Hello, I was wondering if there was some way to share your ideas with people without your idea for a game getting stolen? I was driving home and all of a sudden this awsome idea hits me in the head like a ton of bricks and then I knew I had to turn it into a game. So I need some advice and tips please. thanks

Well, if you think your idea is so original that somebody is going to steal and make a game out of it, you''d better keep it to yourself until you can make it on your own. There isn''t really a good way to go about it otherwise. Besides, nobody is going to pay you or anything just for your idea, unless you can offer proof (i.e. demo) of it. So either get started, or just don''t worry about it.

tj963

tj is right. You can only protect ideas by keeping them secret.

Dan Marchant
Obscure Productions
Game Development & Design consultant

The act of making your ideas public in one form or another with some legal protection attached is called ... "publishing" ...

If there is a strong storyline, maybe writing a novel or a short about it first and publish it. You don't have to go for the Pullitzer here; it's about finding a way to make it public and have copyrights attached using another form than a game as a first step. Preferably using a timestampable medium like an amateur novellist magazine or a local newspaper (a web page is not indicated here) from which you can get formal reprints. Then you can either make the game from it yourself or have someone else pay you royaltees to make it.

But the best way, as others indicated, it to keep them secret.

-cb

PS: If you can't make it in print and would like to look into online publishing instead, take a look at http://www.distantworlds.net.

[edited by - cbenoi1 on October 22, 2003 11:04:57 AM]

quote: Original post by cbenoi1
The act of making your ideas public in one form or another with some legal protection attached is called ... "publishing" ...

Sorry but this is wrong. Publishing something in book (or any other) form does not protect the idea . The only thing protected is the actual book itself, the words, in the order writen in the book. The original poster was seeking to protect his game idea. Publishing that in book form would be the same as posting it here. Anyone could take the idea and make a game out of it.



Dan Marchant
Obscure Productions
Game Development & Design consultant

> Publishing something in book (or any other) form
> does not protect the idea.

My point was about a storyline, characters and such; something that can be considered ''intellectual property''. An idea about user-game interaction, special algorithm or rendering effects could be patentable. But obviously, my political ideas aren''t copyrightable nor patentable since that can''t be considered intellectual property.

> The original poster was seeking to protect his game idea.

If his game idea can be considered intellectual property in the legal sense, I think it''s an interesting avenue besides total secrecy. But then it depends on the nature of the poster''s idea, which we have no idea about... |8-}

> The only thing protected is the actual book itself,
> the words, in the order writen in the book.

I doulbt I could easily make a game based on Tom Clancy''s, Disney''s or JK Rowling''s works without expressed permission.

-cb

"Don''t worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you''ll have to ram them down people''s throats."
--Howard Aiken

quote: Original post by cbenoi1 My point was about a storyline, characters and such; something that can be considered 'intellectual property'.

Yes and my point was that doing so only protects those things and not the actual idea. Warcraft was based on Dune II. It doesn't use the story or character but it uses the same idea. If you write a book then someone could take that idea and do a game and they might actually get to market before you do.

quote: > The original poster was seeking to protect his game idea.

If his game idea can be considered intellectual property in the legal sense, I think it's an interesting avenue besides total secrecy.

I thought we had already clearly covered this point. Ideas can not be considered intellectual property under the current IP laws.

quote: > The only thing protected is the actual book itself,
> the words, in the order writen in the book.

I doulbt I could easily make a game based on Tom Clancy's, Disney's or JK Rowling's works without expressed permission.

But we aren't talking about based on, we are talking about inspired by. Warcraft isn't based on Dune II but it is certainly inspired by it. Had Interplay known earlier what Westwood's idea was they might have got their game to market first.

Dan Marchant
Obscure Productions
Game Development & Design consultant

[edited by - obscure on October 23, 2003 9:48:34 AM]

While the gameplay of Warcraft was based on Dune, the content was strongly based on Game Workshop''s Warhammer. Also, Starcraft borrows heavily from Warhammer 40K. But Game Workshop can''t complain too loudly as their material is derived from a number of sources, including Toiken, Alien, Terminator, etc.

quote: Original post by Korvan
Also, Starcraft borrows heavily from Warhammer 40K. But Game Workshop can''t complain too loudly as their material is derived from a number of sources, including Toiken, Alien, Terminator, etc.

Don''t forget that Game Workshop returned the favor to Blizzard by assimilating the Zerg into the Tyrannid!