NEWS FLASH: Check out House of Shadows, my latest game for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
I get dozens of emails each week from people wanting me to consider their game ideas. I hate to ignore any email, but I ignore this kind. If someone sends me an idea, it tells me that they got excited about the title of this page but didn’t read the post itself. If they had, they would know that there is really no point in sending me game ideas.
The only way you will ever see your game on a screen is if you make it yourself.
For a more complete explanation of why this is so, see my article on Why Won’t Developers Listen to Your Game Idea?
Now on to the main post….
You have a brilliant idea for a video game. It’s creative, original, intriguing, and fun. You can picture it vividly—the breathtaking visuals, the jaw-dropping action scenes. You can’t wait to play it, and when you tell your friends about it they can’t wait to play it either. Your only problem is, you don’t own a game development studio. How do you get your game idea made?
Then you meet me. You find out I make games for a living, and before you can stop yourself you’re telling me about your idea. Your eyes get as wide as the twin moons over a desert planet, your hands scrub the air, spittle foams on your lip. I understand your game idea, I say it’s pretty good. Then you ask me, “What should I do to get a real game development company to make this game?”
How do I know you ask me this? Believe me, I know. I’ve worked in games for almost fifteen years and this is the number one question I’m asked. But no, that’s okay, it doesn’t bug me. Ask away—I’m happy to offer some advice.
I’m going to answer your question by asking you two questions. First: Is your idea really a game idea? Second: How are you going to climb the Ladder?
Is Your Idea a Game Idea?
Let’s start with the first question. You’ve got an idea for a “game.” My first question is: Is your idea really able to be made into a game?
When a game development team starts building a game, they start with a Game Design Document, or “GDD”. Usually this is a literal document but sometimes it’s a more informal thing: sketches, whiteboard drawings, memories of fevered conversations. But the best game studios strive to record their design in a written, illustrated document. In order to have even the remotest chance of getting your idea published you need to turn it into a GDD.
A game design is much more than a game idea. It’s a detailed specification for how the game should work. What does each button on the controller do? What does the HUD look like and what do each of the pieces do? How does enemy AI work? What pickups can players gather and what do they do? The game design describes every part of the game and tells how all the parts fit together to create a fun game.
This raises another question. What makes a fun game?
There are many possible answers to this question. No one has found a sure-fire formula for fun. Sid Meier says that a game is a series of interesting decisions, and this is a helpful starting point. Players have “fun” when they have to make choices. But not just any choices. Fun choices have to be intriguing, meaningful—interesting. How will your game design produce interesting choices for the player?
This is a hard question. Let me show you two examples that illustrate how hard this is.
The original Half-Life took the gameplay of Quake, then amplified and extended it in many ways. One of the ways they amplified the gameplay was to add a Reload button. Now ten years have gone by since Half-Life was released, and games like Halo have made Reload commonplace. But at the time it was a risky design. In earlier games you never had to reload, so Valve was making weapons harder to use. Players could easily get annoyed—”Why do I have to keep hitting Reload every ten seconds? None of the older games made me do this. Why can’t the gun just reload itself?”
Valve took a gamble on reload and the gamble paid off. Players loved Reload even though it made more work for them. Why? Because Reload creates interesting decisions.
When you’re fighting enemies and your gun has a little ammo left you don’t want to spend the time reloading. If you’re sure the area is clear of enemies you will reload. But what about those times when you’d like to reload but you’re not sure whether an enemy is about to pop out at you? Then the choice of whether to reload becomes an interesting decision.
Half-Life was more fun as a result of Reload even though Reload made the game harder. Now let’s look at another example.
Doom 3′s design called for the game to be set in darkness. Many of the rooms had only one light and some were completely black. To counteract this, the game gave the player a flashlight that could be used to light up any environment. Yet the player could not shine his flashlight and wield a weapon at the same time. This created a decision: do you want light or protection?
Many players hated this game feature. It seemed arbitrary and unrealistic. It often put players into impossible situations where they could either see their enemies or fight them but not both. Players would find themselves either staring helplessly at oncoming bad guys or blasting away into blackness.
Half-Life’s reload feature and Doom 3′s light feature are similar in many ways, but one of them was fun and the other was not. If you can understand exactly why that is, you’re one step closer to turning your game idea into a winning game design.
Most game designs also talk about the game’s setting, story, and characters. But I want to stress that this part of the game design usually accounts for less than a fourth of the total document. When people tell me their game ideas, usually their idea is 99% setting and story and only 1% gameplay. I have to tell them that they don’t have a game idea—they have a story idea. A game design is not a story design. If you want your idea made into a game, you’ll have to fill out the details about how the game actually plays—what the player actually does, how he moves his character, how he interacts with the world.
It’s hard for most people to think through how a game should actually play. Here’s a helpful hint for how to do this. Write a “Five Minutes of Gameplay” document. A lot of studios require this, and it’ll help you think through your game.
In this document, you’ll describe, in absolute detail, what a player does in your game for about five minutes of play. When I say detail, I mean detail. Don’t say, “The player goes North.” Say, “The player pushes forward on the left joystick.” Don’t talk about what the player thinks or decides: just show what he sees and describe what he does with his hands. If you can describe five minutes of your game’s gameplay in that kind of detail, you’re well on your way to writing a great GDD. In fact, you can put your “Five Minutes of Gameplay” document into your GDD as a kind of overview of the game.
How Will You Climb the Ladder?
You are not the only person in the world with a brilliant game idea. There are hundreds of thousands—perhaps millions—of gamers all over the globe who have ideas for games. How are you going to make your idea stand out? How will you get it to be one of the few that actually gets made?
You need to be realistic about this challenge. There are perhaps 8,000 people working in the game industry right now. Most of those people have their own game ideas that they want to make. They’re not sitting around wishing someone would give them a great idea. They’ve already got ideas and are just waiting to get the power and status and respect to form a team to get them made. So these people—game developers like me—are your competition.
And if you’re not already working for a game company, you’re at a disadvantage. A professional game developer has all the connections. He can walk across the hall and talk to a potential financier for his game—someone who knows and trusts him. A professional game developer also has expertise. He knows how games are made. So if you’re not already making games for a living, you have 8,000 other game designers ahead of you in the queue.
In fact, even if you’re already a professional game developer you have a huge mountain to climb. Very few people in the industry get to run their own game project. Of the few that do, many of those projects are based on movies, TV shows, and other properties, so even the project leader has little creative control.
So there is a tiny, tiny fraction of people who have game ideas and actually get to make them. Yet even then their job isn’t easy. They have to sell their game to publishers, explain and re-explain it to their teams, and ultimately convince gamers that their idea deserves the $50 it costs to play it.
