(Ok I am asking for it - first post, new forums...the newbie forums. Well, fire away, I need the feedback.) I have a "big idea" - which also leaves me with a big problem. What do you do when you have a big idea that you've been contimplating and developing for the past couple years, but clearly do not have the connections or capital to move on it? Nevermind the technical skills. What this is, as the title alludes to, is a new formula....a new online gaming model from a business perspective. It's taking a proven method to gain (and retain) an audience, and applying it to today's hottest entertainment medium (gaming!). The product, is pure fun, and big $$$. I wish I could be more specific, but I honestly feel like this piece of 'intelectual property' is big enough to refrain from screaming to everyone at the top of the internet mountain. For emphasis, I should repreat that this is not purely a game idea, or game plot. It's not, "hey I have a sweet idea for an RPG/FPS hybrid!" It's the next step - it's a logical and innovative improvement based on the foundation that other games and other mediums have laid out recently. I call it a COG. That's the concept, and I have a game to go with it, but that's somewhat irrelevant. My goal here is this: I hope to find advice/direction - maybe people who can help me with this - sincere and trustworthy people - maybe even someone established in the industry that would give me open ears. If people could respond here with some general info/input (skills, experience too), I'd be thankful. =) You can also reach me at c_v_o@earthlink.net - you can PM me for my cell # too.

Quote:
What do you do when you have a big idea that you've been contimplating and developing for the past couple years, but clearly do not have the connections or capital to move on it?

You:

1. Work a real job. In your hobby time, work on your pet project. Quite a bit can get done with time, persistance, and working for "free". "Free" being either by yourself or as part of an open source project.

2. Get some loans/credit cards, max 'em out and go for broke.

3. Talk up some Investors. Especially out in Silicon Valley, there's still plenty of investors looking to throw money at ideas of various quality. If your idea really is a proven model elsewhere, then investors are more likely to have some confidence in it.


This of course ignores the standard advice regarding ideas, which apply just as well in the business world as the game design world.

"cevo" wrote:

>I have a "big idea" -

Read FAQ 31 on my site.

>which also leaves me with a big problem. What do you do when you have a big idea that you've been contimplating and developing for the past couple years, but clearly do not have the connections or capital to move on it? Nevermind the technical skills.

Get connections. Get capital. Get experience in the game industry. You don't need technical skills yourself. How old are you? Gotten an MBA yet? Worked in games yet? You live in Brooklyn - not exactly a hotbed of video game business. Move. To look at it another way: What would you do if your big idea was for a technology that would raise the Titanic, instead of for a new way to market games? You'd have to be an engineer, and/or a millionaire. Am I right?

>What this is, as the title alludes to, is a new formula....a new online gaming model from a business perspective.

OK, fine.

>It's taking a proven method to gain (and retain) an audience, and applying it to today's hottest entertainment medium (gaming!). The product, is pure fun, and big $$$.

[Yawn!]

>My goal here is this: I hope to find advice/direction - maybe people who can help me with this - sincere and trustworthy people - maybe even someone established in the industry that would give me open ears.

You already got the open ears of sincere/trustworthy/experienced people, and you also got their fingertips moving like quicksilver over their computer keyboards. Show us you're not some Street Corner Joe. What degrees do you have, what business experience, what game industry experience? How much capital of your own to invest in your "Ultimate Idea"? If you're just Street Corner Joe, get an MBA. Get industry connections. Get industry experience. Build up your bankbook. Read FAQs 29 and 43 on my site.

Quote: Original post by Cevo70
I have a "big idea" - which also leaves me with a big problem. What do you do when you have a big idea that you've been contimplating and developing for the past couple years, but clearly do not have the connections or capital to move on it? Nevermind the technical skills.

Game Dev is just like any other business. To get it started you either do it yourself, you pay someone else to do it or you use someone else's money to pay them.

In your case you don't have the technical skills so if you want to make it you will have to go and learn them.

If you can't or won't learn them you will have to pay someone who has the skills. If you don't have the money to pay someone you will have to go and earn the money somewhere else and come back to your idea when you have the money.

If you don't want to wait then you will have to convince someone else to invest in your idea and doing that requires a whole other set of skills. You will almost certainly have to pay to fund a prototype and produce a business plan, track down market research data and identify the people who have the skills you will need. Again, if you don't already have the necessary skills you will have to go and learn them (that MBA that Tom mentioned plus some real world experience working successfully in other companies).

You have your work cut out for you but if your idea is as good as you say it will obviously be worth making the effort. Good luck.

[Edited by - Obscure on March 30, 2006 1:18:30 AM]

Quote: COG

Quote: ..it's a logical and innovative improvement based on the foundation that other games and other mediums have laid out recently.

I'll take a guess at cell-phone online game or even Cevo's online game but probably waaay off mark :)

I've been on this boat when there was much talk about grid computing but, the more we looked into it, the more we realised it was going to be a long time coming and would be very big, expensive and time-consuming to develop for.

Quote: What do you do when you have a big idea that you've been contimplating and developing for the past couple years, but clearly do not have the connections or capital to move on it?

As others have said, make connections, work up a prototype, get some business skills behind you and, ultimately, convince people to give you the money. It will take time but, if you're determined enough and have the relevant research et al to convince people it'll make a load of dosh, you may get lucky so, fingers crossed it's the Holy Grail you think you're sitting on and can do something with it. [smile]

I like this place already.

Good advice from everyone, much appreciated.

Just to address a couple things - I am 26 with a BA, working in media - yes in many ways, just the average joe. My next [sensible] step is my MBA, which will hopefully give me a better sense of how to proceed. My only worry is that by that time, someone else will have put this together - like EA, or Bungie. See the thing is, the concept is almost obvious - the only reason I think it hasn't been done is because most people have forgotten to take a step back for a better perspective. The current industy is "head down" and formulaic.

I do however have game design experience - I was on a team of four that got a CCG to the shelves from the ground up. Probably the most fun I've had in a long time.

What about forming a team in NYC? Bouncing the concept off programmers and developers?

I thought Collectable Online Games have been done already.

Quote: My only worry is that by that time, someone else will have put this together - like EA, or Bungie

In all likelyhood, someone has already looked into/or is already working on something similar anyway. The amount of times I've had an idea (not just game related), thinking I'm just about the only one to think of it and, Hey Presto!!...something very similar comes onto the market within the year. It's uncanny at times, but it happens....I reckon it's something to do with the swirling ether in our midst :)

If you can't do anything about it at present anyway, why worry about it?, just keep going and, if someone does come out with a similar product, then you will have to make sure that yours will be super-better.

Quote: Original post by Anonymous Poster
I thought Collectable Online Games have been done already.

You mean like Chron X? Alot of people took the CCG model and put it online if that's what you mean. I think they are called Online CCGs though.

If you have an idea and you want to make it work, and you can't make it work on your own, you have to form a group. You have to find a programmer or two who you can trust, and who also believe in your idea (which means you have to tell them). You have to find an artist or two who you can trust, and who believe in your idea (which means you have to tell them). Together, the group can vet the idea, do whatever research is necessary, and produce some kind of prototype.

Once you have a prototype, you can decide to go startup, get angel or venture money, or mortgage your houses, or whatever. Or you can decide to go for a publisher, and submit to them, trying to get them to sign a trade secret protection agreement (although you're unlikely to actually get them to do that).

In reality, though, "having" the idea is not what makes money. "realizing" the idea is what does. If you can tell people about your idea, and get them to work with you, that's how you can make it work. You can't do it on your own.