New name, new website!

For a long time now, I've been meaning to come up with a new name for my company.

I'd been using SquishySoft for a while, but I was never happy with it. It wasn't particularly interesting or exciting, it was too reminiscent of Shiny, and I couldn't come up with any good logos for it. In addition, the domain had already been registered, and some other group of people had started using that name for their own games!

So I needed something that sounded fun, and exciting, and lent itself to a good logo, which nobody had registered the domain for already, and which nobody was using. It also needed to be easy to remember, and short.

Being related to games or software was a low priority... There are lots of companies out there with names that have nothing at all to do with games. I could always stick "Games" or "Entertainment" on the end.

I'd tried hundreds of different names in the past, looking up words in the dictionary, finding synonyms of various words like "fun" or "powerful", going to domain registration sites that tell you names that recently became available that have the word "game" in them. But the names I came up with were either lame or boring, or too long, or taken, or the domains wrere registered but not being used by people who wanted throusands of dollars for them.

Then a couple nights ago I was watching TV and inspiration hit me. I realised the name was short, fun, and was synonymous with clever and swift. (heh) It was a bit quirky sounding as well which makes it easy to remember. And it also meant that it was unlikely to be registered. So dashed off to my PC (which is two feet away from the couch) and a quick domain search, and I discovered the name was available! Woo!

So I present to you my new company name and website. The only thing there right now is the logo I just finished making. I hope you like it!

Hrmmm.

First impressions? Meh. "Raccoon Rocket" doesn't really roll off the tongue, and after the anticipation of what sort of logo someone as creative as yourself could come up with using such an interesting combination of ideas, the words "Raccoon" and "Rocket" with some pretty colours just didn't seem to get my biscuits crumbling like I expected it to.

In short, it looks like something I could do - and that can't be good.

Sorry. I wanted to like it...

New name, new site, same old crap.

I have to wonder if that raccoon survived.

When I saw Noel's name I knew reading his post would bring a little ray of sunshine into my miserable little hum-drum life!

Yes Noel, the raccoon lived. And that's not me in the photo or anyone I know, I got the pic from this website which has the whole story. I just thought the one pic was amusing.

Why in the world would you think some harm had befallen the raccoon in that pic anyway? He's just riding in a tote.



Hey, I'm not an artist. :-) That's just the text part of the logo. I have some ideas for a better logo, but I couldn't do them justice. I'll have to commision someone to do it at some point.

Anyway I didn't put the name or the logo in my post because I didn't want you to have a preconceived notion of what it should look like before you saw it, cause I can namever live up to that. I hadn't counted on you having a preconceived notion about how good an aritst I was though. :-)

Oh well, at least I can count on the name going over better with people than "Wii".

I totally disagree with lineof7s. The name is pretty catchy in my opinion. So, I really like both, the company name and the logo...

Does TM mean its a registered trademark or just a trademark?

I think it looks pretty nice but maybe needs something more than just words.

It's not registered. :-)
(Registering trademarks is expensive, and requires lawyers.)

I know it needs more than words, but I can't draw for crap. :-) What I'd like is to eventually have a raccoon with a red rocket strapped to his back on the lower left fying off the screen with a plume of white smoke that curves over the word "Raccoon" and down behind "Rocket".

TM means just trademark and (I believe) you can slap it on anything.

(R) means Registered trademark.


I can't say much so far... will have to wait until you have a site design and some kind of logo before any final judgement.
Have you put any thought into one of those interactive logos like the one Lionhead uses in B&W 2?
I like those :)

I have no seen lionhead's interactive logo. I'll have to check it out. I don't have time to add silly stuff like that right now. Besides, my logo IS interactive! You can click it! :-)

[edit]
I just went to Lionhead's website, but I don't see a logo I'd classify as "interactive".
[/edit]

I'd prefer Rocket Raccoon over Raccoon Rocket. It rolls off the tongue better for me.

Logo looks great though. It does need a cartoon raccoon with a rocket at some stage of course, as you've already said, but for the text part, yep, looks great.

I considered switching the words around, but I thought Rocket Raccoon sounded too much like a cartoon. Also, the odd order of the words makes it more memorable.

why Raccoon anyway?

1) "Rocket Raccoon" works for me too. Dunno how much sense it makes (sounds more like an alternate Crash Bandicoot character), but it flooows better. To me.

2) See, now I was expecting a rocket, a raccoon or - ideally - both. Having read your explanation and your (thus far unrealised) dream for what the logo will become, I'm much more encouraged. To that end, your current text looks very nice. :o)

Much better than Squishy for sure!

Naughty:
Why not? Most game company names don't make much sense.

But I'm glad you asked!

http://www.darwinawards.com/legends/legends1998-15.html

It's an uprban legend. The show I was watching when I got my inspiration was Mythbusters. :-)


PS: That's enough suggestions for Rocket Raccoon. I couldn't use it even if I wanted to.



Hey Mikey! He likes it! :-)

I dunno why anyone has a problem with the logo. I'm proud of it I think it came out looking great. Adding a character to it will be nice, but I think it came out realyl sharp looking. I spent a few hours on it and went though a thousand fonts and whittled them down to 15 or so which I then went through and eliminated one by one till I had maybe 8 or so, and then the one I have here stood out as the best one, though I had to edit some of the letters.

Btw, did you notice the word raccoon in the logo has stripes which suggest the tail of a raccoon? I tried lots of variations on that. The whole logo is just a bit of an accident really, I just keep trying stuff till something looks good. That's usually how I do art. The first iterations had white outlines, and a smooth gradient from top to bottomm, I also tried normal bevels, but the bevel with both sides being lightened plus an inner glow looked the most unique and professional.


Oh and speaking of "why raccoon"... I always wondered why Valve chose the name Valve. It's a pretty boring name, and a pretty boring object. Also, there's a company called "Double Fine", who got their name from seeing a sign on the highway that indicated speeding fines were doubled in that area. Lionhead on the other hand is the name of Peter Moleneuax's hamster.

Mikey? My name's Leigh - but I'll answer to Mikey if you make it worth my while. ;o)

(unless I've missed some relatively obscure cultural reference)

7's:
You make me feel old. :-)




http://www.80stvthemes.com/commercials/indexb.html

Go down to Life Cereal, and click it to see the commercial. :-)

Aaah - I was right. :o) That particular cereal hasn't permeated its way into our very permeable culture down here DownUnder, so I didn't know.

As for making you feel old: I turn 35 in a couple of months, so thankyou! :oD

Ah good, I was hoping it was something like that. :-)

I'm afraid that the name or logo don't do anything for me...good luck with it though.

I dunno...looks better than GAG to me...

I like it.
I'd also like only:
Raccoon Entertainment

Oh yikes, yeah, I see what you mean. Apparently Marvel Comics got there first. ( I had no idea. ) Well Raccoon Rocket still feels backwards to me, but I guess that could work in your favour too. That slightly uncomfortable "this is backwards" sensation could well make it more memorable.

What about 'SSwift Software'? 'Swift Software' and 'Swift Soft' are already in use. Maybe 'Swift Software Development' (possibly in use) or what about 'Swift Software Systems'.

raccoon rocket sounds good, though it seems akward since it has no history. I'd be willing to bet "microsoft" sounded weird when it was first used, too.

s swiftmax

S swift xxl

S swift unlimited edition

SS panza division

Swifties swift stuff

Names are hard everything taken!

Pete

There's a budget game company that publishes things in stores that's called Swift. :-)

Pocket Rocket sounds better to me!! :p

Haha! You can't fool me, I know what that is in the UK. :-)