There’s a huge ladder above you—a huge pile of people you have to compete with, overcome, work with, and convince. How are you going to climb it?
It is possible to climb it. Some people do. I did. In fact there are two different strategies for how to get to the top of the ladder and make your game.
The first strategy is to work your way up. I studied computer science in college. Along with my studies, I also did extra work teaching myself linear algebra, C++, 3D rendering, and game programming. By the time I graduated from college I had written two game demos. I showed them to game development studios and before I even graduated I had landed my dream job working for Origin Systems—at that time, the biggest game developer in the world. I worked as a programmer for a few years, then moved up to lead programmer and ultimately producer and director. I worked for four different companies on a dozen different projects, many of which were canceled. But a few projects shipped and a few did well, so I was able to keep climbing. It took ten years, but I got to design games and lead large projects. If you have the talent, the dedication, and the people skills, you can climb the ladder this way.
One step you can take that will shorten your ladder-climbing journey is to study at a game development education program like the Guildhall. I teach game programming at the Guildhall, so maybe I’m a little biased. But every one of the programmers we’ve graduated so far has gotten a good job in a real game development company, so obviously we’re doing something right.
No matter how you start, getting to the top of the game industry is a hard, long, difficult climb. If you want to make big, sophisticated, AAA titles, it’s the only way to go. But if you’re willing to make smaller games there’s another strategy that is both easier and faster.
The casual game market is growing rapidly and offers lots of opportunity. Casual games are the sort of simple, quick games you play on websites like Armor Games or Shockwave or on your cell phone. They’re usually created in Flash or Java and are relatively easy to make. In the last couple of years I’ve made a dozen or so Flash games, and they’re a lot of fun to make and play. Best of all, you can make a game all by yourself or with just a couple of friends. You don’t need millions of dollars, a hard-to-find game job, or even a publisher. You just do it!
There’s even money in it. If your games get popular enough they can get sponsored by a website. Websites will usually give you either an up-front license fee or a cut of the money that they receive from advertising. You’d have to make a lot of games every year to make a living this way, but it can be done.
Casual games are a tremendous opportunity. The downside is that they’re casual. They’re not big, grand, gorgeous experiences like BioShock or Fallout 3. If you can be happy just making modest, simple, fun games, you can be happy in the casual game market.
Whether you decide to climb the big ladder to making big games or the small ladder to making small games, you can get your game idea made if you work hard and stick with it. No matter whether you decide to make big games or small games, you have to start with more than just an idea. You have to turn your game ideas into game designs by thinking through the details of how your game actually plays and by discovering how to make it fun. This skill, too, comes with practice.
Best wishes as you start your journey. Drop me a line when you have questions. Let me know about your successes and I’ll celebrate with you.
Good luck!
235 Comments
Hey Jeff, great article. I have a hypothetical question. You see I have a game idea, but I have no experience with making games. You say you cannot just give your idea to a company and expect them to make it, i understand that. But, let’s say I had a lot of money. Could i go find people who know how to make games, people from different areas who are willing to make money for the right coin? If i had a gigantic portfolio of the game, including, plans, drawings, sketches, designs, side stories etc., and i then convinced people to help me make it for money, wouldn’t that work? Or are there not many game designers out there looking for work? Cheers Jeff
If you had the money to pay people to build a game, then yes, you could form a company and fund the game yourself.
so similar to this what if i had a good GDD and just wanted to pitch my idea to a company anyway to get the time of day, without being in the business?
You might not get the time of day.
Hi! im considering going into game design. i’m a really creative person, been writing stories since i was 13 and im going to be 21 soon. i would love to create my game based of one of my zombie novels (never published) but i wasn’t sure how i would do it one my own or what i needed to go to get help doing it. i have how the character would move, the story, the enemies created, the villianess, the “guide” to help you when your stuck, and im even drawing the cover of the game! but what it comes down too is, is it possible to create it just me and my computer if i couldn’t get a larger company to want to make it?
Sure you could! You would have to learn how to make the game yourself, but you sound like you really want to do this, so i am sure some learning won’t stop you. If the game is 3d, you can use Unity3D to make the game, the free license allows you to make games and sell them. You have to learn to program to use it, but their language is very simple. Me and my friend make games in it, and he is 17 and I am 13. You never need a large company to make a game if you are willing to invest the time to make the game.
Bravo! Well said.
ok i am 14 but i dont know if this is a good idea but im a huge starwars fan. and i would want to play a game kind of like halo but starwars unlocking some clone helmets and armor or you can go on the separtist and create your own Battle droid. and the weapons you can unlock them as the way you go and unlock attachments for your gun or extra armor parts like for show. i dont know if thats a good idea or not.
You sir are a Genius, and I thank you for writing this.
Screen Flashes with bright light.
(players view is blurred as if concussed)
Light fades out and your Surrounded by fire and Broken bits and pieces of metal.
((players view is cleared)
Large amounts of snow, fire and Metal.
A radio (unseen) “Delta Come in Delta”
(Email me if you want to see what HUD will look like)
Message on mid top right says
Move Mouse or Right Analog stick to Look around
When you Move your mouse over the Radio it will say Press E or X to Activate
This will give you the choices to Leave the Radio Alone and Walk away.
Reply saying you dont remember anything (truth)
Or Say your team is fine and you reached your destination(LIE)
Message on screen will say Press Space (after you choose you option/ talk with radio operator. Press space to stand. After you stand a Cinimatic of what seems like Meteors falling from the sky and several of them hitting citys and smaller parts of world including Oceans.
It zooms back in after loading
and Its facing you to where what you thought was your plane its really a meteor thats broken open with dead soldiers standing around it with Delta tags on there chests (you also wearing the same uniform) A force from inside the meteor pulls you to it and You crawl inside here you create what you Look like with a VERY Advanced but simple to use Character creation system (not starting cloths) You will also choose your class and weather you use Advanced technology, Melee weps. and More.. Email for Listings and Info about the game Idea I have Including Full list of Controls and Story
Hello Jeff
Very educational article. So if I wanted to start making video games, I would study computer generation and such subjects and I would try to get a job at a game company correct?
I’m not sure what “computer generation” is. Studying computer science or digital art creation would be good first steps to getting a job as a game developer.
hi my names gabe. i’m still currently in high school, at an art high school. Its called Perpich arts education high school, and its helping me a lot. right now i’m an visual art student, been working on abstract art and the human form. i personally want to create new puzzle and survival games like portal and fallout 3. the thing is, i want to be a concept artist. i know i’ll have too get computer programming in it as well, but overall i want to make the characters. what i want to know if a concept artist can make his own games as well. if they can’t, i’ll have to change my approach. please be thorough
Hi Gabe. A concept artist has tremendous power to influence the games he works on. He might not be dictating the rules of the game. He might not be writing the story. But he’s intimately involved in deciding what the game world is and who the characters are, and how the whole game looks and feels. Very few members of a development team have more direct creative influence on the overall identity of the game.
