How can i protect my game idea?

Hi ,

i have a (imo very good) idea for a new game. I am just at work to building it.
But what happend when its ready and everyone try to copy this idea.
Is their a way to protect my gameidea? Im german and livbe in germany.
Notice: I mean my gameidea ... not the created object.

BTW: Are their any actual game-developer-contests?
The sticky thread about game-contest looks like an older contest

Thanks for your answers and proposals.

heh. Sadly, I don't think this is the best place to ask, Swapps. If you care to read a few of the current threads, you'll see that the opinions and attitudes of many of our residents towards content creators and their works is truly disturbing.

My honest recommendation would be: don't let it into SL because you WILL be ripped off. The Lindens WILL NOT do anything. You can take it to the law courts yourself and battle it out if you really want when the inevitable happens, but really, is it worth it?

So yeah. Call me negative, call me anything you want. But my advice is if you have truly original content you want to protect: don't bring it to Second Life and it's residents.

Sad, but seemingly true.

Thanks Kris,

thats not the answer id hope to hear ... but it seems the logically answer if the Lindens do not help

I heard about the creator of tringo. Someone told me he has solved this problem.
I wish i would know how.

Whats a secure way to protect ideas in US?
How much does this way cost?
*looking around for lawyers - grin*

Thanks for your answers.

Swapps, I would think it is best to do as you did here, talk about your game, let people know about, as then the community will know that this is your idea, your game.

But you would want to do this near the completion of the game...

And be vague, don't explain it fully, so people that would copy would have to make up those parts, but still get the idea across so everyone knows that the game is your idea.

And if it is original, get it patented so you can always go back on that if anyone does copy. As tringo moved from SL to RL, so never know how far it can go.

If you design it, it's your IP. Just ask Kermit what happens when someone wants to use the game idea... they have to pay for it. How would you protect your IP if you created the game in Java? If enough money was at stake you would use a lawyer. Same thing applies here.



The current 2005 SL Game Dev Contest has been running for about 3 months. Back then LL awarded 16 teams a chance to compete. All development has to be complete by Midnight on Tuesday. Judging should then take place on Wed. Doug Church is the celebrity judge. SL holds an annual Game Dev Contest, but there is no reason why you can't create things in SL and submit them to outside game dev competitions. I'd love to see an SL game compete at the Independent Games Festival Competition at GDC next year.

I was so bummed that I was too much of a newb to get a team put together for SL-GDC this year.

I'll just have to pwn next year when I'm l337 game developer =D

Yes an SL game entering into an outside GDC would be nice indeed (and possibly fully funded by LL as a huge boost to their idea of SL being prime ddeveloping environment)

I just wonder what kind of category it would fit in. I'm not familiar with the competitions myself, but I'm pretty sure most games built off another platform are usually considered mods, which isn't really what most would consider an SL development. But hey, if anyone is interested Im' definitely game (pun intended) =D

And by then we'll have HTML and Havok2!!!

There is a mod category in the 06 IGF Contest for the first time next year. 2005's Winners were all original game designs.

I bet a couple of students could make a rockin SL game for the student category. Any students in the crowd?

LL was supposed to have made a deal with some school to use Sl in their game developing courses, so I'm sure this would be a great opportunity for them.

Cory and James spoke about the possibilities of using SecondLife for Serious Games/learning games at the Games Learning Society Conference in June. Megan Conklin from Elon University shared the stage with them to discuss how she uses SL for one of her University courses. I havn't heard anything about SL being used in Game Dev courses, but I think it could be a good idea.