How to Submit Ideas for a Video Game

By Jennifer Eblin

Updated September 22, 2017

Items you will need

  • Trade publications

  • Game packages

Father and son playing video game
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Video game designers spend years turning a simple idea into a game that people play at home. When you come up with an idea of your own, you need to know what game developers want and how they make games. You may find that some companies accept ideas from outsiders, while others work only in-house. You also need to look at the different platforms available and learn more about the industry. Staying on top of the video game market lets you see the trends in terms of what players want.

Man and woman putting together game plan
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Fine tune your idea and turn it into a fleshed out game scenario. A simple idea isn’t enough because anyone can come up with a game concept. You need to create characters, a plot and villains or obstacles for your characters to defeat or overcome.

Man reading magazine
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Read trade magazines and publications to see current games in development. Check out the official magazines for Xbox, Nintendo and PlayStation, all of which typically list information on upcoming games and games in development. Make sure there aren’t any games similar to yours already in development or slated for release.

Young illustrator
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Create a sample package that includes all details of your video game. Make a few drawings to visualize what the characters and villains look like, as well as the background of the game. Include information on the plot of the game and what the different characters do within the game.

Man typing letter
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Send independent game developers a query letter about your game. Independent developers are more willing to accept ideas because they have more options when it comes to game creation, including selling their own games on programs like Xbox Live.

Man on phone with computer
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Contact larger companies, including PlayStation and Microsoft, which owns Xbox. You’ll have better luck if you know someone working for the company or have your own industry contacts. Keep in mind, too, that even if the company agrees to buy your idea, there’s no guarantee that they’ll actually turn it into a video game.

Tips

If you have experience in designing video games, consider turning your idea into a game and selling it through one of the online systems, available for each video game console. You keep most of the profits and get a widespread audience that might be interested in buying your game.

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