You don’t necessarily need to program in order to make games. Some people just do concept art. They have to be great at illustration, they have to be creative, and they have to be good at taking feedback from other people and using it to influence their work. If you think you can do those things, concept art could be a good career.
It’s not the best-paying career, however, and you’ll have more opportunities if you expand your skills where possible. You might eventually look into doing some 3D art. Blender is a free program that lets you make 3D models, and it’s a very high quality and professional tool. If you like 3D modeling, you could expand your career possibilities that way.
Animation is also a highly sought-after skill. A really good animator is the rarest and most prized of artists. Some people can do it; some people can’t. If you can, you should develop your animation skill. I’m no animator myself, but I hear that starting with 2D animation is best, then work your way over to 3D.
Good luck with your continuing quest!
hey nice article, I don’t have any experience in making games, but I do have a great idea, I have both game design and story design. Its very unique there is no such game ever made. It not difficult to make in my opinion if they can make skyrim already. What im trying to say is, if all my ideas and plans were good would it be possible to go to a group of game makers and make this game. This game can make lots of money.
Nope. The best ideas and plans in the world would never convince a bunch of game makers to make it for you. Now if you actually formed your own team using your own money, or using money from an investor, then you could do it. But you’ll never get an existing development company to make it, free or otherwise.
I have been wondering, I have a game idea that is based on a tv show, combined with being based on another game. It Is miles beyond my capabilities to make, is a show that has already had dozens of games made about it, but never like this one. My idea….a Naruto RPG that is built like Skyrim. The anime series Naruto has a massive fan base, and fans buy the games just for the title Naruto. I could almost guarantee that this game would sell millions of copies. Its set in a fictional universe that had already been created and is massively popular worldwide, and based on a gaming concept that is just as popular and loved worldwide. The amount of expansion on this theory is limitless, and on a forum site me and a bunch of other people have been going over the details of how the game should be made and the features and controls it should have, but I wanted to find a way to get this idea to the creators of Naruto games, because all of they games they make are just repetitions of the same dried up concept.
Sorry I know you already said don’t bother trying to sell you ideas, but I just want to get this idea out into the development world as many ways as possible. I don’t want to sell my idea, I want to buy this game.
I wanted to say thank you for these posts,they are the most accurate description of gaming design thoughts, dreams and realities I have yet to read. I also read your 0% factor post with the description of the MGS game and couldnt agree more. I read the post on starting out by making a casual game, and I believe that not only people with C++ gaming art and design degrees are the only ones with a great game idea,so if you use your idea and turn it into a casual game, what is stopping someone from taking your idea and turning it into a top selling game for their company,or worse, changing some of the controls and characters and whatnot and completely hacking the game to crap and destroying a perfectly good idea. Is that specifically a copyright/patent thing, or is there another step im missing to avoid a game idea massacre???
If you actually publish a game, it is copyrighted, and others who steal the idea in a blatant way are violating your copyright and are liable to be sued. That said, it’s hard to prove that a game really stole another game’s idea, so sure, a company might get away with making a close—but not too close—copy of your game. That’s a rare event, though, and the benefits of publishing the casual game in the first place are strong. I wouldn’t let the thought of being copied afteryou publish deter me from making a game.
hey ive got an idea that will change gameing for ever . its a war game that ive been dreaming about for years . the most realistic war game out there > if u want to hear more about it email me plzzzzzz this is BIG we can make alot of money and alot of people happy as hell no joke. thanks
Read the article, friend.
is it possible to just give a story idea for a well known game series (zelda), not ask for anything in return just to have your story looked at and used in any way the developer sees fit? by which i they could use any part/s of my story in any of their own story ideas
Yes, actually, it is just possible to give individual game element and story ideas to developers, and they might occasionally incorporate them into their games. This happens within game development pretty regularly. For example, a few years ago I was visiting with Tim Sweeney of Epic Games, and I mentioned a weapon concept that I thought would be awesome for Unreal Tournament. They were working on Unreal Tournament 3 at the time. He loved the idea, asked if they could use it, and of course I said sure thing. They incorporated the concept, and it became the Stasis Field in the shipped game.
The trick there, of course, was that I’m a “legitimate” game developer with a proven track record. Tim Sweeney knew me and we were talking face-to-face. I was able to “sell” him on the idea. You don’t necessarily have those advantages. But if you can get an idea to a developer based on a game you know they’re already making, if you can “sell” the idea by making it vivid and showing how cool it is, and if you explicitly disclaim all rights to the idea, then you might just get them excited enough to incorporate it into their game.
Hi,
I read the article; good read. Basically, if you have great game play ideas and want to see them in major games, you have to have enough money to fund it yourself. However, I have seen patents for game play elements… could that be one way to profit from an idea? I’m guessing shopping it around would be tough.
I actually came across this website by accident while looking for companies to license ideas to (not related to gaming, although I do have a few ideas for game play elements sitting in a file somewhere). Anyway, back to the point.
I found a post from 03/08 laughable. I can understand giving away ideas between friends that work in the same field. But why, oh WHY would anyone go through all the trouble of trying to convince a game developer to use a concept for free while disclaiming all rights to said idea?
It’s just seems like a lot of effort for nothing in return, even if successful. Not even recognition.
Patenting game elements would be the scumbag way of making money in games. Please don’t do that. Exploiting the U.S. Patent Office’s ignorance of software technology is nasty business, and it should be a crime.
It sounds like you’re focused on making money, but not everyone is. Some gamers would give away their game idea if it meant they could simply play it. I don’t see anything wrong with that. Lack of greed isn’t such a bad thing, is it?
Jeff,
You are the most patient person in the known universe.
Omar
Thanks, Omar. I assume you’re referring to the fact that although this article that basically says keep your ideas to yourselves has invited dozens of comments (and hundreds more that I reject before you see them) advocating game ideas, I usually answer the comments calmly and without pointing out the irony. Yes I am patient.
I couldn’t agree more with Omar. Patient in the whole 4D universe.
What is a good school to go to for a computer science degree?
I don’t have any particular expertise on that. I hear MIT is pretty good.
hey mate nice article. i have a question. i have what i believe to be a really good idea for a game. this is the type of game i picture being a AAA title with the top notch graphics. i personally have no real computer skills concerning game making. but i was just wandering once i have completed everything like the design of the game ect. would it be possible to ask developers for example Bioware or Naughtydog to make it for me? how do i go about contacting them?. and just say they take on my idea i kinda pictured that i would be over viewing the whole project would this be so or would a lot of the power be taken away from me? like if they were to make a squeal could they do that without my approval? also i was wandering how much is in it for me profit wise? being the one with the idea would i get much of the profit? thanks heaps this is the ultimate dream of mine and i am willing to do anything to make this dream a reality.
