Protospiel

Destroying Some Common Myths about Game Design

This article is the second in a series of articles about designing and producing a game. The other three articles are:

I read a book on game design a number of years ago. As I understand it, one of the author’s goals was specifically to discourage would-be designers from spending hard earned cash and time on their game. Rest assured that that’s not my goal here. I don’t ever want to discourage someone from pursuing their dreams, especially when the end result is something that may provide entertainment for thousands or millions of people. However, the game industry is one of the most misunderstood industries that I’ve ever encountered. Much of what I’ll write below is meant to give an accurate view of how likely it is that a new game will sell well. I believe it’s very important for a designer to start out with a clear picture of what he or she will be up against. Unrealistic dreams may be more dangerous than no dreams at all. Those who see the course before them for what it is—a very hard climb with many risks and possibly little reward—will forge ahead only if they have what it takes to make their dreams a reality. So, first let’s start by destroying a few of the myths that so many would-be designers believe.

Myth 1: Companies are looking for new ideas for games.
In my early days I imagined passing one of my game ideas along to a person high up in some company that makes games. I could see the guy getting all excited about this thing he never thought of, so he offers me a contract detailing all the money he’ll pay me to take my idea and run with it. It’s laughable now, but I don’t feel too bad. Many others have had the same vision and they’re looking for such an opportunity to trade their ideas into cash.

Just in case anyone else believes this is how it works, we need to get this truth out in the open. No company wants just ideas.

I once thought I was a game designer because I had ideas for games, but now I know the idea is probably the easiest part of a game to come up with. Why would I think I’d be paid to do the easy part? Game designers are the ones who are paid (sometimes very little—see myth 2!) to do the hard work of developing those ideas into playable games.

Myth 2: Your new idea will make you rich.
Whenever I tell people I make games, they think I’m going to be rich. They immediately ask if they’ll find my game on the shelf at Wal-Mart. These questions reveal a grave misunderstanding of how many games exist, how many are produced and how they reach the public. I’ve found that when I try to explain this to people they resist the facts. So, given how hard it is to debunk this myth (not to mention the fact that this is often the one that leads many aspiring designers into a financial embarrassment) I’ll devote the most time to it.

It seems the average person thinks game designers are some of the richest people alive. This terribly incorrect notion stems from people’s lack of familiarity with the game industry. Only when a person realizes how many games are actually in existence do they begin to appreciate how unlikely it is that a game will make much money.

I’d guess the average person can probably list between ten to twenty published games on the market right now. The fact is, there were well over three times that many games introduced to the hobby-game industry in the last three months, and they have been released at that rate for at least the last ten years. People are making games all the time about everything from trading in used cars and monkeys that fight each other to things that look very much like those ones you bought your nephew for Christmas last year (the ones he hasn’t opened yet).

So, there are thousands of games out there. That means it’s not as hard to come up with an idea for a game as most people think. One obvious conclusion, then, is if hundreds of people are doing this all the time, no one’s going to be willing to pay obscene amounts of money for the process.

Furthermore, the fact that so many people are unaware of these dozens of games coming on the market every month isn’t promising either. If the public at large isn’t aware of them, they won’t make many sales. And that means most games that are produced don’t make much money.

In other words, the games the general public knows about are the very, very few that have reached a higher level of sales. Since they don’t even see all the other games, most people think those few at the top are the norm. To make a useful comparison, imagine when I meet people that I told them I spend my free time writing novels. I’m fairly certain they’d think I’m more of a dreamer rather than a rich genius. Why? Because people are more aware of the huge number of books that are being written. They see them at Borders and in the libraries and they know that the best-sellers are a small percentage of the lot.

To further emphasize this point and to give you some background information, I need to distinguish between the mass market and the hobby game market. This unbelievable onslaught of new games every year does not end up on the shelves of Target and Wal-Mart. Games in those stores are aimed at the mass market—the average consumer. While many, many copies of those games may sell and make substantial money for everyone involved, it’s an extremely tough market to break into. See, your game might make a fortune for a big company like Hasbro or Mattel. But why do they care to take the risk when they know old stand-bys re-themed and packaged with Pirates of the Caribbean on the box will sail off the shelves? Do you think they will take a risk on innovation when they have a sure source of financial success? And even when those companies occasionally do want to try something innovative, they have employees who are paid to come up with those types of ideas. Put simply, the publishers in the mass market don’t need our ideas and it’s terribly hard to get them to consider them.

