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[SouldomainTM]

I prefer my game if it is any good, ripped off after its release and not before. You can't always know how good your idea is. When publicly revealing ideas along the development, couldn’t this give other devs the opportunity to just duplicate good stuff before the original is even out?

Of course I don’t have to write a dev log, or write on a forum about my ideas at all. But I don’t really feel like wanting to hide and isolate myself inside a “secret game dev bunker”.

Since I’m a new spawn to game development. I want to write at least a few dev log entries about my game project. The reason is for that is simple. When I write something and know that others are reading. I think twice and thrice before I hit the post button by asking myself: “Is this rubbish or what?”

The thing is that my current game design document for Unbreakable: Vipers’ Shadow, is coming along very well. And if things work out the way I plan them to, UVS is going to be unique. There is a complete gameplay overhaul for UVS. I kicked out strategy and now are going for FPS Roguelite. Existing story elements got adjusted.

I need more time for a few details and an overall picture. And eventually I want to write another dev log entry so I can go then for actual coding and play-testing.

But, you know… Eyes and ears are everywhere and I can’t haz that! Maybe a tinfoil hat helps?

[adrix89]

Complexity + Content = How hard it is to be ripped off.

If someone can copy Dwarf Fortress and implement a better interface/graphics then GOOD FUCKING LUCK.
They better hire a ninja to steal the source code because I don't see any other way.

When you post a good idea then someone may find it interesting and use it for their own project in their own way.
We are all both in competition with each other to make a final functioning game and in cooperation to give ourselves ideas and inspire us to make better games.

When we finally finished the game we enter another stage where we market our game,only here is where we should become cutthroat scumbags.

[ThemsAllTook]

When you post a good idea then someone may find it interesting and use it for their own project in their own way.
We are all both in competition with each other to make a final functioning game and in cooperation to give ourselves ideas and inspire us to make better games.

+1. Sharing ideas is good for the ecosystem. The likelihood that you'll be done harm by someone seeing your idea and doing something with it is extremely low.

There's a big difference between a developer creating a game inspired by something they've seen, and a developer creating a game as a deliberate copy of someone else's work. In the former case, only the concept is copied; the inspired developer creates their own execution based on the concept which is likely to be very different from yours. In the latter case, both concept and execution are copied. Your execution is what matters and what makes you unique.

Originality is a good goal to a point, but think of it this way: If you're writing a book, the sequences of words you use have almost certainly been written by another author independently. If you're writing music, the sequences of notes you use have almost certainly been written by another musician independently. Creative works follow a lot of natural patterns that make them similar to each other. Combined with the impossibility of knowing every existing work in your creative field, whatever you create is going to be at some level the same as something that's come before or something that will come after, even if the authors don't know of each other's work.

Getting feedback on both concept and execution will improve your work dramatically. There are of course things to keep hidden (story spoilers if applicable; later levels/puzzles in the game if applicable, etc.), but sharing the broad strokes of your concept and at least small samples of your execution will benefit both you and the developer community at large.

[Fallsburg]

Implementation is all that matters.  Ideas are worthless.  In fact they are worse than worthless as an idea can act as a huge sink of time and resources before you figure out that it's a bad idea.

So, don't reveal your implementation until you are ready for it to be out in the world, but feel free to share your ideas.

[valrus]

Are you concerned about rip-offs for economic reasons, or an artist's pride in originality?  Either way, I would argue for *not* hiding your idea.  (Unless you're making something like a tiny, perfect jewel of an abstract puzzle or something, something that can be replicated in a weekend.)  Be the first person to get out an alpha, or a trailer, or mock-ups, or anything that can stamp your game as the originator of this idea.

If it's truly original, and later devs make something similar, people will take note and mention it.  That's good for you: someone saying "Oh, this isn't so original, UVS did it first" will channel interest and sales from that project back to your project.  What you don't want to be is the opposite guy, toiling away in secret, and upon release having people think it's ripped-off an idea by someone who broadcast the same idea in the meantime.

[SouldomainTM]

Are you concerned about rip-offs for economic reasons, or an artist's pride in originality?

No, it's not the money. It's also not really about the credit. I just don't want other games to be become too similar to my own.

I guess it is all about the "execution" after all. It's not like that I thought, that I'm the inventor of FPS Roguelite or cybernetic life forms. This specific combination of gameplay and setting indeed does not exist as far as I know. But this kind of combination IS called "execution"?

[Schrompf]

No. It's still just an idea. Execution is the thing where stuff gets done.

Also, settings are highly overrated in my opinion. If you can get some interesting twists, scenes or gameplay mechanics out of the setting, it's interesting. Otherwise it's just like a color - all appearance, no matter.

[SouldomainTM]

No. It's still just an idea. Execution is the thing where stuff gets done.

I think you are talking about actual "implementation" and not "execution". The way I understand "execution", it's that what takes core concepts and add/changes things. When done right, a good execution can make the game unique. And it starts in the head, goes over paper theory and eventually, gets implement into the game for play-test.

If you can get some interesting twists, scenes or gameplay mechanics out of the setting, it's interesting.

Yes, this is what I intend to do with the setting. And with how I define "execution", it's now easier for me to understand the core part and the unique part of my game.

I think I can take my tinfoil hat off now. And just try to make a good game. Like Valrus said, if the game turns out to be truly original, people will just know.

