Game Design Ideas Dr. Lewis Pulsipher, designer of Britannia, chosen as one of “100 Best Hobby Games” of all time

Ideas are necessary but “cheap”  Without an idea there is no game  Most ideas, which seem unique to the “thinker”, are actually thought of by many people at many times  “There is nothing new under the sun” Ecclesiastes 1:9-14  "Strictly speaking, there's no such thing as invention, you know. It's only magnifying what already exists."- Allie Fox, The Mosquito Coast

Ideas cannot be protected  Anything you write or graphically create is immediately protected by copyright  Ideas are not protected by copyright  A specific expression of an idea can be protected by a patent, very expensive and time-consuming  Successful games are very rarely patented  Many novice designers waste large sums patenting weak games

Other protections  Trademarks apply to game titles, not entire games. Symbol is Likethis™  Registered trademark gives many more legal alternatives (such as getting damages). Symbol is ®. Ca. $350  Servicemarks are sometimes used for game tag lines

Publishers avoid legal risks  Publishers often refuse to look at any game or even idea not accompanied by a release form  Release form simply expressed: if we publish a game that appears to resemble yours, you have no legal recourse  This is because many people conceive the same or similar ideas  And the novices who think they have a unique great idea then sue the publisher  No publisher will sign a “non-disclosure agreement” with a designer  See the “Atlas Games Product Release Form” for an example

Getting ideas is an active, not passive, activity  I want all students to get used to generating and RECORDING ideas  Students are required to record ideas as they come to them, in a notebook or electronically  Students will show me these data stores to me to let me confirm they are doing as they are supposed to  I am not going to keep any copy of these idea stores

“Steal your ideas?”  Designers often share ideas with others (to improve them), and don’t worry about someone “stealing” them  Boardgame Designers Forum (bgdf.com) is full of discussions of ideas floated by designers. You will also see some at boardgamegeek.com and Usenet groups. May be similar places for electronic games.  I have no intention of “stealing” your idea—I have lots and lots of ideas, as I showed you  I have no intention of pursuing digital games at this time

“Steal”  I will not promise never to publish a game with the “same idea” as yours—I’d be a fool to say this  I accept no liability, just as those publishers accept no liability, and for the same reasons  If this is not good enough for you –Don’t include whatever you think are your better ideas  OR –Arrange a meeting (with witnesses!) at which you can show me your ideas rapidly (ripple through the papers, for example), too rapidly for me to actually read  I’m interested in quantity, not quality  “Ideas are nothing without execution”  “An idea is not a game”