Hi, if this idea already exists, please direct me to it!

I was thinking about creating a web service where hobbyist game developers could register and post requests for assets/resources and content creators could comment and upload responses to those requests. These assets/resources could be textures, sprites, sound effects, music, models, stories, tools, code/libraries/components and so on. My intention is that it would be very quick and simple to post such requests. This would be a non-commercial service targetet towards non-commercial projects.

My motivation is that many hobbyists don't have the time, skill or interest to create good content themselves, and it can be quite hard to get people to join a team. With this service, you wouldn't have to commit yourself to a team, but could still contribute in your own pace. It would probably send out email notifications whenever there are updates to a request. I also imagine it could be possible to subscribe to a project and/or user. A request would typically consist of a project, a request title, a request description and an optional link. Each request would then turn into something similar to a forum thread with attachment support.

What do you think? Is it a good idea? Has it been done? What would you like to see in such a service?

Sounds like a nice idea but the implementation is another story, some of these content websites exist already maybe not all lumped summed together but there are websites where you can contract work for lets say a 3D model. The other thing is I dont know how many artist will be willing to just give away their work for free for a project that they dont stand behind especially if its for free, atleast other in other sites they get compensated moneteraly.

This is not to deter you, just trying to play devils advocated, but as the saying goes "If you build it they will come"

Well, why do some programmers create open source software instead of commecial software?

I wouldn't expect anyone to give away their work for free to a commercial project, but freeware/opensource? I suppose it would largely depend on the community. I'm sure there are lots of people willing to create concept art and/or stories in exchange for feedback/critisism and/or inclusion in a game.

Dont get me wrong I'd probably be the first one to use a service like that.

But iam thinking about it from the content creators point of view not the programmers, and if Iam giving away something that took me time to someone else for free, I would personally probably want to know the person first.

For example if I want to get rid of one of my guitars I wouldnt give it to a stranger on the street, I'd try to find one of my good friends interested in the free guitar.

I feel like somebody was already doing something like this. I remember reading something about it, but I can't remember where. I know they definitely do it for 3d assets already though.

I really like this idea, but I'm also trying to make money off of the games I develop. This leads to a problematic dilemma: If the project succeeds and makes money, the content creators would probably want to be compensated (and it would only be fair to compensate). If the compensation is a percentage of the profits, then depending on revenue, it may have been cheaper to just hire an artist at a flat rate. If an artist is hired at a flat rate and the project fails, then the money commissioned for the art is lost.

I predict that if a site like this did come into existence, you may have problems with content quality.