How can i make my own trading card game?

Question

what are the ways to publish your own tcg and put it for a sale in the shops? it will cost a lot, so are there any companies willing to pay for paper and etc., so it get its share? what about patents and copyrights?

Answer 1

well it depends on what your prime age group is going to be.

and what the types of cards you will be making.

examples of good selling ideas Magic The Gathering. its been around for 15+ years so its doing good.

examples of a bad tcg Duel masters a game that's all most exactly like magic it last about 2 years.

no publisher is going to sponser your idea unless you can show them actually products you will need rough drafts of your cards along with the rules of the game and you need to tell them what age group it is going to be targeting.

trust me ive though of TCG's myself but then ive seen that its either already been done or someone else already has a more popular version.

if you like making up card designs id suggest looking into making cards for a already exsiting company.

MTG is based in america and yugioh is based in japan.

MTG is for more adults and yugioh is for younger kids and teens.

i hope this gets you the answer you were looking for.

Answer 2

You would want to create your idea, buy a patent for it, and attempt to sell it to a publisher.  You might contact Decipher, for instance, to ask them who their publisher is.  That would be who you contact.

And unless you're a super salesman, they're not going to split profits with you and just pay for the cost of making it.  No, they will charge you for their printing services because it's your game, you just need a publisher.

Answer 3

First, have your original idea and apply for the copyrights to it first.  You will probably want to do that under a company name.  After that, you need to do a run of the cards you will need to use.  Make a lot of copies for play testing purposes.  Now if you feel it's a winner, you have to be able to market it.  That's the problem, so if you actually have a winner of a game, it may be easier to sell the rights (for a LOT of money) to another company already in the business.  Have the contract read over by a lawyer to make sure you are getting a fair shake of a possible million dollar game or put in a clause for royalties on the income.

Hope this helps you get started.

Answer 4

How to publish it yourself? I'm assuming you have the game created and tested to the point where you feel it is ready for a national or international audience. If that's not the case, do that first. Next, if you're going the self-publishing route, do some serious research on game creation and production. There are a decent number of books on the subject, and even if they don't apply exactly to your particular game, they can only help. Next, look for a printer who can handle the printing, collating and packaging you'll need. There are only a handful of printers who can do CCG work. Get an idea of the cost for a print run from them when you find them. That will be important as you'll then need to get financial backers. (Unless, of course, you're fantastically wealthy.) If all this hasn't turned you off of the self-publishing idea, you might want to check with Wizards of the Coast to see if they think it's okay for you to even make the game. They currently hold a patent on collectible card games: U.S. Patent 5,662,332. And they're willing to take people to court over it. Just ask Nintendo. If you're still set on self-publishing, drop me a line when all that's done.

So, you say I've talked you out of self-publishing? If you still want to see your game made and sold there are a couple other options:

Option 1 - Sell your idea to a CCG company, like Wizards, Decipher, Alderac, or Score. This requires you to, first and foremost, see if they're interested in a new submission. Most have in-house creators who design their games for them, and won't even look at an outside submission. If you find a company willing to look at your game, get their submission guidelines, and then follow them. The easiest way to accomplish all of this information gathering, and possibly gain you a contact in the company, is to go to a Trade Show like GenCon. Familiarize yourself with the company you're going to approach and talk with the representatives. Be aware that they are there primarily to promote their products and make their own industry connections, as well as the fact that they are people just doing a job. They may be burned out from the show or be having a bad day, so the ability to read people's moods will help you a lot in making that initial contact. Also, keep in mind that these people are -people-. They have hobbies and lives outside of gaming. (For example, one industry friend I have is a fantastic comic book artist in addition to his work as a game executive. Talking to him about comics could be a good way to make a connection.) DO NOT spew forth your idea to them. Not only is it unlikely they'll be receptive during a show, they may dismiss it out of hand and shut you down totally for an entire company. If all goes perfectly, there will be a lot of waiting, meetings, more waiting, and eventually paperwork. You very likely will have to sign over the entire idea to them, which means you would get paid, but would retain no creator rights and no say in the direction or design of the game from that point on. And they -will- change your game. So, if you're lucky enough to get picked, you'll get some cash, and recognition, but it's statistically more likely that you'll star in a Hollywood movie. (It's true. Do the math on number of card game designers vs. movie stars.)

Option 2 - Produce your game locally as a small press venture. Local printers might be interested in helping out, and your local hobby shops might even help back you if you have a solid business plan and quality product. Again, you risk Wizards laying it's mighty smackdown upon thee for going against their patent, but it might also get the attention of someone in their ranks that thinks your game is cool, and tries to help you make the game legit.

No matter what, you have a -lot- of legwork and research to do if you want to make your dream a reality. If you really want it, don't let the difficulty dissuade you. If it wasn't difficult, -everyone- would do it.

Good luck!

Hope this helps!

R.J. (Former Community Manager for Score Entertainment)