Hi, When you want to have your game reviewed by the big portals for possible listing, how can you make sure that they don't share your game idea with any third-party? Do you simply use their standard submission form (w/ its contract) or do you draft a custom one? Thanks.
For example... Here's the disclosure term you have to agree to when submitting games to Yahoo. Now what does it mean? That they can use the idea in their own game? "Any ideas, proposals, or other information (collectively, "Information") submitted or collected on this form shall be considered non-confidential. By submitting this form to Yahoo!, you agree that Yahoo! shall not be under any obligation of confidentiality or non-use, express or implied, with respect to any such Information, and Yahoo! may disclose or use such Information for any purpose whatsoever, at its sole discretion, with no obligation, express or implied, to compensate or work with the person or entity supplying the Information in any manner. " Thanks.
By the time you submit your game to portals, wouldn’t it already be available on your own web site or other smaller sites? Even if it was not, surly the game would at least be finished. Why would you worry about a portal stealing your idea from your finished game? Your game is already done and ready for market. They can’t beat you to market with your own idea. And once your idea is in the market, anyone would try to clone it. It doesn’t matter what that agreement says. Whether you agree to it or not, anyone could try to copy your idea as soon as it goes on sale to the public.
James is right. The reason why Yahoo works with these disclosure agreements is to decrease risk of someone suing them. In theory you can put something in your submission that inflicts with something Yahoo is going to do, and then sue them. I think this is a bigger problem than finding a way how to take your idea's and run with it.