Reading the articles on this site would be a great place to start.
thanks but i have read the article twice over and i am unable to find the answers to my questions. are you basically saying i have to have some kind of skill and respect in the industry for them to even listen to my idea?
That’s it. Check out the latest comment from Danny, too, for more clarity.
thanks Jeff. that’s not the answer i was hoping for but i guess that’s the reality. time to get to work. i will keep you in mind encase i ever become stuck and need help. i will also recommend this article to any who seek this type of advice.
“I studied computer science in college. Along with my studies, I also did extra work teaching myself linear algebra, C++, 3D rendering, and game programming. ”
I am currently studying CS and trying to teach myself DX11 to go along with the C++ I am learning in class right now. I was wondering if you would have any tips for students like myself, who want to learn beyond the curriculum?
Thank you for your excellent articles. I look forward to reading more of them in the near future.
You might find OpenGL more approachable than DX11, and a worthy stepping stone to the most advanced graphics techniques. My best advice is to choose small, approachable, but motivating projects for yourself and accomplish them. Just getting a triangle rendering can be a great first step. At the Guildhall we’ve just now finished writing a Minecraft-style voxel terrain engine as our first big dive into 3D graphics. I wouldn’t attempt this on your own—it works in our class because I’m there to guide. But it’s an example of a motivating but not-terribly-difficult project. That’s what you want.
I took your advice from your article and I wrote a detailed 5 minutes of game play document and I rewrote it 3 times because I didn’t think it was detailed enough and the final copy is 11 and a half pages long I also made a few sketches of what I want the main characters and the landscape to look like. There is almost no way I could make this game by myself so I was wondering if I could take my designs in to a company and pitch it to them. And if I can I know that odds are it won’t get made but all I want is a shot at getting the game made
Don’t pitch them to a company. They won’t be interested, and you’ll waste their time and yours. You have to make the game yourself. Either work your way up slowly, or drop your game idea. Those are the only realistic options.
Thank you for this article! Now my only question is: What if you’re only 15 and you have a game idea? I have everything planned out from how I want the animation to look-to the loading screen, and everything in between. I already have directions written on how to play it, and even sketchings of anything that’s too hard to explain by words. I DO plan on taking computer sciences, and anything else related to game production and making when I get into college. So should I wait until I have those skills, or is there any way to have it produced? My mom says I should wait, because some people in the industries will use my youth and naivety to cheat me out. Thanks in advance if you do answer.
Your mom is wise. Hold onto your idea. Follow your plan to study computer science and game production. If you work your way up in the industry, you could one day have a shot at making your idea. Even if you never do, you’ll still get a great career making cool games.
What Jeff says is 100% true. There’s also a big difference from being “inside the game biz” and “outside the game biz” as far as ideas go. If you’re in the game biz and you pitch an idea out to someone who can make it a reality, it’s much more likely to be taken seriously and applied. For those outside the game biz, as noted in the article ( in bold at the very top I might add ):
The only way you will ever see your game on a screen is if you make it yourself.
What does this mean? It means you will have to make everything your games needs. Graphics, sound, the GDD, and lets not forget the code. Breaking down what you’ll need to learn and do to be able to make your own game could be simply broken down to this:
- Learn a programming language.
- Learn fundamental program structure.
- Learn fundamental game-specific programming.
- Learn to draw as well as learn to use a paint tool.
- Learn to create sound effects with sound samples and an audio tool.
- Learn to structure a basic GDD ( Google some examples ).
- Learn the ‘legals’ ( copyrights of material, licensing your work, etc ).
- Learn distribution of the game such as online or via CD.
Probably the best advice to give a person starting up in game development is to take advantage of open assets. There are free ( both in price and legal matters ) sources of artwork, sound, font packages, icons, and more out there. If you’re not a great artist and need sprites, get a few sprite-sheets. If you’re not a DJ, get a few tracks. Just make sure that what you’re getting is free when it comes to price and free when it comes to how you use it.
Some people will probably think “I should get some of my best friends to help work on this game project.”. Teams are usually the worst thing you can do early on unless you KNOW how to run them. Sure you’ll get along with your friends, but do they have something to contribute to the project? If they have stuff to contribute, you still have roadblocks of communication. Not saying teams aren’t the way to go in the end, it’s just that they shouldn’t be formed when you first start out making games.
Jeff is inside the game biz. Bringing 15 years of experience to the table just to tell people they have to work on their game themselves tells you that not many people listen to this advice. I’m an Independent game developer myself, never have I worked with a team until my latest project. I’ve completed 5 projects by myself. In other words, you don’t have to be in a huge game development company or a team of people in order to get a game created.
Thanks for the article Jeff! I know it’s a few years old, but it’s still very helpful advice to people starting out.
I was wondering, if by any chance, you would know of the best school that would help me further my dream to become a concept artist/3D modeling and overall character design? I am currently an art major/ graphic design and due to the small university I am currently enrolled in there is not a lot offered to help me with my dream. Any help is greatly appreciated!
The Guildhall is a Master’s level program where I work and we have an art track that sounds like it would meet your needs.
Great post Jeff. I have been thinking about an idea for a game recently and have been looking into the different ways to go about getting someone to look at the idea. I understand that it is not something you create in one day, one week, one month or one year. It takes time and dedication to create a game.
I will be open to you, I have no programming experience or artistic talent in the way of drawing or designed images for games. From what i understand the best way to go about getting you game developed is to write a GDD. If i do this i am most afraid that i will send it to someone and they will end up copying or coming up with a very similar game to my idea.
Any advice would be appreciated
Thanks Angus
Angus, please understand: writing a GDD has nothing to do with getting someone to look at the idea. No one will ever look at the idea. You have to make the game yourself. Writing the GDD is just the first step in actually designing your game. Until you’ve written a GDD, you don’t really have a game—it’s just an image, a fantasy.
Please, everyone who is reading this, please understand once and for all: YOU WILL NEVER GET A GAME COMPANY TO MAKE YOUR GAME IDEA. EVER. The GDD is not about getting someone to look at the idea. The GDD is about getting yourself to understand the idea.
Ok thanks for the reply. I understand now.
