You’re trying to come up with a new groundbreaking game concept, you’re ready to conquer the world. Maybe you dream of becoming the next Richard Garfield and Peter Adkison, the two young game lovers who approached Cartamundi in 1992 with their genius idea for the card game Magic: The Gathering. How do you come up with new ideas? Where do you find inspiration? Start by watching these TED talks and let it sink in.
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Embrace the remix by Kirby Fergusson
Bob Dylan did it, his musical hero Woodie Guthrie did it: remixing. Is it creating something new, or just copying someone’s existing work? According to filmmaker (and remixer) Kirby Ferguson, it’s a bit of both. A remix it not entirely new, but it’s not just a copy either. Ferguson even takes it one step further by saying that everything is a remix. Any piece of art that contains a reference to an existing work, is a remix: a song, a movie, a piece of technology or – you’ve guessed it – a board game. There are thousands of examples like these, and they all have an important thing in common: the negative reactions they got. Kirby’s advice? Don’t fight it, embrace it.
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Where good ideas come from by Steven Johnson
There is no such thing as the lightbulb according to Steven Johnson. A good idea doesn’t just appear in your brain out of nowhere. It’s a mix of other existing ideas, put together for the first time. Or, translated to the human brain: an idea is a network of neurons that were never formed before. Just bring as many insights, opinions and ideas together in one room, and see what happens. Don’t just stay behind your desk or your microscope. Instead of protecting your ideas, look for an environment where you can share them with other creative minds. Get together in a conference room, around a lunch table or in a coffee house. Take ideas from the people around you and use them to go one step further. Share, combine and repeat. Start by watching Steven’s TED talk.
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The surprising habits of original thinkers by Adam Grant
Do you jump out of bed at 6 AM or are you a classic procrastinator? As it turns out, you need to be a bit of both to get the best – most creative – results. You have to be quick to start and slow to finish. Organizational psychologist Adam Grant states you should keep a few things in mind. He takes a closer look at what he calls ‘originals’ – people who come up with a great idea and take initiative to make it work. They doubt the idea, but never doubt themselves. Your first idea is likely to be worthless, but that doesn’t mean you are. You need those bad ideas, to come up with a good one.
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How to get your ideas to spread by Seth Godin
Imagine having a great idea for a new game. You work on it for years, you get all the details right, you think everything over and over, you put it into production and then… nothing happens. Nobody’s buying it. It’s a great game, but no-one is paying attention to it. Why?
According to marketing guru Seth Godin, the crucial step is getting your idea to spread. Because ideas that spread, win. But with hundreds, or even thousands of game developers seeking for attention, that’s easier said than done. Here is Seth’s advice – use it.
Are you all set to pitch your idea? Give us a shout.