Idea Protection when Posting Here
Author
Ok, say I have a really kick-ass idea, IN THEORY. So I come on to these boards to check it with you guys, see if everything checks out.
2 days later some jerk-face reads the thread and goes OMFG thats a sweet idea. He then takes his 20-man team and, being the jerk-face that he is, implements the idea much faster than you could ever possibly do it, and sells it for fat $$$.
What I''m asking is whether anybody knows if theres any kind of protection in such a situation. Perhaps the act of posting it here is kind of like an unofficial copyright? Anybody got any ideas on this? That''s the main reason I don''t post anything here... I don''t want to get shafted if someone takes them. Thanks for ay feedback
No and no one is going to come here and steal your idea. If you want to discuss it then open thread detailing it. Chances are anyone who could throw a 20man team and $$ at it already has many of his own ideas.
Well, legally if you post it for public consumption you have basically given up your rights.
Now... practically speaking... in the professional game business ideas are worth about $1.50... on a good day. Great ideas are worth nothing without the ability to execute them well. And mediocre ideas can become great games with excellent execution. And these days, most of that doesn''t matter anyway. You probably can''t get your game made without a license to a hit movie or other marketable property.
If you truly believe you have the rare and authentic 1 in 1,000,000,000 "great idea", then write it up, get an agent, and start pitching it. But keep in mind... even a blockbuster title like Tetris probably couldn''t be sold "on paper." 99% of the value of the game is in the execution. You''d be hard pressed to convince somebody that Tetris was a "great idea" via a written description.
I''m not trying to be pessimistic, but realistic. If you believe your idea is truly great, then go for it. As Umbongo said, every seasoned developer out there has their own list of "great ideas" they are dying to get made. Your idea would have to be one of those one-in-a-billion ideas to make them drop their pet projects and steal your concept.
Now... practically speaking... in the professional game business ideas are worth about $1.50... on a good day. Great ideas are worth nothing without the ability to execute them well. And mediocre ideas can become great games with excellent execution. And these days, most of that doesn''t matter anyway. You probably can''t get your game made without a license to a hit movie or other marketable property.
If you truly believe you have the rare and authentic 1 in 1,000,000,000 "great idea", then write it up, get an agent, and start pitching it. But keep in mind... even a blockbuster title like Tetris probably couldn''t be sold "on paper." 99% of the value of the game is in the execution. You''d be hard pressed to convince somebody that Tetris was a "great idea" via a written description.
I''m not trying to be pessimistic, but realistic. If you believe your idea is truly great, then go for it. As Umbongo said, every seasoned developer out there has their own list of "great ideas" they are dying to get made. Your idea would have to be one of those one-in-a-billion ideas to make them drop their pet projects and steal your concept.
Why does it suck if it needs a 20 man team? Most professional games have teams a lot bigger then that.
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Writer, Programer, Cook, I'm a Jack of all Trades
Current Design project
Chaos Factor Design Document
[edited by - TechnoGoth on August 10, 2003 3:24:48 AM]
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Writer, Programer, Cook, I'm a Jack of all Trades
Current Design project
Chaos Factor Design Document
[edited by - TechnoGoth on August 10, 2003 3:24:48 AM]
quote:Original post by Diodor
If your idea needs a 20 man team to make, it sucks.
I don''t agree.
To answer to original question - I''d say if you bounced the ideas off other people (like on this site) to perfect them and THEN sold your game, it''d not be very moral if you didn''t credit them. If your idea was so good to begin with, it''d not need the approval of the community!
do u honestly think there''s some guy, with 20 men at his disposal, trawling these forums looking for good ideas? hah! hahahahahah! hah!
quote:
If you truly believe you have the rare and authentic 1 in 1,000,000,000 "great idea", then write it up, get an agent, and start pitching it. But keep in mind... even a blockbuster title like Tetris probably couldn''t be sold "on paper." 99% of the value of the game is in the execution. You''d be hard pressed to convince somebody that Tetris was a "great idea" via a written description.
*laughs* What''s this obsession about agents, pitching, selling, written description? If I had to pick one game where implementation is largely irrelevant and the idea is everything, that should be Tetris. Come on, you don''t need suits buying your Tetris idea and paying a 20 man team to make it! You can make Tetris yourself. If only you thought about it first! How many other Tetris-like ideas, immensely fun and (relatively) easy to create are out there, waiting to be brought to light?
quote:
Why does it suck if it needs a 20 man team? Most professional games have teams a lot bigger then that.
Well, OK, it sucks unless you are Peter Molineux or the like.
neonfaktory,
Speaking as a sub-amateur, my personal conclusion is that ideas are too insubstantial to be protected. To elaborate: even products that developed from an idea can barely be protected.
If you really have to discuss the idea with other people, the only solutions I can see are:
1. In the discussions, try not to reveal your idea enough for it to be copied. Eg. only talk about a small aspect of the idea, or rephrase the topic.
2. Speak to people who you trust will not take advantage of you.
[edited by - flamewill on August 10, 2003 10:18:06 AM]
Speaking as a sub-amateur, my personal conclusion is that ideas are too insubstantial to be protected. To elaborate: even products that developed from an idea can barely be protected.
If you really have to discuss the idea with other people, the only solutions I can see are:
1. In the discussions, try not to reveal your idea enough for it to be copied. Eg. only talk about a small aspect of the idea, or rephrase the topic.
2. Speak to people who you trust will not take advantage of you.
[edited by - flamewill on August 10, 2003 10:18:06 AM]
This topic is closed to new replies.
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