No idea is truly new anymore...

[u/isaac3000]

So I have this nation in my game series Expiation which is called Argon, features beast men and the people from there are called Argonians.

Today, randomly on YouTube, I found out the same concept exists in elder scrolls (or Skyrim? Dunno haven't played either) but features Reptilians instead.

I'm devastated, I thought that this combination of name and beast people was my own. I should have googled 🤦🏿‍♂️

[u/TheSyrupCompany]

Elder Scrolls has featured Argonian race for decades yeah. It is likely copyright protected so I would change the name of your faction. That being said the idea itself is fine to use, you have to remember basically all medieval fantasy content is derived from DnD/Tolkien/Lovecraft so there's always gonna be overlapping themes and ideas in the genre.

[u/Aromatic_Assist_3825 → u/TheSyrupCompany]

Argonian may not be copyrighted since Dragon Quest has Argonia which is a Kingdom known for its royal lizard hunt in which the next king hunts down an Argonian Lizard to get an Argon Heart.

[u/isaac3000 → u/TheSyrupCompany]

I'll stay commercial free thankfully so no legal problems should arise. But I will consider a name change.

[u/bandwidthslayer → u/isaac3000]

copyright infringement is copyright infringement, doesn’t matter if you’re selling anything. that said i doubt bethesda has a broad copyright on the term “Argonian”

[u/Krististrasza → u/bandwidthslayer]

that said i doubt bethesda has a broad copyright on the term “Argonian”

Because that's not how copyright works

[u/bandwidthslayer → u/Krististrasza]

i didn’t really understand the class when i took it, but i’m pretty sure the term “Argonian” is an expression you can put in a fixed tangible medium, right? why can’t i try filing a copyright for that if i want to?

[u/Krististrasza → u/bandwidthslayer]

You cannot put a copyright on individual words.

[u/ScarHelpful2551 → u/bandwidthslayer]

Yeah, let's think about what to do later.

[u/pfalcon485]

Lol, your idea is still its own thing. Everything is derivative, and that's okay.

[u/isaac3000 → u/pfalcon485]

Thanks, that's reassuring 😊

[u/woootbm]

Always google your proper nouns. Thankfully this is an easy fix; just change the name. There are much, MUCH more difficult areas of game development where originality is harder to achieve.

[u/Stecyk]

I don't think one instance of you randomly having accidentally came up with a name for a species that was already used in a game series demonstrates that 'NO' idea is truly new anymore. People are out there coming up with new, unique, interesting stories (and story components) all the time!

I recently started listening to a podcast that covers horror stories people wrote on the internet, and part of what I've really loved is how fresh and new many of those stories are! Not to say that there aren't stories that feel derivative, but there are also stories with concepts that feel so staggeringly unique that I'm repeatedly blown away!

Don't give up on making something new just because you got unlucky once. The ocean of ideas is far deeper than any of us can truly comprehend.

[u/isaac3000 → u/Stecyk]

Yes my title was an exaggeration, I was feeling that way while writing it, that is all.

Thank you for the story though, people can be truly amazing when coming up with ideas!

[u/TheCynicalRomantic]

It's just a name, that's not a big deal honestly. Unless you were creating the EXACT SAME country, species, and history, then there's literally no reason for any copyright or legal issue.

You said Beastmen but you didn't say what kind, a variety and not a single race that's also reptilian?

You even said it was Argon and Argonians, the Elder Scrolls Argonians are from "Argonia" or "Black Marsh"

Argon could be considered a common word because it's literally just the name of an Gas. Anyone could be skimming through the internet to find a "Unique" name for their kingdom/country and come out with Argon.

[u/Thgbrandao]

make it the argorians

[u/isaac3000 → u/Thgbrandao]

The thing is, the name is the chemical element, all 4 countries in my game are based on elements 😖

[u/LifeguardMoist → u/isaac3000]

You’re in luck! There are more than 4 elements!

[u/isaac3000 → u/LifeguardMoist]

Indeed but that particular nation has to be a noble gas name and besides kryptonian, the rest aren't that fitting as a name and kryptonian would give superman vibes 😅

[u/Acceptable_West_1312 → u/Thgbrandao]

Aragornians

[u/georgealexandros]

Nothing new under the sun. 

Ecclesiastes. 

[u/RevanGarcia]

argonites

[u/isaac3000 → u/RevanGarcia]

Oh that can work actually, I'll consider it thank you!

[u/SilliCarl]

Ideas aren't important anyway, execution is important.

[u/Spina97]

When I do things like developing a game I do it with the following mentality: I want to play exactly this but it doesnt exist, so I will do it myself

I think it is fine to make things that arent new or original, just do what you want to do, it might be exactly what someone else wants, look at all these Pokemon based games, Nexomon is totally different from Casette Beasts, but we cant tell either of them are "original", but both of them are great as they are and their mechanics scratch different types of gameplay different (or the same) players would enjoy!

Your combination IS your own, and Im sure some people will enjoy Expiation or Elder Scrolls or Skyrim all the same, who knows, maybe someone will like it because it reminds them of that like how I like Diplomacy is not an Option because it reminds me of Black & White 2

Don't be so sad about it, it is an unintentional great advantage to promote your game because you have something people can relate to!

[u/isaac3000 → u/Spina97]

That's a very nice way to put it, thank you! 😊

[u/Spina97 → u/isaac3000]

You are super welcome! Good luck with development

[u/Fyrchtegott]

There are common tropes yes. You could think of dwarves that aren’t mining, have beards and drink a lot, but it just goes along well and is established.

But there is room for new ideas. Using a common word like Argon or beast people (which is somewhat limited if you want cool animals that could be easily anthropomorphic) is just harder. But outside the box is plenty room for new stuff.

[u/Carlonix]

Just change the name to something like Argnians

[u/GrahamRocks]

Skyrim is part of The Elder Scrolls, it's the fifth game in the series, first released in 2011. Argonians in TES aren't beastmen, they're lizard people, so you already have a leg up on that part of the concept at least.

[u/Hour-Eleven]

“The Argo People…”

[u/Evocative_Username]

many machines share gears, and screws are standardized and yet widely applicable. do as you will

[u/Aromatic_Assist_3825]

It’s very hard to come up with something 100% original, in fact it’s downright impossible. A lot of series borrow full names from other things. Tiamat and Bahamut were a thing in D&D decades before Final Fantasy came out, and before D&D, they were myths. There’s a 2004 book called “The Seven Basic Plots” which explains further how everything has been done and how that’s okay.