Should they care?

.Have you ever had what you thought was a great idea for a new game? Have you ever tried to act upon that idea due to it's perceived greatness? If so, then you more than likely ended up frustrated, and have given up, since none of the major console game producers have a submissions division that takes ideas. At best they will take copies of fully functioning game demos.

We must consider: Should Sony, or Microsoft, or Nintendo care that Joe Schmoe has an idea? There are probably very few serious gamers out there that don't believe that they have an idea or two for a game, or think that they could create, "The Best game ever" if they got their shot. The problem is though, that most of us aren't as talented as we'd like to think we are. It's human nature to be that way. Not to mention that if all of us Gamers were also creators, then there would be a great unbalance, and the industry would feed off of itself until it died.

However, it cannot be ignored that while we, the gamers have been for the most part ignored when it comes to ideas, there most surely must have been some true gems that have passed away, or remain dusty and forgotten in the recesses of various minds. Ideas which possibly could have made gaming better for all of us by now. But even so, these companies are getting along just fine without our help. We, their customers remain satisfied for the most part.

Back to the concrete question of the article though. Should they care? I personally would say yes, since potentially, there is so much to be gained. But in order for it to happen, some ground rules would need to be set that would alleviate the worries and problems that companies would have to deal with should they start listening to our ideas. A company that accepts submissions can only do so if their process is a win/win situation.

When submitting an idea, we would have to be content with doing just that. Submitting it. Meaning that we give said idea to whatever company we send it to, and sign a release form saying so. These companies do not want to be bothered with people who demand that they get paid, or want ownership rights to the idea, or who would demand certain degrees of involvement in the creation process should their idea be used. They don't want to worry about potential lawsuits, and bad publicity centering around a subject that is much easier to just ignore.
 
If you want to actually work in the gaming industry, there is a proper way to go about it, which includes hard work and education. In this case, whether one is fortunate enough to be fully recognized as a valuable creator and be offered a job would be completely up to the company once they have viewed your submission.

For the price of a moderate salary or two and a lower paying secretarial position or two, any of these companies could easily open a small submissions department, each with their own individual guidelines. This really is a job that a small handful of employees can handle. If a company receives even 1000 submissions per month consisting of no more than two pages of concise description of concept, story, and game play to consider, a single person could handle this in a month. Mind you, the vast majority, more than likely 99.99% or more of these ideas will not be accepted, but a much larger percentage of these submissions will have a small tidbit or two within them that can be useful to the company, who is under no obligation to the originator due to contract. That .001% or less that submits a bombshell, can't miss idea would likely be consulted, or even hired. Since of course, these companies want people who are the best, brightest, and most likely to bring them success to be their employees.

Almost every one of us believes that at the least, we have something to contribute, and at best, we can bring about a revolutionary idea for the gaming industry. By playing upon that theme to their advantage, these companies can tap into a new wealth of ideas, and bring a little more satisfaction to the hardcore, who would love to have a chance to be a little more involved. That is, if we Gamers accept a position of: No expectation. With companies in return being willing to sift through the mounds of crap that would undoubtedly make up most submissions; in order to find that rare proverbial gem.