Angus
Hi Jeff I found your post quite resourceful for some of my predicaments. However, my main question is still yet to be answered. I’ve searched many websites,but still to know avail of being answered. Onto my question. Are there any suggestions you can make for someone who has a PROFOUND idea structure of a game development. Not many people have thought outside the box in regards to a new gaming platform. Roughly… 50? Whereas how many games have been made.. thousands upon thousands? Well I feel I have stumbled across an idea that may be great. A new gaming platform ALONG with a new gaming concept. I do not want to reveal the actual idea for it may be shooting myself in the foot for releasing it to public record. QUESTION: How can someone with no stature in the gaming industry go about funding a new gaming console system along with a new game. I have both, a new console and new game. I have the platform concept and the gaming structure. All of which is new? Any direction you can point to, Jeff? Thanks in advance.
Hi Daniel. I don’t know as much about the game console development business. Since only three major players are in that business, and they are huge, massively-funded, heavy-hitting endeavors, I suspect that it’s not an easy business to get into. If I were you I would try to contact major hardware/software manufacturers who might be interested in developing a console, and see if they’d be interested in incorporating your ideas. Apple and Samsung come to mind immediately; Dell/Alienware, HP, Philips, and LG might also be worth a try. But you’re climbing Mt. Everest, as I’m sure you realize, so I wouldn’t bet my life savings on this endeavor working out. Just my $0.02.
Hey Jeff ! nice article man…..
I am a 17 years old student , i have ‘Computer science with C++’ as a subject in my junior college. I am a huge fan of mythological games like PRINCE OF PERSIA & ASSASSINS CREED , etc. I have a great idea about a new game for prince of persia series, i have got everything , every move , every scene , every control for the player. and as you said i m definitely not going to share my idea with anyone else. But i m still worried because this is such a long process , which in one way is beneficial for me cuz i will get more time to work on my idea. but i m wondering about will i have to do a separate course for that audio, sketches, etc parts. i actually want to know what will i have to do if i want to be in the department which draws, sketches those jaw dropping illustrations and scenes for the game. plz help n reply!
If your work so far is in computer science with C++, I wouldn’t move to art. Becoming a really great illustrator is a massive, many-year endeavor, and not everyone seems capable of really drawing well no matter how long they practice and study. Even if you could do it, you’d be taking a downward step in potential salary. A computer programmer in C++ can easily make $60K just starting out, and reach salaries well into six figures. Artists—well, they are usually happy to make $50K a year even at the highest levels of skill.
I’d stick with programming, Rahul, and practice illustration on the side. There’s a book, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain that might help you get started. Best of luck!
Thanx man, you are AWESOME !!!!!!!!!!!!
once again thanx for help…..
Hi there! I know this may sound stupid and i know that others may have asked this before me, but i will say it.
So, i have a AAA game idea–well, basically its not an idea anymore, i’ve made the story, the main quests, the secondary quests, the side quests e.t.c. I have also made every concept of the game (drawings, awesome drawings
) like the characters, the world, the weapons and armors e.t.c. And my game is sooo detailed that every character that you meet while exploring has his own deep story. And also, i have decided on what unique combat, ability, loot e.t.c. systems my game is going to use. I have made everything that makes a completed game.
That may sound good and promising, but here’s the problem: I don’t know anything about programming :/ And since i don’t know programming i have been thinking to give my idea to a major Game Developer/Publisher like EA, Activision, Ubisoft, THQ, Namco Bandai, Konami e.t.c. to create the game and then publish it. Do you think that this method will give results cuz we’re not talking about a Rip-off of Skyrim, DA, Diablo, Warcraft or whatsoever–its a game that one can hardly create. Oh, and also, i’ve been reading many articles lately that give you tips on how to pique the interest of game developers/publishers, so i believe that a pro.
So, what do you think?
Read the post. Read this one too.
Hey Jeff , i m back ….n wanted u to do some career counselling 4 me …
actually i wanted to know that will Computer engineering do if i want a profession in Game designing?
plz help m dying over here
(just assume m walkin without a particular direction with the ri8 ingredients).
plz reply
Hey Jeff,
I was actually wondering a few 5hings and was hoping you could help me out.
So I have the “story” idea but I never thought obout a GDD and I wanted to know what all would be in one.
Secondly, how do you become a game developer? I’m about to go to college soon and that is the career choice I have chosen.
And finally, If I have the GDD and the story, characters and everything else I needed for the game to be made, besides the technology, how would I go about having I produced?
i have an idea that would take forever to make but it would make billions of money behind it.an zombie game that is like dead rising but first person shooter.you can pick up everything as an weapon and i mean everything.it will be taking place in new york citty and all the building can be entered and you can built an base in that building.get parts fot it and built an base just for you to camp at,but if your having an bad day u can just go out and kill thousands and thousands of zombies.there will also be an online play on there where you can join other players or kill other players.drive cars or you can build an monster of an car and destoy everything in your path.please o please make this into an game.i have been dreaming of this game ever since i was 5 and i am 18 now.lol.i need to make this happen but i need someones help.
Read the article. Nobody is going to make your game for you. If you really wanted to make this happen, you would have done more than just dream about a game idea.
Hello, Jeff. I’m sure you hear this a lot, but I’m glad I read your article. In the past, I’ve been trying to hook the video game corps’ attention, but now I see why I won’t get their attention ever, even if my ideas are very clever. Too many people are in the industries and want to be in the industries; millions of them in fact and growing. It’s like what I state in one of my game’s stories, “If you cannot reach your dream, then find another dream.” That’s what I’m doing now by studying Pharmacy Tech. Still, the cruel facts don’t stop me from writing my games as a hobby. I at least make myself happy doing that.
Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for writing this article, Jeff. Continue building karma from helping others and you can have Fawkes assist ya. Hehe. Get it?
Fawkes, eh? I could use the help of a phoenix.
Thanks.
ok i have a question im 17 and i have come up with a game idea. i have written close to 200 pages of notes and completely designed my game on paper as well as making the first part of the game in VB. My question is how likely do you think it will be that i can find a company that might be interested in making it? especially Cyan worlds because my game is like myst if you remember that far back
Thank you for the pleasant read. Is being a software developer in the gaming world as brutal as the stories I hear? To sum up my understanding, most professional game developers work 60+ hour weeks and are made to feel completely disposable with incomparable salaries and benefits to developers of enterprise software.
I know each company is unique, but do you see the gaming market in general as a place that middle-age, family oriented people can flourish? Or is it more of a place where young ambitious folks go to learn the harshest realities of working life?
By the way, it floors me that you respond to pretty much every comment. Well done!
-Curtis
Thanks Curtis.
It depends on the company. I still hear of companies where the employees work like dogs—60 hour weeks and up, endless crunch, badly managed projects, etc. There are other companies that run their projects better and are more dedicated to employee happiness. I’ve lost the article, but I read not long ago about a dichotomy in management styles between employers who see employees as disposable “resources” and those who see them as valuable, grown-up, and professional—people who need support, not control. This difference in values explains many of these differences between company cultures and work experiences.
