Viewing Thread:
"YOU make the game..."

Games companies come up with ideas for games, make games and release games and we, the buyers, get excited about the games (sometimes) and buy the games (sometimes) This is the way it has always been, since time (or games) began. But stop and think for a minute. Perhaps we could take a more active part in the first process? Perhaps the concept could come from the people who buy the game, the same people that are waiting for that special game that will match their ideals.

When most people send a games company an idea for a game, however much work they put into it, they often just get a letter back saying something like ‘thanks for the effort, but we’ve got in-house developers, thank you very much!’ which is annoying, to say the least. You could always study programming or art and get a job in the business, but not everyone wants to do that. You might have one or two good ideas that you’re just bursting to get turned into a game and no outlet for your Tony Hart-like artistic moments.

So I say to games developers everywhere, please create a small division for looking at customer’s ideas, even if it’s just one person in a broom cupboard, as long as they take the ideas seriously and consider it for a game. Some of the ideas that have appeared on the new games forum here show how dedicated the games buying people are and some of the ideas are really worth turning into a game.

Wouldn’t it be great to play a Capcom or Rare game based on your ideas, and know that other people are doing the same all over the world? It could save a games firm lots of money and give them the new and original game they need to hit the top of the charts and perhaps prevent a glut of sequels and unoriginal games from clogging up the shelves every few months.

Who knows, you might be able to come up with the next Sonic or Mario character, a Spanish dustman from Dundee called Jose, perhaps, or a Speedy green snail called Slimester, or maybe not. But the fact is that the choice would be yours and the power to create what could be the next big blockbuster game could be in your hands. And who knows, if you're interested in a job with a software house, there's no reason why a successful game idea couldn't get you a job there, or at least a sponsorship for a university course and some work experience.

I agree the games released should be the Games the public want and companies should pay more attention to us the Gamers that buy their games and make them them the rich buisnesses they are today.

Bewarethetoadsoffate wrote:
> Wasn't Resident Evil made this way? They had a competition with
> people sending their ideas for a game, and the winner's game would
> be made (or so I heard)

If this is true, then it does happen, and
> this has proven that very good and successful games come out of
> public opinion

I think a lot of games are inspired by the public. There are always questionaires, and game developers hang arounf places like this on the web to see what the people want. After all, if there is sometinh the public want, and it is made, they are going to buy it!!

Hey Sniper my main man. Remember me. Oh sorry you probably dont recognise me with this name. Think more along the lines of Games Guru. anyways I am going to go and write a reveiw .

Oh yeah don't forget the mod makers, they only make mods for Pc games only but they rock!

Wasn't Resident Evil made this way? They had a competition with people sending their ideas for a game, and the winner's game would be made (or so I heard)

If this is true, then it does happen, and this has proven that very good and successful games come out of public opinion

Those of us who want to make games, go into the Game making insudtry. If i get a job andhave my own ideas for games, I wont be wanting punters to supply me with their own ideas, It would be my concept and my brain doing what it does best!!

Try getting that game making package, now what was that called....

Psygnosis used to do questionairres in every game that went something along the lines of "How would you rate this game", "What is your favourite game", "What don't you like about this game" and "How would you improve this game?". Subsequently, the Psygnosis sequels were always better than the originals. Apart from F1 '98, but that wasn't their fault.

I am sure that if you made a vertual sex game it would be a very good seller...especially if it had Mrs Spears in (do you know how many old men flove her?)

It's a good thought though pb...

Maybe one day a comapny will ask us,the GAMER what we want...

I thought Hell was other people?

Anyway, it might be a good idea but y'know they actually get their ideas from theirselves and other people who don't develop games having ideas might not help too much. You see developers think, "this would be a great game and we could do it like this"... Whereas a member of the public thinks "this would be a great game" and leaves the mechanics of it out. So I suppose they could take members of the public's ideas and turn them into games if they could make the idea work but a lot of ideas might not be practical and there may be other problems too. For one thing they would have to either pay you, as the inventor of the concept, to either buy the idea or to give you royalties of some sort or else risk being sued by you at a later date. Plus there would be all sorts of legal stuff to get through, I would think, to protect them from such suits even if you were to agree not to sue since they would need it as a legal document that is enforceable. There isn't really an easy way to make someone give up a right without some sort of exchange so it's going to cost the company to use your ideas even if it is only in legal fees.

So I say, that you must not pass on your ideas in writing only by telepathy or you risk putting developers off making a game, don't send them anything or they might be unable to make a game that sounds similar to your idea without risking a breach of your rights! Perhaps it's best this way.