So, assuming you’re going to look for some company to publish your game, you can try to get the attention of the mass market publishers if you want. I just can’t suggest it’s a realistic goal. You’re more likely to catch a publisher’s attention that seeks to sell their products in the much smaller hobby-game market. Now, to get an idea of the number of potential customers that are in this market, think of how many people you know who schedule time to play games on a regular basis. Think of how many of your friends and acquaintances spend a good deal of their entertainment budget on new games. Those relatively few people make up the hobby-game market. So, being a much smaller segment of the population, right away we’re looking at far fewer products sold and far less chance of making the big bucks. Still, as someone hoping to bring your game to the public you need to be realistic and consider this smaller market first. Since the smaller publishers and retailers who serve this market, not to mention the consumers themselves, are more open to new ideas it is far more likely your game can be successful at this level than at the mass market level.

To get more familiar with this hobby-game market, start by looking at the many games that are sold in it. You should visit a game store in your area (if you can find one). Likewise, you can check out some online retailers who are dedicated to selling games. If you’re like most people I meet, you’ll be surprised by the number of titles available.

To be more specific about how much money you could make in the hobby-game industry, let’s look at typical royalties paid to designers. Most publishers aiming for this market are paying royalties somewhere around 3% to 6% of the retail price of the game. So, if your game would sell for $40 and you were lucky enough to cut the best deal, you’d make $2.40 each time your game was sold. Of course, on the low end you’re looking at only $1.20 per game. Before you start multiplying that by hundreds of thousands, keep in mind initial print runs of a game for the hobby-game market will be only around 5,000 to 10,000 copies. Most of these new games will not sell well enough to justify further printings. Do the math and you’ll find money isn’t the best reason to pursue that great game idea. In fact, if money is what you need you would most likely be better off investing your spare time in a part-time job!

For those of you still set on seeing your game at Wal-Mart, I will admit games there may sell in vast quantities. Maybe it will be in the hundreds of thousands. Keep in mind what I said earlier though. It’s next to impossible to get the attention of publishers who can take a game to that level of distribution. You’ll certainly need an agent to pitch your idea to them and, as you can imagine, he won’t work for free. You’ll be sharing some of those royalties with him.

So, while financial profit can eventually result from a great idea (and all the hard work that goes along with it), the simple fact is this. Most people who make games, even games that sell well, do not make a lot of money doing it. Please keep reading that last sentence over and over until you believe it.

Myth 3: It’s relatively simple to make a game.
This is true if you want to make a poor game or a game that looks very similar to something else that already is on the market. But don’t expect games like that to be successful.

Rest assured that in almost every case there is more work involved in creating a successful game than what you can imagine now. Most likely there is a lot more work than you realize. If nothing else, I hope this series of articles makes it more clear what lies between your idea and a finished product.

Myth 4: Since your friends and/or family love the game, everyone will.
The most popular games are very flexible, making them appeal to many different groups of players and styles of play. While it’s encouraging that your game is enjoyed by family and friends, it doesn’t mean the average game buyer will even notice it. Never invest a lot of money in a project that until it’s been played by those outside of your circle of friends. If possible, play it with people who are very familiar with the industry and listen to their criticism.

Will Niebling, CEO of Mayfair Games, blames “incestuous game design” on many failed game design pursuits. This phenomenon happens when gamers create a game that fits their group very well, but they aren’t aware it will only appeal to a small number of people. When you’re talking about selling an initial printing of a few thousand games you need to know your game will be of interest to many different people who will want it for different reasons and play it in different ways.

Here’s a simple exercise I often suggest to would-be designers. Go to the Fair Play Games website (www.fairplaygames.com) and imagine you’re a customer with $50 to spend on new games (stick with me, this is not a sales ploy). Look down the list on the front page of the top 10 games selling now at Fair Play. Click on the link there and look over the top 100. If you’re unfamiliar with some of the titles, go to the game pages of at least five of the top ten games and read their descriptions. Now, imagine your game somewhere in this list of 100 games. Imagine a customer who knows nothing about your game beyond the brief description at the site. What will your game offer that average customer that will make it stand out among many great, time-tested, best-selling titles? I can’t say specifically what your game might offer, but I’m sure it will have to have several strong selling points if it will go well beyond your circle of friends and family.

