It seems some people might find our studio name offensive (it is not really meant to be) so just wanted to check how big of a problem this is, please help out by answering the poll
I know why people could find it offensive (there's that nasty scene in Burroughs's Naked Lunch) but what comes to mind first for me is a radical form of "headbanger" -- someone who listens heavy metal.
I don't think its offensive, I just doesn't really sound that professional. If you make great games i doubt it really matters. If cut the rope was developed by "thug dog studios" I doubt it would have hurt its sales.
I agree. Don't think it's offensive at all. Who knows, it might make you more recognizable because of it
I would say that it definitely is offensive. But that doesnt mean you should necessarily change it, just be aware of the fact that some people or companies might not want to associate with you. But as previously stated, it might also help you get recognized ;p Out of curiosity, is the name intended to be a spin on the word headbanging (as in the act of banging ones head to a metal song)?
The associated logo will play into this. As long as your logo isn't a guy using his gentlemen's sausage for a skull shish kabob you should be ok. For example, a skull with dynamite sticks in its ears, or two skulls banging together would shift focus away from the wrong interpretation of "bang" and no one would question it. My unsolicited 2 cents.
It all depends on the image you want to promote. If you're always going to be doing zombie/gruesome/sexually charged games, by all means keep it. Keep in mind, you're painting yourself into a corner here. If you're going to - or might possibly be sometime in the future - planning on promoting a fluffy bunny/kids/casual game, you might want to rethink your name.
Thanks everyone for the views and entertaining discussion We decided to change our name and I'm happy to introduce Large Visible Machine.
Large visable machine? Are you trolling? I'd have honestly preferred fornicatingtheeyesocketsofskulls then that.
Might be a good thing... I don't find it offensive at all, but I can see how some people might. I think that "edge," however, might be a boon in certain niches and, depending on the type of games you're making, it might be a good thing that it's a little offensive. Honestly, I had to think about it a little bit before I figured out why you were worried.