In general, yes, even a middle-aged, family-oriented person can flourish in the games industry. Just not at all companies. For me, personally, during my time working as a salaried employee I rarely worked crunch for more than—say—one month per year. I chose good companies that honored family life. I managed projects and took care to schedule them to avoid crunch. And sometimes I simply refused to crunch when asked to do so by management—crunching only when I saw a clear purpose and an end in sight.
Hello Jeff,
Landed on your article through “google” & searching…”where to start with a video game idea”. I have read your words & the repeated cries, “but I have a great idea” ,along with your response of…”start with reading the article”. I did read the article & the Q & A .
I am not a “gamer” & have no education or skills in computer design & @ 55 yrs. I am not interested in starting at the bottom of any new career. But do recognize the financial empire fueled within the gamer industry. I find it defeatist to suggest it greed when seeking recognition or financial compensation for design or product concept. This may very well be an industry impossible to penetrate but that should not suggest then to just give away any concept production the designer owns & has the right to be compensated for.
I am an idea man. The combination of depth of perception in conceptual thinking addressing popular trends is what produces the NEW HITS in the, “what’s hot”, @ this time.
Much like the “Guitar Hero” I am sitting on a similar concept of “WOW” I could be a cool *#@^% artist, man this is awesome. You pick your COOL personality from the choices offered, you choose your …well every thing from there. You can print out your work and perhaps believe you are actually becoming a somewhat skilled apprentice in this overwhelmingly popular artistic trend.
Much like any other product embodied within the frame of concept in design you need the proper tool to get your production in front of the right audience. That being the one who stands to make a profit from what you have to offer. That is what I find defeatist in the advise of not seeking profit for an idea. The only attention an idea will produce in the real world…will be from the interested party that see’s a product that will produce profit for them. So…you thinkers out there….don’t sell your self short!! Ideas and concepts are sought after by money makers because there talent is not thought or design it is how to push a product & make $$$$$$.
Every idea man needs a presentation man. This is my only computer graphic entity so I was searching for a front man for my product. I will not stop here. I just have to find the individual that knows this industry & wants to gain from getting my thoughts into the right persons hands. There are people making a living connecting the dots in the business arena they have bragging rights to.
SHAM WOW……
Hello Jeff, and all readers. So as most of you (probably) I found this blog post on searching how to sell your game idea
) as I am one of millions who has the best idea for a game 
anyways, i had a thought on how to help people who wants to make their game.
1. So I come from documentary film making and animation background. Now when I was very much in to film and was studying I found 3 people who also where very interested in making films. Naturally like in games we all had our own best scenario
So we made this deal. we spend one summer making first persons short film, next summer second person gets to be a director and so on. This somehow worked for 1 film. later on i moved to another country, peoples lives changed ..whatever. the point is, might be such model could work and be motivational for casual game making, where u have a programmer and artist and animator all wanting to make their games., so making 3 small games, everyone gets a chance to be a “director” – to make their game.
2. I also participated in making two or more animation films. Here you also need a teem, of people to execute a film. loads of people, and many hours. again I joined the teem which was making a short film that required computer graphics (animation). It was all done virtually. the film was shot in turkey, at the time i was living in Germany, and some people joined from USA and Sweden. For some of us this experience might have been just spending free time, for others a building block for their careers.
so we all met in animation / computer graphics forums. My idea for “wanna be game makers” would be creating (or sharing if anyone knows) a web portal for like minded to join. Now as far as I understand first step in making games (as easiest entry level) is making somth like mods. So people could start by using existing games engines, level generators and so on, to make their games. This website / forum i am talking about could have sections on different game engines and so one. so someone who doesn’t know how to do something could ask other people to help and so on.. I have seen this engine http://www.stonetrip.com/ for making games, must be some others.. couldn’t that be a first step on making you game development portfolio? does that make sense?
thank you, mantas.
Hey all guys why dont we all unite
is that fitting in? okay never mind but dont you people see we all have an individual talent like art, story i haqve an idea of my own. But yea look we can start doing something about it
Dude I’m 12 and I program.ill help you over the net and I’d be glad too
do u think you can teach me how to use unity, i want to make my game on that.
I can’t teach to you use Unity—I don’t know it myself—but I understand that there’s an active user community. Someone can help you learn.
I cant help to be sadden with the thought that no matter how original,creative, thought through an idea for a game ppl can have you might aswell just throw it into the trashbin while somebody is standing behind you saying u might aswell trye moving the moon, atleast you will have better luck with that then to get a 5 minut interview with a game designer who can make your game idea come true.
Now i know that companies like blizzard And bioware cant possibly go through ALL the mails they get from ppl whanting to sell/give them their idea for the “perfect” game cause lets face it they wouldent be doing anything els,
But it sounds to me like IF and i do mean IF you should have a snowballs chance in Hell to get your idea made into a game you should have a new surething of an idea 30 years before your born after that you hafe to POP right out of your mother, hed for the nearest school graduat manga cum later ( i know! funny isent it) go straight to college grab a couple of degrees there work for another 30 years and kiss the bosses ass every day just so he will give you 5 minuts to “listen” to your idea.
Now like every1 els who came here looking for a way to pitch their idea to the “Man” i must say that your guidlines are sound,helpfull and straight to the point are Great, But the bottom line is still toss your hopes in the trash cause unless you are banging the bosses daughter ore whant to spend the next 20 years getting said degrees for the “chance” to pitch it to the boss you might aswell just turn around and walk away, Cause it aint gonna happen here.
That’s an excellent summary of my article. Thanks Logram.
Hi, Jeff! Your article was very informative, thanks. I learned a lot. =)
But I’m curious: What if I made a casual game, and the game was really successful, and I wanted to extend the idea (as in, use the same characters and setting and whatnot) and make it into a big business game (noting that it’s not a fan game of a copyrighted franchise)? Would it be easy/difficult? Maybe like a platformer or an adventure game, not a quick game that can’t really be extended (e.g. Happy Wheels).
Once you have a successful game, your opportunities to expand it to sequels, spin-offs, and AAA versions expand. I wouldn’t say easy, but it now becomes possible. Think of it this way. Angry Birds is a very successful casual game. As a customer, how would you feel if you heard that an Xbox version was coming out? For my part, I would doubt that an Xbox version really makes sense, but since the game is so popular, I’d expect the game to do reasonably well. A Wii version might make more sense. So a publisher would probably think the same thing, and would get behind Angry Birds for Wii or perhaps Xbox. So if you have a super-popular game, it’s easier to find partners to help you expand into new markets. But consider a more modest example: what if Where’s My Water? were to an announce an Xbox version? I don’t mean Xbox Live Arcade—I mean a full-on AAA version? I don’t know about you, but I’d be skeptical that the game has the presence, richness, or audience to compete in that market.
