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How To Sell a Video Game Idea?
fobsta writes "Do any Slashdotters have experience of selling video game ideas? I'm an artist who has programmed a rough-as-nails demo and animated a trailer to explain my concept. Obviously I think it's fun, it shows promise, and my friends think it's cool. Who should I pitch the idea to? Existing video games companies, venture capitalists, or what about those dentists who financed the Amiga? Are they still around? I've had a previous idea hijacked, and received no reward for it whatsoever; how can I prevent this happening again?"
If they see your demo, and anything they are already working on is similar or has similar elements, they're opening themselves up to a suit (from you) when they release their product.
About the only way anybody I know in the industry will look at anyone else's concepts is if:
A) The concept is being given away, for free, to be used in any way, without any limitations
and
B) The originator of said concept signs legal papers stating the material is theirs to give away and A) applies.
Even then, most companies still won't touch it and will refuse to see it, as the person providing it may be wrong in stating the material isn't already encumbered (whether the originator knew it or not).
Some examples of how material (like a trailer) can be encumbered without the originator really being aware:
- trailer was made using originator's employer's software/hardware/time
- trailer was made by somebody with a strict employer agreement on original works (anything I author that isn't "for the company" I need to register the material with my employer ... or my employer owns it)
- trailer includes characters based on somebody else's trademarked images
- trailer was made using pirated software (believe it or not - this can cause very weird legal problems)
So, sorry, but you'll have a very tough time getting anybody to view it, even just to say "that's neat, but we aren't interested."
Instead it'll be, "I'm sorry, but we can't look at it."
"Flame away, I wear asbestos underwear"
Really? http://paulbuchheit.blogspot.com/2008/03/ideas-vs-judgment-and-execution_9197.html
Game ideas are ten a penny. When I worked at a game company we got three of four "ideas" sent to us every day of the week. We threw all of them in the bin, fancy artwork and all.
If you want to design games you need to start applying for jobs as a game tester. If your feedback/ideas are good you'll work your way up.
Beware though ... if there's one thing which outnumbers game ideas it's people who want to be game testers. There's millions of people who think getting paid for playing video games would be the coolest job ever, though the reality is that testing games is nothing like playing them.
No sig today...
I wouldn't go with the Poor Man's copyright idea. It doesn't have any case law AFAIK, and is easily fakeable.
The "sending a letter to yourself" idea is demonstrably ridiculous.
However, Wikipedia briefly mentions the correct "Poor Man's Copyright", which is a notary public. One of the notary public's duties is to certify documents as being the same as the original. Simply find one and have them execute a certificate of authenticity on your documents. It will cost very little and, while IANAL, should be pretty solid in court, at least in terms of proof that you definitely had the document on the given date.
That having been said, IANAL, but I am a game programmer, and it's pretty unlikely that a game development company will take an idea from an unknown and run with it. They have their own game designers.
(And on that same note, the game designers are going to be the ones who sign off on your idea... and it's unlikely that they're going to admit that it's a good idea since it would be an admission that the company is wasting its money on them.)
If you really want to make your game, like others have said, you have to have a playable demo. If it's good enough, it will get noticed and will get published. I mean, Elf Bowling is now a Nintendo DS game. It's simply a matter of developing a popular game.
(And I might take a moment here to suggest that everyone thinks their game ideas are good and nearly everyone is wrong.)