Myth 5: Your idea is completely original.
Well, since I don’t know what your game idea is, maybe this statement is actually true. From my experience, though, I wouldn’t assume it is. Industry-changing games that burst onto the scene bringing completely new experiences are very rare. Almost every game is similar to something else that’s been on the market. With thousands of games published over the last few decades, it’s very possible something you haven’t heard about is very similar to your game. The fact that you don’t know about this previously released game may mean something about how well your idea will be accepted. Before investing a lot of time and money into your idea, check the Boardgame Geek database, ask people who know games well and search the Internet for any leads to similar games.

It’s also worth mentioning that someone could be working on a game very similar to yours right now! Usually the influences in a culture that lead to ideas are influencing thousands or millions of other people at the same time. Is it so unlikely that two people could be working on very similar games independently? Tom Jolly, a successful game designer, wrote an article regarding this very phenomenon which I’ve referenced below. I suggest it to anyone setting out to make a game.

My purpose here is not to make you paranoid (see the next myth). It’s just a fact that it’s very hard to come up with something completely new. If your game turns out to be similar or if it’s derivative of something in existence, that doesn’t mean you can’t pursue it. It may just affect how you produce it. For example it may end up as a free download from your website instead of lining the shelves of Toys R Us. Regardless, it’s vital to do your homework on this matter so you can take the game in the best direction with the least loss of time and money.

Myth 6: Your idea could easily be stolen so protect it at all costs.
This whole article could be devoted to copyright laws and protecting your game. I don’t want to go into great depth here, but I do want to make some general points. First of all, you can only copyright the expression of an idea. The main idea of your game, by itself, cannot be copyrighted. If you’ve got the idea to make a game about hunting space creatures from the far reaches of the galaxy, for example, someone could be impressed with it, take the basic premise and make their own game based on it. Since the core idea is not protected by law, there’s really nothing you could do about it legally.

I’ve come across some designers who were not aware of this, so they went to great lengths to keep their ideas secret. One guy wrote all his design notes in secret code. Many have been hesitant to show their work to anyone, even those who could give good feedback, for fear their work would be stolen. But in almost all cases, I’d argue anyone who understands the industry will have little motivation to take your ideas. First of all, knowledgeable designers understand the other myths I listed above. They aren’t looking to get rich. They’re simply striving to get their own work to the masses. They have a personal interest in their creation, making it more likely they’ll continue through the sheer amount of time, money and energy required to do so. What interest does another designer have in your game that will drive him to put in all that work? My experience has been that true designers greatly respect the good work of their peers just as artists in any other field would.

Perhaps a publisher could notice the potential of your work and take it without compensating you. As for those publishers selling in the hobby-game market, however, this is very unlikely. I have never heard a publisher in this market advise designers to seek protection through non-disclosure agreements, registered copyrights or trademarks. A scrupulous publisher has to offer only a small percentage of the asking price of your game in order to use it. In fact, I’ve heard several publishers warn against using non-disclosure agreements and being overly protective of your work, as it makes their job unnecessarily harder.

There are a few stories of large, mass market publishers who have apparently borrowed ideas. Again, when you’re dealing with matters on that level, all the stakes are raised and greater protection may be a concern.

There’s no doubt that when dealing with intellectual property, it is good to know the basics about patents, trademarks and copyrights. You can read about these things at length and research further starting at the site listed below.

My general advice is simply to keep an accurate view of the industry and the value of your ideas in these matters. I’ve seen people spend a good deal of money protecting ideas no one in their right mind would have stolen. Be aware that you will have to show the game to people in order to accomplish the playtesting and make the contacts necessary to bring your game to the public. That’s a risk any artist or designer must take with his or her work.

Are you still reading? Then there’s hope! You’re probably not one of those people in denial, thinking I’m talking about some game other than the one you’ve created. But in case you like to skim an online article and jump to the conclusion, I have one last word of caution. Even if you still believe some or all of the myths above, the game publishers won’t. I’ve read statements from some publishers who have stated outright that they recognize phrases like “this game will make a million” or “my friends and family love it” as a sign that immediately turns them off to a game designer and his or her game. You’ve been warned!

Continue to the next article in this series, A General Overview of the Game Design Process.

For further information

Two articles from Tom Jolly

Information on Copyright, Trademarks and Patents

Practical & Legal Fundamentals of Intellectual Property

this page last updated 4 Sept 2006