Naming your game company

For me the naming of my company was the easiest part, I chose Oddball Games. There is something about the word oddball that resonates with me, it makes me smile. It means I can try things that may not be normal or make sense and if anyone asks I can point to the name Oddball Games.

To me a name of company needs to mean something, not just to the person buying from the company but to the owner of the company as well. I did not worry too much about if there was .com free, I felt the name of the company reflected what I wanted to do.

I would agree you do not want to limit yourself to much. Some of the biggest company names have nothing to do with what they sell, they were able to create an image of what they do. In that regard I would say that how you present the company is just as important as the name itself.

I like Lighthouse Games. It is overly complex and it sounds nice, but I like light houses so that may be some bias there. Soaring Castle Games is also a good one that I like

1: C.M. Games. Having your first and last initials for your company?

2: Mancini Games. Just have your last name as a company name.

3: Pick something you like. Animals, Colors, Shapes, Combine those ideas you have to come up with something unique.

4: Or how about a skill or talent or a hobby you like to do other than designing games that you may use as a company name for your game designing company.

Hope this helps.

Stormy

I can't advice much about this.

The most, I like: Soaring Castle Games
Gives a nice impression.
But doesn't really roll over my tongue.

Perhaps?

CloudCastle Games
or
CastleCloud Games

We arrived at our name after a long process. We wanted something that was simple, easy to remember, had meaning to us and would allow for SEO (meaning it wasn't already taken be another company or business entity).

You've already mentioned making sure your name is available, so I assume you know about all the trademark legal stuff. However, when people go to look up your game or site, you don't want them to have to flip through 70 other search results before they finally find you (if they keep looking). That's where search engine optimization (SEO) becomes important. If you pick a name that already has affiliations with a bigger company (like if you wanted to name your company "Starbuck" rather than "Starbucks") you might want to rethink it just because you'll be hard to find.

Having a name that is relatively short and easy to remember is good. Not just for you but for buyers too. People at a con (where you would find the best crowd for marketing) are going to hear a ton of new names and be inundated with new logos. If yours is catchy and short, it's more likely to stick.

Good luck.

I can share some experience as well.

Naming the company and/or trade mark is one of the really toughest things. Why? Well, because it will stuck. They will know you by it. It should be something you like, but also something that sounds really good and can easily be identified in search engines (you want as many hits as possible, no?).

Take something that you like. Change it as many times as possible. Go for uniqueness, for identifiability (what a word, eh). Don't be afraid to experiment. And always be ready to change if need be.

For a long time, Flintlock Games was stuck in my head. Nice word, not too popular, awesome opportunity for a logo. I even had our designers sketch it and it looked perfect. Two days ago, after months of work, my partner, Peter, came up with another name, that is both cool sounding, memorable, funny and unoccupied. It's also something very Bulgarian (we're from Bulgaria) and gives out our nationality for those ready to search for it.

Cherry Cannon Games.

So, advice: choose a few that you like, ask as many people as you can, but keep an open mind. I hope you find your name very soon ^^