

Whatever you come up with.
Google it in quotes:
"The name of the game"
and also google it in quotes with the word game after it:
"the name of the game" game

there are thousands of games coming out each month and it is kind of hard to have an original name these days.

 

It really isn't if you name your game creatively instead of frontloading the genre of the game into the title itself.

 

thanks you

 

thank guy

 

thanks you guy

 

So if it took place in our Milky Way, would you call it "Milky Way"? Seems a bit..forced and derivative. The title says it all, so there was a "space war" in some rando place? That says nothing. And as Murigold stated, it's clearly taken. I actually just thought of a F***ing sweet name, but it's actually going into my notebook of names. Don't stress out over it, these things come when your waters are still.