Ahh this is a topic I think about pretty often. First step I would say, would be to not get discouraged by some of the negative stuff above. Creative ideas are REALLY important in the video game industry, but nowadays seem to be taking a back seat to things like graphics and sales figures. I really hope that the industry has a huge collapse and good original games get a chance to make a comeback. Getting back on topic, you should read through the game engines forum and see if any of the engines seem like they would be able to handle your game. Download demos from engine websites to get a feel for their capabilities, and check out the forums for engines you are interested in, to see what other people are using them for, and to check out the level of support from the developers. Which engine could run your game with the least amont of programming? What is the price like? How soon do you want to start working on the game, and when would you hope to complete it by?
I would go through all the material you have come up with so far, and try to write down every possible detail about the game, how it will work. Play it over and over in your mind. You said that you have some rough concept art, that's good. Do you know any programmers or artists at all?
If your idea is even halfway good, it will be ripped off. The usual method is to keep original game ideas a secret, as much as possible, until you're pretty far along in development. That way you'll be pretty close to release when someone decides to make a tribute to your game by ripping it off, either directly or indirectly. A wierd thing about the game industry is that lots of game designers think along the same lines. I can think of about 10 different times where my friend and I will think up a great game idea, talking about it for hours and hours. 3-6 months later we read about some crappy version of the game we thought we invented, being developed somewhere. So if you don't get your game at least announced, this may happen. Which would be worse: Announcing your game and being ripped off, or not announcing your game and risk being called a copycat if someone else announces a similar game before you? I'm not sure. Lots of professional studios keep their game projects secret, even in their help wanted ads. If you apply and get a response back, they'll usually tell you then what game they're working on.
If you want to handle development and publishing on your own, I'd look into a cheap engine and finding a couple people to help you out. Lots of people still develop games independently, just check out the Home of the Underdogs site for proof of that. If your game is going to be freeware project you may be able to find volunteers to help out, on a site like this one. But if you plan on selling it, expect to pay your team. You'll have to recruit some people, and be able to judge their skill. How do you gauge a game programmer's skill? I have no idea!
Trying to get backing from a publisher seems like a more difficult approach. You'd probably need to research your publishers and find out who is most likely to publish your type of game. Certain publishers have published lots of original titles, while others stick to franchises and sequals. You'd need to have a working prototype of your game, if only one level or section, to show how them how the game plays. So maybe you could work independently, but start searching for publishers once you reach a certain point? Once you found a publisher, you'd have to negotiate with them about royalties and such, and try to work out a deal where you get screwed out of as little money and rights as possible. The only thing I can think of to help you out in this scenario, is that the less people your game will take to build, the better. Better meaning cheaper and possibly less risky for them to fund (just a guess). Also the more detail you have and can get into at this point the better, I would guess
The other possibility was mentioned by NomadRock - where you get a job at a game studio, and after a long time possibly get to do your game idea.
So.....pretty discouraging, but it can be done. A guy and his wife in Hungary are making a fun game called Mount & Blade, which you can download and unlock for $10. If you want to read some great articles about original ideas, developers, and publishers, check out Scott Miller's page
www.gamematters.com
Hope this helps
4
?
