How to fund an idea?

[pand70]

Hello

I have an idea about a web based game.It is not a gambling one
and has a complete different layout and feeling than most betting
games but still involves odds-based decisions and betting.

I can provide the idea and the theoretical stracture of the game
but for the game to come to life i will need funds.

Is there a way to look for funds while limiting the risk of someone
with money completely stealing my idea and implementing it himself?

Thank you.

[Satori]

Post it on BitcoinStarter, and keep one critical aspect of your game idea undisclosed or undetailed?

Ideas are less steal-worthy than you might imagine.  As you'll no doubt have noticed, a great idea also requires a lot of effort to make it happen, and most people who'd steal are looking for something effortless.  That's kind of the point of stealing.

Also, be aware that if a good idea occurs to you and you do nothing with it, someone else will eventually get a similar idea and implement it anyway.  I got the idea for BitcoinStarter about a decade ago, but couldn't raise the money to fund development.  Someone else did, and it looks as though it will become successful!

[jmutch]

If you want someone to fund it either they need to shave a passion in the idea or they expect a return on the investment. You should put together a quick business plan if you plan on the later being the case. Then like previously mentioned launch on a site like bitfunder.com or bitstarter.
Another option is to get more specific within these forums and someone with BTCmight get interested

[bb999]

If you want someone to fund it either they need to shave a passion in the idea or they expect a return on the investment. You should put together a quick business plan if you plan on the later being the case. Then like previously mentioned launch on a site like bitfunder.com or bitstarter.
Another option is to get more specific within these forums and someone with BTCmight get interested

I think if you laid out the high level information about your game, a way to make it profitable, and a fairly detailed estimate of what the costs to build it would be then you could find a taker on these forums.  I'm a big believer in investing in ideas that have low costs to prove the idea and can get to breakeven quickly. I'm sure I'm not alone in that thought.

Also realize on the opposite side of your concern for having your idea stolen are people with concern for having their currency stolen.

[BTConomist]

Also realize on the opposite side of your concern for having your idea stolen are people with concern for having their currency stolen.

At least a buyer has multi-signature transactions to fall back on in case of product/service misrepresentation...  Any idea on how effective/useful this feature really is -- how hard is it to find a trustworthy third-party in the bitcoin community?

[bb999]

Also realize on the opposite side of your concern for having your idea stolen are people with concern for having their currency stolen.

At least a buyer has multi-signature transactions to fall back on in case of product/service misrepresentation...  Any idea on how effective/useful this feature really is -- how hard is it to find a trustworthy third-party in the bitcoin community?

I think the trustworthy third-party issue can be resolved, particularly as people realize there is money to be made by being a trustworthy escrow partner.

My concern is more about spelling out specific deliverables in a transaction like what was being described above.  Even in real life VC there is always the risk that dev will cost more than expected, a crucial element in investing is mitigating this type of risk.

[Chrithu]

As others have said if you want to keep it all in bitcoin try BitStarter.

Some experience as a pledger on Kickstarter I'd like to share:

The more money you ask for the more you have to show off beforehand. In terms of a game: If you ask for just a couple $100 an outline of the setting and gameplay along with some design scetches would be enough. The more money you ask for the more you need to show. If it goes up into the 6 digit+ area a techdemo is a must have.

Are you planning to make the game yourself? If so I'd suggest visting places like OpenGameArt.org to find free game art (graphics, sounds, music) that you can use to create a gameplay demo. This way people can see that you are capable of making the game and what the game is like and wether they'd like it. Also this way it becomes clearer what the funding is used for (paying artist, co developers).

OpenGameArt and similar places are also great to get in contact with talented artists that are allways looking for some paid work.

[bitcoinstarter]

Hi Pand70,

Thanks Satori and others for the mention.

We can help you get some funding for your game just let us know what questions you have.

You can find us here .

I think games works great with Bitcoins. Look forward to what you come up with.

[pand70]

Thank you for the answers.They were all very helpful!

I think crowdfunding is a great approach but not an option for
me.At least for now.
What i mean is that i just have an idea not a well thought project
so i am not in a position to set a target to be met through
bitcoincoinstarter.

The best case for me right now is to find a partner (that can finance
a project) and create a business plan together.

What do you think?

[leckey]

If you have an actual business plan, try BitAngels: http://www.bitangels.co

[Chrithu]

Thank you for the answers.They were all very helpful!

I think crowdfunding is a great approach but not an option for
me.At least for now.
What i mean is that i just have an idea not a well thought project
so i am not in a position to set a target to be met through
bitcoincoinstarter.

The best case for me right now is to find a partner (that can finance
a project) and create a business plan together.

What do you think?

Well I guess finding a partner would involve disclosing details of your idea in order to get people interested. No way around that. I am not sure what the best place for that is though.

I think if it is more about finding a partner for the financial part of the project (someone that has knowledge about company founding in your country and the economics side of things) you should seek for internet forums in your country for such poele (sorrry I have no idea where t find such forums). If you are looking for a partner for the actual development of the game places like the already mentioned OpenGameArt.org or other websites that revolve around gamedevelopment would be a good start. Again it allways will involve sharing at least parts of your idea rather public in order to get people interested.

But apart from that: In my view making a business plan is not all that hard. Since you are planning to make it a webbased game you'll need a server. So inform yourself what the prices at different server hosting companies are to get an idea of the costs for that. Approach some artists and ask them what they'd charge to provide art for your game. If you are not a coder yourself also approach some game programmers to ask what they'd take per hour to work on the project. All this makes up your cost and gives you an idea of how much money you need to make from the game to break even and start making profits. This will in turn help you to determine what business model for the game is able to work (subscription, buy to play, free to play with microtransaction, funded through advertisement).

In all fairness i have to say that all of the above is just guesswork based on common sense. I've never founded a company nor did I ever created a complete game. But this is how I'd approach such an undertaking.

[gambit1]

PM sent.

[Lohoris]

Ideas are dime a dozen, are basically worthless until some hard work developing them professionally has gone into them.

So if you are not a game designer, that's basically like saying "I have an idea for a movie, what to I do"?

Either you do the hard work and work hard on it (this and this are a started), or don't bother.

Gaming is a serious business.

[atomium]

Yea you would have to partner with someone that can program this for you and has the same vision you do. You have to be dedicated to win someone over.

[danystatic]

Ideas are dime a dozen, are basically worthless until some hard work developing them professionally has gone into them.

Either you do the hard work and work hard on it, or don't bother.

I have work hard developing an 'idea' , another 'crowd-funding' idea,
I am not from USA, but even so, I do not have the funds to register a company and all that, will only work with Bitcoins.

How could I find someone who wants to get involved on this? Maybe someone wants to own a Bitcoin crowdfunding site..

[Lohoris]

Ideas are dime a dozen, are basically worthless until some hard work developing them professionally has gone into them.

Either you do the hard work and work hard on it, or don't bother.

I have work hard developing an 'idea' , another 'crowd-funding' idea,
I am not from USA, but even so, I do not have the funds to register a company and all that, will only work with Bitcoins.

How could I find someone who wants to get involved on this? Maybe someone wants to own a Bitcoin crowdfunding site..

What is "this"?

I strongly doubt you will be able to find anyone even remotely interested, if you don't even say what are you talking about...