Why post a game idea?

from GalCiv2 Forums
Why should one post a game idea on a game publisher's website? If the idea was good enough would not Stardock take the idea and make it into a game, leaving the originator of the idea with nothing? Most of the time it seems that good ideas are difficult to come by. Though I am sure that many good ideas are had by those who do not have the means of production.

This is what I am asking: If one was to publish a game concept in this forum, and someone at Stardock thought it was a good idea and wanted to make it into a game, would Stardock hire on the originator of that idea? Otherwise, why should one post?
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Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top

As a Stardock employee I can tell you that we would not steal a story idea from you for the following reasons:

1) We have our game business planned out for the next 5 years and it doesn't include any outside games.

2) Ideas are cheap (read up on some of Draginol or Frogboy's blogs). It's the actual implementation of an idea that costs so much in time and resources. We currently have only enough resources for the games we have planned.

3) We don't want to get sued.

Draginol/Frogboy is Brad Wardell, President/CEO of Stardock. I think you can safely blog about your game ideas without fear that Stardock will steal them. I can't make any promises for anyone else though. Some shady characters around this joint.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
If you (one) actually wanted to see the game made, were not concerned with money/power, and lacked the time or expertise to create it themselves, one (you) might submit their idea to a popular game developer in the hopes of it being used.

The chances of this (ie the game making it to the pre-development stage, at the least) are astronomically low, of course, and the chances are slim that Stardock would hire that person.

Of course, if that same person thoughtfully and carefully laid out a full game idea that they spent many hours/days/weeks perfecting, and attached it to a carefully filled out resume for a Game Developer or Senior Game Developer [link="https://www.stardock.com/jobs.asp"]https://www.stardock.com/jobs.asp">Link, they might have a chance, but otherwise is extremely unlikely.

It would be better to apply for a job at Stardock directly than to post complicated, redundant game ideas and hope they get picked up, though (try an open-source engine or game forum, perhaps), because Stardock only has one (1) full team of game developers right now. Their current projects are enough to keep them busy for a while - they will be working on Dark Avatar quite soon, if they aren't already, for its fall release. Then they have at least two (2) more projects in the immediate horizion beyond that: Society and a fantasy TBSG (turn-based-strategy game). More expansion pack plans for Galactic Civilizations are also in the works; GalCiv III is inevitable. I would say that the chances for them developing a user-suggested game will be quite small, but the opportunities for being hired are relatively good, provided you are a competant game designer and not a bored teenage gamer.

Edit - Stardock get there before me I doubt many would post a game idea on Stardock's forum and then hope to get paid for it, though   
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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I post game ideas on SD's forum because I consider GalCiv (the serie) to be as close as my ideal game as it is currently possible, but there is still so much room for improvement (kinda paradoxal.. the game is just great, but could be even better). I have absolutly no competence in video game programming, being a mathematic/finance student, the only way I can help this game improving is:

- buying the game (already done)
- buy Star Dock's bonds or shares, but it's out of reach for me, so far
- give ideas about how and why certains game features could be implimented/improved.

I proposed ideas on New Surrender Conceptions, Cloaking Device, Orbital Constructions, new kinds of alliances, new population system, improvement of minor races, etc..

In my best dream, Stardock will impliment about 10% of these ideas in future game, and the only reward I would get is to see them implimented the way I suggested them. And playing those features would give me more pleasure. Specially if I can't even program them myself.

But in a realistic view, I know that SD will only crop ideas, inspired by suggestions like mines and others'. And if one of my idea helps improving the game, then I would have contributed my 2 cents worth of work to this game.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Actually, I posted an idea about fighting your own minor races a long time before stardock had dark avatar out. Check it out. https://forums.galciv2.com/?forumid=247&aid=116235#969171

(No I am not saying stardock steals, but it just seems like a very unlikely coincidence that they will have it...)