Handling Copyright

After designing and coding the 'Snap Happy Wedding Game', I have ran in to an unforseen problem. I dont think it would be legal to include the lyrics and mp3 file of the couple's favourite song. This is a real disappointment. I was prepared to buy an MP3 to include with each copy of the game but as far as I can make out this would not be legal.
The wedding games I would be producing, would be for one single user, so I really can't see why I cant include a legally purchased MP3 with each game.
I could include a disclaimer that protected me from copyright infringement suits but this would have to be drawn up by a lawyer and would likely be too costly. In this case I would use the music file provided by the customer but I still wouldn't be able to include the lyrics for the song, as these are copyrighted separately.
I could write my own music and lyrics but this would probably not be as personal as the couples own favourite song. I would likely have to include a turn off music button if I chose this option.
At the moment I'm thinking of adding a load music dialog that would allow the customer to add their own choice of music. I would not be able to add any lyrics but at least this would keep it legal. (probably...?)

Snappy Happenings

I've been working on a Snap Happy Wedding game as a present for my sister. The amount of photos increased to 30, as I didn't want to leave anybody out. I had to edit all the photo's widths so they fitted on the cards. The music plays when ten snaps have been completed.
I changed the theme to the wedding colours and tartan.
I tried to use some freeware packagers for Java to make an easily installable package, but my files are for Processing. Perhaps I should make a main java class which loads the processing code but I'm not sure how to do this and info is a bit scarce.
In the end I found a 30 day trial version of a commercial program that works great with processing applications. Unfortunately, it would cost over 200 pounds to purchase! If the project were a success it would be worth the outlay but I cant justify this cost at the moment.

The installer generates an msi setup program that is great for Windows and there is an option for OS. Shortcuts are added wherever you denote and you can even have a product key that is checked online.
The file must be zipped if it is sent by hotmail or messenger but googlemail accepts it as it is. This is strange when you consider that the msi format is a Microsoft convention...

The photos in the lyrics section have a randomised tint applied.

Snappy Game in Processing

I've been working on a new version of the Snappy Game in Processing. It took me only 2 days to write. Most of the time was spent editing the photographs. My neice got married recently so I did a snappy game with pictures from the wedding.
One of the many advantages of Processing is that I can write the same code and have it run as an applet or an application. Applications can be set up to run in presentation mode or in their own sized window. I used the minim library for the sound, as it is really easy to use.
When the player completes the game I have it displaying the lyrics and playing the song that was played at the wedding service. Photos of the wedding are displayed on each page and I added a randomized tint to each one. This makes the photos look different each time it is run.
If I made this service available to users, I would need to decide whether to deliver the game as an applet or an application. I kept the size of the files down by converting the photos to PNGs and making them small but the final size is still over 10MB. If the game was delivered as an applet it might take a few minutes to load and some users experience java problems running the applets. I will likely test the load time this week sometime...
The standalone version loads very quickly and has less Java problems but set up is more complicated. The user would have to extract the folder from a zip file and double click the application icon.
If I set this up as a service I would need to find a way of letting the customer send me the photos. This would need to be done by email or file upload. It takes a while to edit the images and choice of music could cause copyright problems, I'm not sure how payment for a file in a one customer game works.
The game could be set up for any event such as a wedding, party or a baby's first birthday.
I think 25 pounds would be a fair price for the work involved, If anyone would like try out the service please contact me and we could work on it. :)

Ally Boo - Catch the Birdie Game

I uploaded the latest version of the birdie game and I'm really pleased with how easy it was to write in Processing.
If this had been written in Java, I believe it would have taken months longer to write. The sound files use the minim library and there are no embarrassing pauses loading them.
I used the open source audio application Audacity to record the sound clips. My broad Scots accent and squeaky voice is ... different compared to most other kids games...lol.
I used Tune Smithy to write the background music for the game. This is an amazing application that allows you to use maths to write a tune. The pc keyboard can be used to add melodies and you can use every instrument I ever heard of and even some I haven't. This free program allows you to write original royalty free music. I'm really pleased with how the bird tweets echo the melody.
I drew the pictures and animations using Draw Plus X2 from Serif.
There are a few minor niggles to fix but the game works perfectly. Occasionally the birdie almost goes off screen but can always be found. A numerical score for the birdies and leaves may be added later.
Seeing how easy this interactive game was to write I am seriously considering porting Solundria to this format!