Jojn a team, make a game, earn money, get equity (locked)

Ok, so i started designing a game on paper and quickly run into some serious constraints. I don’t even have all the necessary skills (main constraint being programming skills), and even if I develop them – I’ll still be constrained by time. And while even having some of the needed skills, its not always what i love (like graphic design – can be fun for me, but not all the time). Besides doing everything yourself is just dumb. Simple as that. I realize I’m not the first person on this forum with this kind of idea for a cooperation, but I believe I’ve got something more to offer than just the game idea.

I’d like to gather up a team of people who have a common dream: to make great games and a common goal: to make profit from them.

But let’s not rush things – I’m sure you’re dying to know who the hell am I and why would you like to do anything at all with me (if not, just skip next paragraph).

So to begin with, I’m an entrepreneur for over 5 years doing internet marketing (I help companies develop sales through internet). Started playing games when i was 3 (and that was long time ago) on NES, and they just couldn’t get me off from it. Well now some time later i still play games, but found out that making them could be so much more fun (besides you usually don’t make much money just by playing games). So I’m off to my game making adventure and find myself in need of some skilled comrades in this noble quest. some boring stuff Besides that I’m doing PhD in strategic management atm and got decent experience in project management in IT. Could be usefull.

So what’s the plan?
Step one – gather a team of brave adventurers
Step two – test a team in a small, fast project (a good, yet simple game)
Step three – if everything goes fine enough, make a more ambitious project, if not – start over and don’t make the same mistakes
Step four – make a game that will get noticeable recognition and noticeable money (10k$ being a good goal)
Step five – make a great mmo, based on the experience from previous steps, make lots of money, keep deweloping it and make new ones for gold and glory with a good degree of fun.

Somewhere around step four and five we would set up a company, split equity, get funding and employ ourselves as soon as finances permit it. Up till that point we would be a loose band of gamemakers under one banner, all revenue from our creations split evenly (even if small). I can even cover some small expenses that will inevitably occur.

So who am I looking for?
- People that want to take pride from their work and are committed to excellence
- People who get things done when they say they will do
- People who will not be easily discouraged by small bumps and difficulties
- People who dream of making great games they would like to play themselves
- People who are serious about this and want to do this for a living

So who can join?
- Flash Developer with experience in game making
- Sound and Music Producer
- 2D Game Graphic Designer with some knowledge is AS3 and animation
- Storytelling maniac and character designer

My role?
Everything else. Marketing, project management, filling the gaps, helping you do what you love, doing all i can for every game to make as much money as possible. Negotiating with The Big Guys. Some graphic design. Paperwork. Usual stuff.

What some people might be thinking is since I’m an entrepreneur why don’t I just hire people to do all this stuff for me? Let me answer that in advance.

Truth be told, that would be extremely risky, very expensive and overall not very smart. Besides I’m not looking for employees, I’m looking for partners, who will share the spoils but also the sweat and the risk. I’m willing to put my money into this project, just not too much till we get around step 3/4 with a team that i know i can rely on.

You might have a question or two, doubts perhaps or maybe you want to hop into this project right away? Feel free to PM me. Also critique is not frowned upon, just be polite.

Also I’d like to apologize for posting it here – it should be in a collaboration forum section.

What I just read was a long few paragraphs of a guy looking for people he can get to make his game and offer ‘everything else’ that does not relate to the making of said game.

Also you say things like ‘Somewhere around step four and five we would set up a company, split equity, get funding’ That doesn’t just happen. and with no developing skills you wont be able to ’ filling the gaps.’

I write this not to just troll or BM you but to tell you that you wont find people on Kongregate to make a game for you. (At least this is what I have gathered from many a thread on the collaboration forum.) Collaboration is a group of two or more people that offer an actual part in the creation of a game. Not ideas, support, testing, or marketing. These are things that people will do usually and happily for free or near the end of the successful collaboration.

Saying things like
‘Some graphic design’ without giving examples of your work.
‘Negotiating with The Big Guys’ without showing any proof that you have any idea how to or past negotiations of these marketing miracles.
‘I’m willing to put my money into this project’ without saying how much.
And worst of all
‘Truth be told, that would be extremely risky, very expensive and overall not very smart’

Is why I doubt you will have much luck on your search for ‘partners’ without any proof of your abilities you can not expect people to believe in your capability and if they cant do that then as I said before you show yourself as someone who is looking for people to make his game.

Finally – I say this in the thread not just a PM because you can totally turn this thread around if you can prove your skills are not to good to be true and that you have something you can offer to the CREATION OF THE GAME.

Originally posted by evan999333:

What I just read was a long few paragraphs of a guy looking for people he can get to make his game and offer ‘everything else’ that does not relate to the making of said game.

Finally – I say this in the thread not just a PM because you can totally turn this thread around if you can prove your skills are not to good to be true and that you have something you can offer to the CREATION OF THE GAME.

First of all – thank you for your honesty. I welcome critique and appreciate it.

Let me post here an answer I made to a similiar post by another person (well now this thread is in 2 places so this might be a bit of confusion but nothing we can’t handle ofcorse).

You’ve made an important point – that I could sit back and let the cash flow in. Well, while looking at a simple project it does actually look like it from what I’ve written here. I’m always a bit ahead, that may be the cause of this small misunderstanding. Let me clarify:

I can do graphics just fine till some point and get us some nice sounds and music. Can even do a simple story, and a complex one if the project is big enough for it. It’s just that I wont be able to do all this stuff the moment we gain some speed – too many other, important tasks, that’s why I’m looking for other people than a programmer. But I might be wrong – maybe the start is just for 2 people and others will hop in as we go? Or maybe we don’t need anyone other than just the two of us?

Truth be told I haven’t made a game in my life and don’t have much to show atm. Graphic projects I made ware mostly logos and websites, only small number made for fun. I like to dream big, but got no problem with starting modest. And if i have to I’ll grind my teeth and produce as much of graphic content as I oblige to. Might even have some fun while doing it.

And I do understand that some of my statements may sound like its a job anyone can do – like marketing for example. What’s so hard about uploading a game on Kongregate and waiting for people to play it? Well after some years of doing it i can see what can good marketing do, but I cant expect people to know it. So I get it. Honestly the sweat is exactly what I’m looking for here – the pleasure of creating something new just out of an idea.

Well I can’t ask people to trust me – why would you? But I ask you to believe and check for yourself. If you find me not contributing enough – we don’t have to go any further than a simple, short project. But if you do – we can archive great things.

As of my portfolio – will have to create one. Didn’t really need one up till now.

As of money I can give very specific answers as to my expected commitment. 10k$ from my personal point, 25k$ from my company if game desingn will be ok with my business partner as an investment, and up to 500k$ if my friend, an investor will want a piece of the business – he will want in only after some bigger sucess tho, and it must show in the books.

I’m locking this thread since we have a duplicate in collaborations forum and might as well use the other thread in this forum to consolidate the topic since I fear there will be a lot of similar responses.