Is it possible to sell a game idea?

If you have been working on a game idea with a lot of potential, you may want to consider creating a pitch to sell your project. Pitching gives you an opportunity to sell the vision of your game to potential investors, team members, studios, and game journalists.

Can you sell your game ideas?

Inquire with the company first. Ask them if they want to hear your idea and offer to sign an NDA (nondisclosure agreement). If you're not interested in money or lawsuits, tell them in writing they can have your idea no strings attached if they want to use it. Don't just send the idea in unsolicited.

Can you patent a game idea?

Mental processes cannot be patented. The rules of a game cannot be patented (unless there is a sufficiently inventive concept to “transform” the rules into patent-eligible subject matter … but what does that even mean?).

How can I sell my own game?

Where can I sell games online? You can sell games online from your own store built with a platform like Shopify, on third-party marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, on niche websites like Swappa and Decluttr, and on social media, and via wholesale.

How do I protect my video game idea?

Patents are registered through the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Basically, a patent is designed to protect your idea/invention from being copied. During development, a patent ensures no one can take your idea and use it as their own. Registered copyrights are another form of legal protection.

Turning a GAME IDEA into a RELEASED GAME

How do I present a game idea to a company?

How much does a video game patent cost?

For an individual, however, the costs will vary considerably depending on the complexity of the game, the number of claims, and the complexity of the invention. A simple invention can cost as little as $3,000, while a more complex invention can cost as much as $7000.

Do indie games make money?

According to VG Insights, only 15% of all solo game developers take home more than $100,000 annually. VG Insights also reported that only the top 5% of indie games released each year make over half a million dollars each, and the average game only makes $13,000.

How much does it cost to develop a small indie game?

How much does it cost to make an indie game? Estimates on the overall cost of making an indie game vary wildly. Indie studio Auroch Digital put the number at somewhere between $50,000 and $750,000, while others suggest costs actually run into the millions.

How do game owners make money?

The publisher pays the developer an advance against royalties for developing the game; that is, the publisher pays the developers costs for making the game — but not all at once; the publisher pays the money out in increments when the developer completes pre-negotiated deliverables, called milestones.

What is a poor man's patent?

A poor man's patent is essentially writing out a description of your invention and then mailing that written description to yourself. This postmarked envelope supposedly acts to create the date of your invention as the date this written description was postmarked.

How do I patent a game idea in USA?

Keep detailed documentation that includes drawings and rules for the game. Build a prototype. Conduct a patent search to verify no patent is already in the same field. Fill out and file the United States Patent and Trademark Office's patent application.

What ideas Cannot be patented?

Can I pitch my game idea to a company?

If you have been working on a game idea with a lot of potential, you may want to consider creating a pitch to sell your project. Pitching gives you an opportunity to sell the vision of your game to potential investors, team members, studios, and game journalists.

Do companies pay for ideas?

Your ideas are valuable and could prove to be highly profitable, so it makes sense that many companies are more than willing to receive new ideas from external sources and either buy them or create a licensing deal. The submission process may vary from company to company, but they all have an interest in good ideas.

How do you pitch a game idea to Nintendo?

While we receive tons of fantastic suggestions each month from our fans, due to the volume of requests we receive and the resources it would take to process them, we do not accept unsolicited game or product ideas.

How long do AAA games take to make?

AAA games are the big-budget games that large studios and publishers typically make. The average AAA game takes about four years to develop, with an average cost of about $80 million and higher.

How hard is it to make your own video game?

How hard is it to make a game? You need to have skills and put a lot of effort to make a video game, therefore, it is hard. To make a video game, you need to have programming skills, understand and be able to design, and also to know how to use various tools, including game engines.

Why do so many indie games fail?

Indie games fail sometimes because of a poor marketing strategy: Either the team didn't build an audience or didn't find a way to interest the gaming world enough to make it play the game. The second reason comes from the game itself: The lack of game design skills or the level of immersion is too low.

Who is the richest indie game developer?

1 Minecraft

The success of Minecraft did so well that Notch ended up selling Mojang to Microsoft for a $2.5 billion cash deal. This makes him the richest indie game developer.

Is it hard to be a game designer?

Becoming a game designer is just as hard as getting into any other career, but with added competition and the need to be constantly fresh and relevant. However, by applying yourself and keeping your long-term goals in mind, it can be a rewarding and fulfilling career as easy to progress through as anything.

Are video game ideas copyrighted?

The Copyright Office factsheet on games explains exactly this: Copyright does not protect the idea for game, its name or title, or the method or methods for playing it. Nor does copyright protect any idea, system, method, device, or trademark material involved in developing, merchandising, or playing a game.

Do I need money to publish a game?

As long as your game complies with the Steam Terms of Service, you will only need to create an account and pay a one-time fee of US$100 to publish your game on Steam. They will, however, give you the money back if your game makes $1,000 in gross revenue from sales on the Steam store.

How long do game patents last?

If granted, a patent lasts for 20 years from the date of application. However, identifying the unique attributes of a game can be difficult, and the cost of obtaining patent protection and policing one's patent can be prohibitive.