So if you think along those lines, you’ll be thinking like a publisher, and then you’ll have a better sense of how hard or easy it would be for you to expand a casual game into other flavors, scales, and platforms.
Great article. I’m 12 and I’m making a casual game. Any ideas how to mak it professional and eventually published on armor games or bubblebox? This is huge to me benn working for 4 months . Pllease answer. Thanks
Hey Jeff. Great Article so essentially what you’re saying is an idea is not going to convince a game company to make a game for you? Now like everyone else here I have an idea but I am not going to brag how many millions of dollars it will make because all i see it as is “A pretty cool game idea” I’d have to develop a little more on it but what you’re saying is I cant just email Nintendo and say “Here’s my idea’ and have them go “Yep amazing here’s 10 thousand dollars we love your idea” See I am a 15 year old kid from Australia with NO idea how to make a game and not much money at all. Like all deranged teenagers I assume my idea is amazing but in reality it’s not going anywhere. Would it still be worth a shot to send them something? Even if you don’t get paid even if it is a 0.000001 % chance they use it. Do you think it is worth emailing a company with my idea?
Also Say i had an idea for a Boss in a video game (Like in Zelda) could get one of my artist friends to draw it, could I send that in to a game company? Would they take it into consideration? I also don’t expect to get paid for that but just pitch a small idea. A small thing that they could incorporate into the game (like a boss). Would that have any chance of succeeding?
Thank you
Ben
Hi Ben. You sound smart and capable, so keep sticking with creating ideas and making those ideas in some form and I bet you’ll find great success. As for your question—it might make you feel better to send your idea into a company, just to know that it’s going somewhere. If so, you might as well send it. Just be aware that by doing so you pretty much relinquish all claim on the idea in practice, and possibly by law.
Offering an idea for a video game is probably more likely to bring success. A really cool idea for a boss, for example, might actually end up in a sequel to the game. It’s not likely, exactly, but it is possible.
Best of luck!
Hello Mr. Wofford,
Can I first say that your article has answered all of my questions exactly to the detail? That it hasn’t only opened my eyes, but inspired me to still go through with my game idea? Ever since November 2011 in my Latin II class where I was just doodling, I’ve spent 100s of hours thinking about, sketching, and writing on graph paper an idea for a whole new gaming universe. It has a storyline, characters, weapons, controls, attributes, functions, and I just want to thank you for putting me in reality.
You see, the greatest inspirational logic I’ve ever received is “If you don’t spread your grandest ideas to the world, they die with you.” Thank You so much. You’ve put me into perspective at the fact that I’m only 8% done with creating a publishable idea. I still need to have a draft for how the HUD is going to work, and that HDD of 5 minutes of gameplay, and I’m more determined than ever now. Thank You thrice more.
Craysho
Hi, my name is Jordan I’m 22 and an avid gamer and a Doctor Who fan of both era’s. I’d love to play a Doctor Who game that isn’t just a top trumps game or a PC game, I’d like to see one come out for X Box 360 and PS3, for plot I had an idea of you start off as Matt Smith for starting period in the game then something happens that causes him to get killed and regenerate into the next Doctor and you choose all his features what he looks like and later what attire he dresses in and continue on into story where you can fight past and present Doctor Who villains (would have to have The Daleks, The Cybermen and maybe even The Master in there), get to use some of The Doctor’s gadgets like The Sonic Screwdriver and control The TARDIS travel to different planets and periods in time, I really think it would make a great RPG and would appeal to Doctor Who fans, casual Doctor Who fans and gamers.
That’s a cool idea. Why hasn’t there been a Doctor Who RPG, for crying out loud?
Hi,
Im not a hardcore gamer. I actually have only 1 game. I mean i like video games im just not interested in what the game developers are commin up with these days. Its either your just shooting at enemies because your in war, or your racing in exotic cars in a one-way circuit track-nothing else. I always fantasied a game that has it all. The whole world to roam in- you could race exotic cars and then suddenly be in the middle of the latest war thats goin on at that time(if you get my drift), and possibly reach out into outerspace- like the game Eve Online(which btw is the game i only have). Now you might ask me “why?, when theres hundreds of games that have those specific settings” but im describing one game that has it all. Well, obviously theres no way that could be possible unless there is a powerful game system to play such a game. But What if its not a game, but an actual game system, where game developers develop peices of the game to put together as one, and then download it onto the system like one big CD. For instance, a game developer creates a piece of the world like.. Idk the USA- 50 states, all the national parks THE WHOLE 9 YARDS- and then another creates the cars and buildings and airplanss or whatever. Then Another developer creates the war scene like COD into the country. And this continues with the rest of the countries in the world, including the oceans and underwater themes. And eventually spreads into outerspace with other planets and space wars, stuff like that. And for the CDD as you stated above , the controls will be similar to the type of scenario your in. If your driving a car or an airplane, it would be the usual default settings thats in a regular racing game, and the same goes for a shooting. It would get more in depth obviously but i dont want you to fall asleep. Can you imagine the popularity of such a game? Can you imagine this kind of gameplay evolutionized? It could be a whole new gaming world. I have this idea incredibly outlined, including the setup of the system. But.. i wouldnt know how to create such a system, even though your article is really thorough about how to create it, theres no way i could do that by myself if i dont know any connections. that would be a really awesome game system though. Let me know what you think
Frankie Aquino
Hey jeff, my name is iman and i have a wonder full idea and i tell people about it, they say its good.But i want to make 1 game and thats all.So do you know any one who is take gaming ideas on what game to make next. because i will write,draw,design just so a person or a company can make my game. I will work on it night and day. i just want someone who can make my game. Do you think if i put a website up and get people like it and if it gos up to 1 million would they make because so many people think its a good idea.
Im only 14 please i want you’r idea on what i should do??
Hi, your post was really helpful. I am 13 and want to be a concept artist or animator when I graduate high school, whether it be for games or movies. I was wondering what subjects I would need to take in school or what qualifications I would need later on. Thankyou.
hey my name is vincent,i’m 11 years old.I thout of a game,but I dont know where to start.I want to give my game idea to sega or some other company.I know that im to little to,I kind of want to be a gamedesignier,but for now ya.should i be a game designer or not.
P.S. this is probly the foolish thing i ever worte cause im too little….
also i am not good at drawing or writing,but my imagionation has a great anamation
Vincent, 11 years old is not too little to make games. Yes you should be a game maker. Not just a designer, but a maker.
