Companies accepting submissions

There are as many submission processes as there are game publishers, but yeah, that's basically how it usually works. Why does it sound strange to you?

Some ruminations...

There are very few companies which accept over-the-transom-- most require agency or referrals.

The first one I tried (and yes, they passed-- "looks like fun, not a good fit with us") is University Games, San Francisco. They're on the web at www.universitygames.com. They've even taken over a childhood favorite, ColorForms!!-- and they provide a web submission form.

About two months after you send it, they'll write you back a one paragraph letter, "send it" or "we pass." They're always overworked and understaffed. getting to final review is tough.

I sent in the standard web release form like everybody, but I also went in through a professional associate who licensed with them, so at least it got reviewed by the big cheese, with signed letter to prove it and the possibility of revisiting the product as they expand into more adult-oriented fare. That's heartening.

UG is rare, however, among established players. Over the transom is less rare among smaller outfits looking to expand their lines and reach. You have to admire any outfit willing to publish completely new ideas, but that's how many new games reach the world.

Companies have to go through thousands of submissions to find a few gems. It almost makes you want to self-publish.

PENTE is an example of self-publish that worked. Entrepreneur sold editions out of the back of a pizza truck to his own college crowd- he knew the market. Became Oklahoma Small Businessman of the Year. Got the attention of Parker Borthers and the rest is history. Great story.

You have to prove the market. THEN you submit, with ammunition.

So make the entire process fun and don't hang your whole life on it. Make the design fun, make the testing and refinement fun, make the production prototype fun and even throw some money at it... but prove the market. We are all futurists until we prove the market with our ideas.

It's ironic but... if the game takes off under your own efforts, you may not WANT to submit! The royalty is usually paltry, 5-10%. Believe me, if the game makes noise, they'll come a-knocking. Give yourself five years to grow a winner. Make you rinvestment back and get into profit. Oh, yes, they will almost certainly find you.

However, if you crank out fabulous new designs once a week, like Edison, then of course, you're a submission freak. You need a real agent who knows the majors. Something may hit! You might get an option, a development deal, just like selling a screenplay. But if you've been coddling one or two items over years, it almost makes sense to launch it yourself, as inexpensively as possible. This website is all over that subject.