Pitching an idea.

I've always been under the impression that being a game designer is something you work your way up to while working for a company (comparable to being the editor of a magazine or something), and isn't something that's typically interviewed for/accepted unless the designer already has significant industry experience in that role.

Quote from Argyll

How would one (me) go about pitching a serious idea for a game without the idea being stolen?

Keep it to yourself until you know you can make it happen.

Quote from Argyll

Would they take me seriously? I have Insurgency on my resume.

They might take you more seriously than most, but I wouldn't expect to see your idea get anywhere without a team of your own working on at least a prototype -

Quote from Argyll

Should I approach publishers or developers? Should I approach either or who have already published games in the genre?

- most developers and publishers have strict rules about not accepting any outside pitches for games due to the resulting legal nightmares. If you don't work for them, don't plan on the idea getting anywhere. In the rare event someone were to take the pitch, don't plan on retaining ownership of it.

Quote from Argyll

Is there any future for someone who only has 'skills' for designing and writing and not necessarily more tangible talent (i.e. modelling, level design, animation, etc.)?

There are people who shift into this sort of role, but generally not without entering by way of one of the other disciplines - often level design, but programmers and artists can go this route too. I think you'll have a very hard time finding an entry-level position in this role.

Wish I had better news for you - for all I know you're sitting on a brilliant idea, but amongst all the other thousands of people out there coming up with their own game ideas (not even counting the people in studios having a hard enough time getting their ideas considered), I don't think you're going to find many people listening.

Yeah, I REALLY can't see you being able to pitch a game idea to a company in that way. Like Thrik, I've never really heard of anybody getting hired straight into game design - not in the sort of senior position that you're suggesting anyway. You can definately get into the industry without, as you say, a more tangible skill however. You'll definately want to learn to do some scripting though, as that is typically the entry point for game design.

You could always look for some fellow modders (as you have ins on your resume you should know enough of our sort) and build a mod for source or unreal engine and then give it to valve or some dev with good connections and ask them about it. I think that's what Turtle Rock Studios went like and ReNo's company Outerlight with The Ship (correct me here if I'm wrong) and unknown worlds with NS (allthough NS and The Ship were full playable mods and not just prototypes).

If you can make it this way you have an AA Title (not quite an AAA most propably ) on your list and the chances of getting to another company with your whole team (see DICE) or as a single person (see Counter-Strike or Team Fortress) should be high enough.

didn't you leave INS to jeremy after a very short period?

Send your idea directly to a developer so that they can print out the email and hang it on the wall for everyone to laugh at.

Quote from insta

Send your idea directly to a developer so that they can print out the email and hang it on the wall for everyone to laugh at.

Nice... :roll:

I would also go for the MOD approach. Get enough hobby developers on board to create a prototype of the game and then pitch it to a publisher who decides if they are interested in giving the funds to expand the prototype into a full game.

At least that's how I would do it, but that doesn't really answer the question how you can prevent your ideas from being used/copied by the people you present it to.

Maybe somebody with more experience on pitching or reviewing game pitches has some advise on this, if so I would be eager to hear it too!

Quote from FrieChamp

I would also go for the MOD approach.

I'd recommend the mod approach instead. Because it's not an acronym.

Carry on.

I'll be slightly more optimistic (not by much) and say that you'll find companies that are looking for writers. Game designer by definition is an intermediate to senior position. You have to have some serious experience to pretend having people's attention, and even then, there are only a handful of game designers in this industry who can actually claim that, and those are the stars and have been doing this for 20+ years.

You say you can write, and believe it or not, this is something many people claim can do but very few do well. At Ubisoft, I've worked with someone with a BA in movies and story telling, who was responsible for the entire story telling of games like GRAW and Rayman Raving Rabbids. He'd write the script, the lines for the actors, would organize the recording sessions etc etc.

If that's something you really know how to do and can show some work for an interview, that'd be easier to get.

Or you can follow the Little Big Planet example. One of their leads was the creator of Rag Doll Kung Fu, and with enough experience and the connections with guys from Lionhead, they formed Media Molecule and are funded by Sony to develop LBP. That's the kinda "indie game creator gone to a franchise" example that sounds possible, but we're talking of very rare occurence.

Quote from KungFuSquirrel

I'd recommend the mod approach instead. Because it's not an acronym.

Carry on.

That's true, if you want to go the whole way - wouldn't you even write "mod. approach" to be absolutely correct?

Thanks for bringing this up Andrew (smartass )!

The Double Fine FAQ Page has a little ditty on this.

Quote from Tim Schafer

You should hang on to that idea until you’re ready to make it yourself. Because if you send it to us, our lawyers will jump on it like a hand grenade and not ever let us see it, for reasons only they understand. I’m sure your idea is great, though, and you should really try to make it some day. So stop showing it to people or else it’s going to get ripped off (by someone far less scrupulous than us).

As I understand it even if a company does like an idea it's sent, it wouldn't be able to create it due to all kind of problems with copyright anyway. If you want an idea to become an actual game, I don't think sending it a company, no matter what your credentials, will have a result.

There’s plenty of scope for designers, though it’s an esteemed position. But writing is certainly an avenue you can pursue to that goal.

I'm going to chime in with some of the other people here and advise you to hold on to your special game ideas always. The moment you share your idea with a company or anyone else that might have an even slightly different motive for wanting to make a game like yours, it is gone - and it will never be yours again.

If you really, really, have a burning desire to see something specific of yours made, just start making it any way you can. Keep working on it until such a time as you have built something you think is strong enough to survive outside influence, or simply build it yourself with other like-minded people.

Just remember that no company or person who's livelihood is based on selling games will ever share the same personal motivation you might have to make your game. Don't ever go to a company unless you are ok with making their games and not your own.

If you seriously wish to act on your idea in any way, without being afraid of having legal issues, a good idea is to send a copy of the game design doc to yourself via registered post. Once you receive it DO NOT OPEN IT! It should be date stamped and have a seal on. This is not a fool-proof method to secure your ideas but goes a long way in legitimising that you came up with them. I am from the UK but I am sure there would be something similar to this in most countries.

P.S. I have not tried this myself with game docs but a relation of mine did do this with some song music sheets and lyrics in his youth. He is the one who suggested it to me. I felt it was applicable here.