[Bg]

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but there are no game developers/publishers who buy game ideas (as far as I know anything about the field). The problem with ideas coming from outside (no matter how good they are) is that the people who aren't involved in game development are not aware of the technology constraints, for example. If you want to sell your idea, you have make a technology/game demo yourself to show that the concept really works in practise. And even after you have completed the demo, you should have a team that's able to finish the game. If you have a strong demo and, at least one of the publishing companies out there is likely to fund your development process.

Take Lionhead and its satellite (Big Blue Box) for example. When Lionhead announced they're looking for a satellite, they instantly received dozens of game developer applicants. And those applicants had design documents and concept drawings and everything ready. Only one got chosen, despite the fact that all were somewhat brilliant.

Sure, you can always try to get your idea sold. But best of luck to you anyway.

[[Shizo]]

Hehehh you can't sell ideas. And if you can it's too american-ish for me.
Besides it's illegal for companies to use/buy your 'great idea' unless you were hired by them or had some kind of contract.
Although i knew one hi-end guy who worked someplace at Sony and Disney and he said he kept a pile of game ideas in a briefcase (with design docs, illustrations of chars and missions etc)
So ye

Besides your idea probably sucks

[suny]

i know a guy who sold his idea.
it was a really cool idea of a wap bullshit mobile phone adventure game, and money people went crazy, and my friend earn a lot of money with a little game concept and no demo at all.
but it's an exception, it was sold to morons (investors, outside of the gaming world) because mobile phone gaming is "cool", and "trendy", and "the next big thing".

EA, for example, have a "zero risk" policy, they dont want to try ANY idea at all.
unless your idea is "let's make crazy taxi with the simpsons", of course.

S.

[balistic]

Its actually the game companies themselves that have to pitch ideas. What usually happens is that someone already working at game company has an idea for a game, which the company then turns into a design document and playable demo or proof-of-concept. Its all done on spec, nobody's making any money yet.

Once the demo is done, the game developer will approach various publishers to try and secure enough money to fund the creation of a full game. The crew who developed "No One Lives Forever" shopped their playable concept around for half-a-year before they were able to convince a publisher to fund them.

So your idea, no matter how cool it might seem, is utterly worthless to a game company . . . every single employee at a developer has an idea for a cool game, so why would they pay an outsider for one when they may not even be able to sell the thing?

I once received an E-mail from a guy that basically went like this:

"I have a great idea for a game where you terraform Mars. If you want to make it, I'll split the profits with you!"

hehheh.

If you want your ideas to make it into a game, you pretty much have to work in the industry already, and even then, you can expect guys in suits to thoroughly destroy your concept to make it more marketable.

[[Shizo]]

hehh
Was it fshock who sent you that email, eh balistic?
Would be pretty cool if he sent it.

[fshock]

Thanks for the responces everyone.

So I need concept drawings and well writen, detailed information about the game and a magic lamp... ok

[Flinthawk]

Balistic pretty much went over the basics of what you need to know. Getting a game design sold to a company is very, very, very rare (I do know someone who managed...but he had lots of contacts, contacts that he bugged relentlessly, and it was done up in so much detail that all the company had to do is read and implement. I doubt the game is getting made though...).

But it's true, everybody in the game industry already has tons of great ideas. There probably is a game design out there similar to yours that was passed over or drowned in the sea of concept documents, either because they already have games they know will sell or because they just don't like the idea. Then there are the legal issues of looking at your document. If the company looks at your concept and has a game already in development that is very similar they open themselves to a lawsuit. The safest option is to just not open any outside documents that contain concepts.

A lot of this industry has turned into licensed properties. Some publishers won't even touch a game unless they can link a nifty license to it and watch it sell itself. It is very hard to get an original game published even if you're already in the industry. I'm in the middle of that process right now. I'm writing up the concept pitch and game design documents, doing up concept art and a few screen mockups to display on the system and it'll still be extremely hard to get funding for...and this is being enthusiastically backed by the owner of the company. It gets pitched on the 9th so I'll have to see how things go then...

From the designers I've talked to, it is apparent that designers usually 'fall' into their roles. Most people that design games for a living started as a programmer or artist (sometimes Producers or similar execs with strings they can pull...) who either put together a pitch that manages to impress the right people at the right time or they take on designer-like tasks that eventually prove to their superiors that they have the stuff it takes to actually design a game...because believe it or not, it takes more than coming up with a couple fancy pictures, an interesting story and a couple pages of gameplay design to get approval for original concepts. I think it was Bg that said it when he mentioned that people don't realize the limitations of the platforms out there...any design needs to fit and account for those limitations and it isn't likely that people outside of the industry have any knowledge as to what those limitations are.

Also, with the next generation of consoles upon us and development teams costing millions of dollars, publishers are going to be very stingy with their money before they go tossing it at an unproven idea.

So, the best thing to do is to get in the industry and work your way up from there. You can also find a team of people that can help you put together a small demo to show why the particular game is fun. MODs are becoming a popular way to get noticed...it seems like it will start getting crowded in that communtiy and your game might not lend itself to a MOD of a current engine but it is another route. If that doesn't work, do what someone else suggested and find someone with absolutely no game knowledge and lots of money and go from there

Hate to be somewhat brutally honest but without some serious contacts and a game industry quality document and/or demo it'll be extremely hard to get an idea sold, much less even looked at.

-Flinthawk

(man, I know how to ramble, don't I)

[ November 28, 2001: Message edited by: Flinthawk ]

[fshock]

If so I was wondering how I get a game idea sold to a developer?
I have a really good idea for a video game.

Whats an idea worth?
Also, if anyone has any contacts could you hook me up?

I know alot of people think they have a great game idea, some do and some don`t but I know this is good.

At any rate thanks.

[edraket]

Yes... you just have to keep your idea in a secret compartement.
Get a job in the game industry.
Work yourself to the top.
By then you will:
A- Realise that your idea cannot work because it is a storyline and good storylines don't make good games.
B- Just want to keep your idea a secret because you don't want to get it raped by a whole team of retard publishers.
C- Have lost every lost drop of creativity and motivation to do anything but make 1st Person shooters and earn enough money to go on vacation every year.

[[Shizo]]

ya, now answer my post in art discussion cause i need help finding job at game induustry
Or having big portfolio is the first thing to do? Im working on it but i want to do something for a job search also not to lose time.