[Chris Koźmik]

What's the point of stealing a great idea before it's implemented when you can wait and steal it after release (if the idea proven to be actually working)?

Also, for bonus points, it's best to steal the idea and make it better than the original.
Example: Gnomoria is a "clone" of Dwarf Fortress with fixed inherited flaw of DF which is interface. For some people Gnomoria is a better than the "original".
(sorry for calling Gnomoria a clone, it's just for the sake of example also sorry for calling Dwarf Fortress worse, I know it's better in terms of depth, it's just for the sake of the example too)

[adrix89]

Nobody can clone fully Dwarf Fortress just like you can't clone fully Minecraft.

They have complex systems upon complex systems. That is why you should hire ninjas to steal the source code or buy it outright for a 10 figure sum like Microsoft did.

As for implementation,execution,whatever. If its in a playable form like a prototype, you can post it on Early Access or make a Kickstarter and rake in the cash.

If the prototype sucks then it is completely worthless. If you don't have a prototype it is worthless by default.

[deWiTTERS]

Every game developer has more ideas than (s)he could ever implement. So why would you want to work on someone else's idea? In the hope that you will finish yours faster?

If your idea is really that unique, nobody is going to steal it, believe me. You will have to shove it down peoples throats, and they will still ignore it.

Back in 2009 I released a pretty unique game called Mystic Mine. A lot of my customers really enjoy it. Do you think anyone even stole a small part of it? Not even close. If it would have sold 1 million copies, you would have seen clones all over the place.

Just let go of the fear and be open on what you're working on. Most people won't care. Some might think it's a cool idea, some might suggest improvements.

The benefits of getting early feedback far outweigh the imaginary risk of someone else stealing your idea. Try it and see for yourself.

[Mittens]

I currently have a secret game, and I'm going to keep it secret until I've sunk more days of work into it.
I need to know that if someone grasped the entire concept and wanted to beat me to market I would have a strong enough head-start in development that there's no way anyone else would win.

That's the only way to safely reveal an idea, when you have that head-start in place.

But with ideas, keep in mind that others can never see the realized version of it which is in your imagination. People will not take a risk on developing an idea unless they see immediate sales potential right from the start, ideas like that are one in a million and chances are you don't have one, so share away!

[J-Snake]

When publicly revealing ideas along the development, couldn’t this give other devs the opportunity to just duplicate good stuff before the original is even out?

You never can tell is the answer. But the probability is very low. Usually it first takes a game to be successful in order to be cloned.

[Mittens]

When publicly revealing ideas along the development, couldn’t this give other devs the opportunity to just duplicate good stuff before the original is even out?

You never can tell is the answer. But the probability is very low. Usually it first takes a game to be successful in order to be cloned.

Yeah, minecraft was an awesome game idea, but it was public long before it was the game everyone knows and loves today.
People only saw it as worth cloning after it made millions of dollars, until that happens it's still just seen as a risk or an experiment, so why take someone elses risk?

[Armageddon]

No one is going to steal your idea. Games take so much time, years. No one wants to waste time making someone else's shitty idea.

[gimymblert]

People steal what's proven, ie you should not care unless you bare a big name with track of success because all the eyes will be on you.

BTW minecraft was public since day 1 and as also a clone of infiniminer AFter infminer was released.
Clone can be indirect, survival mode spawn the craft heavy zombie survival game like day z for example, also he also helpt putting rogue lite on the map by championing and proving procedural generation, thats' quite a feat. He create many genre and help necro some more.

Was it detrimental to notch? Ask microsoft

[vinheim3]

Another thing to take note of is that no idea is original. Whatever good ideas we all may have come up with, time and time again we are shown games that already tried to implement it. So what sets games like Minecraft apart from Infiniminer? There can be many factors like marketing, hype, right time, the dev themself, but an even bigger more noticeable factor between a successful game and the game it copies, is implementation. Even the same game, but more polished will get you more sales.

In short, you don't need to hide inside a dev bunker, you just need to make sure your implementation is the best and most unique/creative/fun you can make it

[Pfotegeist]

I think you're safe if you're making a game with thick text or recorded narrative, numerous unique in-game objects with arbitrarily defined purposes, and a squadron of online servers funded and preserved by some predicted success.

If your idea is minimalist by any means, someone would copy it for practice. As vinheim almost pointed out, you can break down a minimalist game too quickly to defend its originality. However, when someone tries to port a Chrono Trigger fan game, or Pokemon, they get a cease and desist notice and it's pretty impossible to deny they copied enough to potentially damage the original property.

[gimymblert]

Another thing to take note of is that no idea is original. Whatever good ideas we all may have come up with, time and time again we are shown games that already tried to implement it. So what sets games like Minecraft apart from Infiniminer? There can be many factors like marketing, hype, right time, the dev themself, but an even bigger more noticeable factor between a successful game and the game it copies, is implementation. Even the same game, but more polished will get you more sales.

In short, you don't need to hide inside a dev bunker, you just need to make sure your implementation is the best and most unique/creative/fun you can make it

But where did infiniminer got his idea?

[Jordgubben]

Having an idea is not valuable. Understanding the value of an idea on the other hand is very valuable. This is why clones (and even sequels) often fail to achieve the brilliance of the original they derive from.