You can make games now, but you have to start small (like everyone else does).
Have you ever designed your own board game? I once designed a board game about a two-headed ogre. One player controlled one head and the other controlled the other, but they were joined together, so the players had to cooperate. I also designed a board game where you’re a taxi driver going around a city making money from taking people places. Making a board game is a great way to get started making games. It’s fun. You can play your game with your friends. And you’ll learn a lot about how video games work—about what makes things fun. Try it!
Wow it’s like you read my mind,I did made a board game. It was about you wanna be a pokemon trainer and wanting to beat the elite 4 and the champion.All of the players are rivals with eachother and whoever beated the elite 4 and champion and got to the end wins.I use pokemon cards for the pokemon in the board game.but exactly my cosin said it got boring for a while.I can’t play the board game with my friends because of 2 resons,one is that i live with none of my friends,and second is that my cosin threw it away. ya,but then i tried to make another board game.It was about minecraft, but i used too much tape and i couldn’t make the squars on it…so ya
Keep at it! You’re off to a good start.
You really think so,thanks.I am willing to make that idea into a game when i go to college.i hope i can remember you so that i can give credit to you for getting me to a good start.
P.S. exactly i didn’t read the entire thing in the top cause it was too long
Thanks Vincent. As for not reading the whole article—in your case, I forgive you.
So Jeff, just wondering, you say you’ve used Unity3D, and you later mentioned that Blender is a good tool for 3d modelling. I’ve been using Blender for about 3 or 4 years now and im still learning more about the program, iv’e heard many people saying that a good game can not be fully composed of just Logic Bricks, and that i’d have to learn Python code. this isnt such a big deal for me considering how much motivation i have behind completing a game i keep yapping about/documenting. so i was wondering, would i be better off in the long run by trying my hand at C++, or using this Unity3D you speak of? or is blender just as good as Unity, or Python just as good as C++? Thanks Jeff.
ps. grats on the stasis field
Hi Aaron. I haven’t used Unity myself, but I know it is well-loved among indie game developers and has powered several prominent games. I don’t know Blender outside of the absolutely basics, and haven’t used Logic Bricks or Python scripting. C++ would be much harder to learn than… well, than virtually any other prominent gaming language, so I wouldn’t tackle it too early. I’d stick with Blender+scripting if you already know Blender well. But again, I don’t know whether that might limit you eventually. We’ll see if anyone else reading these comments has better advice than this.
Thanks Jeff, i’m having the same concerns and im wondering where to take the next steps. hopefully someone here can shed some light in my direction.
Not sutre if anyone has asked this, but what would be the ideal college major companies involved in game design be looking for in terms of the technical, coding perspective of development? Also, what are the basic need-to-know languages to get into this part of the industry?
PS. Great article!
Hey Jeff,
I have a specific question for you. Have you ever taken in consideration that you might get together a team of your own and invite people into your building to let them give you a full presentation of their videogame ideas? I mean you could be making your own ideas a reality and if you find someone desperate enough to give you an excellent presentation of a game they have in mind, you could maybe help them out. There is nothing wrong with listening to other’s ideas, and if you get a well enough presented one that you know for a fact will make lots of money, you could create it and bam! You and your team are millionaire’s. Didn’t you mention in your article that you enjoy listening to others ideas. If so, why don’t you start a business that does just that. I mean with a skilled writer such as yourself you can find some way to making profit out of this business. Please reply.
That’s a very interesting idea. I’m not going to do it now, but it’s something to think about.
Hey Jeff, if you still read these, I have a question for you. You see, I have many game ideas, and know exactly how i want them to work and operate, so I build them. However, I do not build them in a traditional sense through programming and code, as I have no experience in these. I hand write them in cards and on paper, so that they actually function and can be fully played. My question is, how can I take the next step? I am sixteen, and have worked with Microsoft, but I am not really sure where to go. I have games that work, and can be played, but not on a console or PC. How can I move forward with these ideas, and finally get them done?
Creating paper versions is a great first step. As I see it you’ve got two options. (1) Publish your paper games and make them successful, then use that brand to attract a video game publisher or developer. (2) Learn the skills of video game development yourself, form a team and make the games.
Thank you so much Jeff, I will take your advice to heart. Although, I do have one more question. Once one of my games are printed and ready, how would I get them sold? Should I advertise my board or card game, or should I contact a store owner and have it sold there?
Hey sir,
I read this article. Very good information. I think that you are a very noble person to try help others with there question with no intent to gain anything. However, I do have a question of my own. I am trying to a video game which I have no glue in what to do but what type of computer or hardware should I be using or looking into using. I hope you reply. Thank you in advance.
Thanks Eric. If you don’t know what computer or hardware to use for your game, then I’d start with the easiest approach. In my opinion the easiest way to make a game is with Adobe Flash, which I’ve used for several titles. Flash integrates your drawing and animating tool and a nice scripting language into a single package. It’s probably the fastest way to make 2D games, and they’ve just released support for 3D games too—though I wouldn’t try making a 3D game until you’ve made several 2D games.
Hi Jeff,
Like a few people, I came across your post here via a google search and was just curious about the development issues. I’m not a programmer, but have some ideas I would like to get made and they’re more sports simulations. If a person has access to money or was able to secure it to get a game made, would it make more sense to hire my own team or would it be possible to get it made via one of the outsource sites like elance or guru? Judging from some of the games I’ve played and like, it wouldn’t need a lot of people, but I’m just unsure where to start to look in the process of starting a team. It’s probably the biggest roadblock for me and I’m not sure if there are people who could work on it in my area or would I need to look elsewhere (hence the outsource idea)?
How much money would it take to hire a team to develop a 3D game.
Depends on the game. For a smallish AAA game, I’d allot US$10 million. For a full-scale AAA game, US$50 million. For an indie 3D game like Amnesia, maybe half a million to one million. For a very simple indie game like Dear Esther, maybe a quarter million (though I suspect they spent more than that, since it was in development for a couple of years).
I can certainly understand that game studios don’t have the time to listen to everyone’s “great game idea” but the sad part about it is when someone really has a great game concept but no connections, that idea dies. My son and I were talking one day and he came up with a game idea that is truly unique and no one has ever done it before (even got me excited about it) but then reality sat in that since I’m not in that business, and don’t have contacts in that business all it will ever be is just a great concept. Someone should make a website similar to something like kickstarter but the difference is you pitch your game ideas to game studios. So basically, people make a short presentation of their game concept that will be reviewed by game studios and the ones they like they put into production.
Great idea. Game Pitches is somewhere along the lines of that concept, but isn’t really what you’re talking about. FGL may also be of interest.
3 Trackbacks