In order to get your video game idea approved or even seen by a publisher you must provide a detailed concept document. This document will act as a proposal in order to get your project the neccessary tools and funding from a publisher such as Capcom, Eidos, Rockstar, or whatever publisher you choose. First, I will discuss what is absolutely needed for your game concept document.

You will need the following no matter what.

Title: Obviously, if you are going to pitch an idea you need to have a title for the game. It needs to be something catchy and preferably short. Your title should be something short and to the point while maintaining a “cool factor” like “Resident Evil” and not “The Coolest Zombie Killing Game Ever“. See the difference? Yeah, it’s easy but some people just lack creativity.

Number of Players: Is the game for one player, two players, three players, etc.? Can it be played online? If so, how? Is it a MMOG or? You get the point.

Game Description: Briefly talk about the story of the game. What happened to cause the situation and lead up to the starting point in the game? Ex: You are fighting against zombies because…? Also, in this section you should discuss how the game will be played. Will you use a controller, racing wheel, wii-mote, etc.? Is it first person or third?

Genre: Now you have to pick your games genre. You can use an already known genre like “Action” or joint genres “Action-Adventure” or you can even make up your own if your idea doesn’t fit into any of the preset ones. This is probably the easier section to fill out!

Platform(s): What platform(s) do you want to create the game for? Will it be multi-platform or just for a single system like PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, etc.

Uniqueness: You need to name at least 5 reasons your idea sets itself apart from what’s already out there today. Having this quality is vital to the games success. Sure, people love a game because of what it offers the player…but that doesn’t mean they want to play the same idea over and over in different games. Make sure you have valid points and that your idea is truly unique in some ways. I’m not saying that it has to be totally unique because in the end every idea is based off of something.

Expected Ship Date: Just make an estimate on how long you think it will be before the game actually hits the shelves. This is important because many publishers do not want to wait for a very long time before they see the end product. They often pressure the development team to get the game out as early as possible, and it’s not very often that they offer any extensions or leniency with the date you both agree on.

Expected Rating & Target Audience: What is the rating you would like your game to get? Everyone, Teen, Mature, etc.? Your rating estimate should obviously be based on the level of violence, adult language, sexual content, and other things of that nature. Also, what is your target audience? Are you wanting to sell the game to kids, young adults, older adults. Male gamers, female gamers, both? Moms? Just think your idea through!

Cost & Completetion Date: Estimate how much you think it will cost them to fund your project. They will want to know this because they are not going to just hand you millions to fund it. They also want to know when the game can be completed. So, let’s say they are willing to give you all the funding you need…how long will it take?

Development Team: How many people will you need on your team. What will they do? Programmers, artists, level designers, etc. What are their skills and what is their track record from the past?

Competitive Comparison: You need to compare your game to three games that are current and/or future releases that are somewhat similar to your title (share the same genre, targets the same audience, etc). In this comparison you need to cover why your game is better than what they are bringing to the table!

Now that we’ve covered the needs, here is a list of what you should send in to have a better chance of landing the job and getting your project funding.

Non-playable Demo: This should consist of concept art, sound effects, music, show off gameplay features, and mockups of the gameplay. This is great if you cannot provide an already made demo of the game.

Playable Demo: Quality artwork should be within the game already, solid gameplay, and of course it should be fun. If they get a chance to play the game they could fall in love with it and give you total freedom. It is highly reccomended that you send a demo in with your proposal.

That’s it! Now you know what it takes to get your document prepared with the neccessary information and then ready to submit it to your publisher of choice. Remember, it can take many revisions and sometimes even letting certain idea go before you actually land the dream job working with your favorite publisher. Just hang in there, keep up with technology, and never lose hope. It will happen