Hi there! I have come up with a good game idea, but I have a dilemma. One of the fundamental parts in the introduction is a crashed/wrecked aircraft. I already have an aircraft in mind. [And for those of you wondering, it’s a Bombardier Q400.] Would it be okay to use a free model aircraft in my game? If not, could I use one that says: Q400 (FREE)?
I don’t think using free models is necessarily a bad thing.
There is, however some caveats:
Some (a lot) of the free models available are infected with viruses which can cause bad user experience and even damage to your place.
Perhaps the free model was stolen from another game, and uploaded to the toolbox. You could say you didn’t know but it’s entirely possible for the actual owner of that asset to file a DMCA takedown request over that asset. Just make sure that the asset you’re using is not stolen and is uploaded to the toolbox by the real creator.
Free models aren’t bad at all, they’re there to take a for a reason. Make sure to be cautious about the free models you use though, as some have viruses and can get you and your game banned.