So I've rethought my company identity, as the previous incarnation "Blue Run Games" inspired some scatalogical references from enough people to make it worth while!
The original idea was rooted in ski trail signs, where an intermediate run is commonly called a blue run. They're fast, challenging and fun enough for all levels of skiers and boarders. It reminded me of what I want my games to be and the feeling I hope they elicit in players...but the term proved to be too esoteric for most and the word "run" was analogous to "the runs..." or as one person so eloquently put it, "like shitting on the north pole."
So I stepped back and thought of what it was about that name that I loved so much...it spoke to me on a gut level, as there's nothing in this world that I love more than skiing. I wanted to join my two passions and have my game identity reflect it, as both are forms of play and both bring me endless joy. I ended up choosing not the general term of "blue run" but a specific blue run from the mountain which I grew up visiting as a kid...Avanti.
The font is the same as that used on those trail signs, and the blue square is the classic icon of the intermediate run. Avanti means "forward" in Italian, and being of Italian descent, I like that it has that secondary meaning to me, as this whole effort of self-publishing a game is to take a big step forward where my hobby and my career meet.
Anyways it's a HUGE relief to finally have an identity I can stick with and be proud of. It was a nerve-wracking process, but I'm happy with the result and can finally complete my print materials for the Kickstarter!
For now I'm just looking to get my first game out there, with another option or two waiting in the wings should the first fund enough to afford their art development. I can't say down the road what Avanti will become, but if the true publishing side feels like the way to go and I bring in outside games (much like what Tasty Minstrel has become) I'm fine with that too. If the goal is to build a significant game company, I'll have to go that route...just unsure at this point.
If I had to compare Avanti to another company which I would most hope to become similar to, particularly the types of games they publish, it would be a Blue Orange or Iello...maybe Foxtrot for a smaller-scale company. I'm not against fantasy or sci-fi, but my favorite games are ones with a truly unique and rich theme.
That was another reason I wanted to company name to be broad, as to not imply the types of games we make. If I went with say Castle Gate Games, the assumption would be we make fantasy games...and I didn't want to be so narrow.