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I am giving away 1000 Free Ideas. Find out how this works and ask me a question!

Anonymous writes: I create web/mobile games for a living, and I was looking for a way to make money by selling some by-products. The thing is that I can’t think of any by-products coming from free web games and mobile games. The by-products would obviously target players.

Dear Anonymous: This is an amazing question, and thank you for asking it. I wish I knew more about the games you were creating, but at the very least I’m going to assume they are fun. Here are a few fast ideas for what to offer as an added value that a gamer might be willing to purchase:

1. Extras extras extras. Extra life, extra equipment, extra powers, etc. If people love a game, they will spend money to upgrade if they can’t put in the time. Look at how World of Warcraft junkies buy gold, and other items.
2. Ringtones or soundtracks could be sold. With Zen Bound for the iPhone and iPad you get a Ghost Monkey album with your purchase. There’s no reason why the game couldn’t be free and the music costs a few bucks.
3. T-shirts! Everyone likes to wear their favourite games like a badge of honour. Look no further than The Mario Brothers to figure out how to merchandise games. Mario and his friends are on everything. This is my favourite Nintendo shirt (that is not made by Nintendo).
   
4. Collectible figures. If Homestar Runner can do it, so can you.
5. Collectible cards. Pokémon turned a video game into a trading card empire.
6. Upgrades and new levels. Many games offer a basic version for free, and then charge a few dollars for extra levels. Rolando 2, from the Apple Appstore is a perfect example of this.
7. Tutorials on how to make your own games. You could sell a game kit that allows fans to make their own levels to sell, and then profit-share with you. Labyrinth 2 allows users to make their own games (but doesn’t sell it as an add-on feature).
8. Allow people to customize games using photographs of people they know. Charge a buck to create a customized game for someone’s birthday or anniversary.
9. Perhaps you could write and sell a screenplay? If they can make Battleship into a movie, than everyone has hope. (I warned you that not all of my ideas would be good!)
10. Join the likes of the Cheezburger empire and allow your players to take screenshots of cool or funny moments in your games, add a caption, and upload it to LOL-Arcade.com (the domain is even available as of 10 minutes ago).

BONUS: If anyone has additional ideas on how to make money on free games with peripheral add-ons, please express them in the comments below!

Out of 1000 Free Ideas, there are now 949 left.

Need ideas? Ask for help on a creative project and I may give you some free ideas. Find out how.

I am giving away 1000 Free Ideas. Find out how this works and ask me a question!

Magniez writes: Hi Jason! what titles for a book can you propose me around being efficient at work? I’m covering many aspects of day to day work how I learn to be more efficient… Love your latest presentation, thanks :)

Dear Magniez: Flattery will get you everywhere. I already love coming up with ideas for fake book titles, so how much harder could it be to come up with real titles? I read a lot of self-help and management books about getting things done, and overcoming procrastination, so this is right up my alley. By employing the 10 Ideas in 10 Minutes method, and keeping the key words of work and efficiency top of mind, I came up with these 10 ideas. I hope one of them strikes a chord.

1. Being Efficient at Work {the obvious one!}
2. Work to Live: How to shorten your time at the office to lengthen your life
3. The Right Tool for the Job: How to Save Time At Work
4. Work-arounds: Tips and Tricks for Efficient Employment {my favourite}
5. Take Some of the Work Out of Work
6. Work, Work, Work. That’s Not All You Should Do.
7. Post-its™ Are Your Friends – and other lessons from a life at work
8. Short-cuts from Nine to Five
9. The Evolution of Work
10. Work Smarter, Not Harder {yawn!}

Out of 1000 Free Ideas, there are now 959 left.

Need ideas? Ask for help on a creative project and I may give you some free ideas. Find out how.

I am giving away 1000 Free Ideas. Find out how this works and ask me a question!

Anonymous writes: What ideas do you have for breaking into account services?

Dear Anonymous: Is this a set up? First of all, you haven’t really followed my directions on how to write a proper creative brief. But then again, you are trying to break into client services… I forgive you like I forgave Darth Vader. Here are some ideas:

1. Get a lock-picking set.
2. Take a few courses in Conflict-Resolution Management.
3. Email the head of client services at agencies you want to work at, asking them for advice over coffee (on you).
4. If you are working at an agency, talk to your supervisor or HR about making a career shift.
5. Buy a Blackberry and read the entire manual.
6. Search for ‘client services’ and ‘account services’ blogs to subscribe to.
7. Read “The Art of Client Service: 58 Things Every Advertising & Marketing Professional Should Know” by Robert Solomon.
8. Practice answering your phone. Close your eyes and try to ‘anticipate’ a phone call by answering it before it rings!
9. Ask yourself if you have the personality of an ambassador/babysitter/soldier/buddy/nag/SWAT/translator/dictator/secretary/broker/hostage negotiator/used-car-salesman/suit/magician/rock star.
10. Offer to intern at an agency (or for a client) for a few months to get experience, to make connections, and to figure out if it’s the right career choice for you.

Out of 1000 Free Ideas, there are now 969 left.

Need ideas? Ask for help on a creative project and I may give you some free ideas. Find out how.

I am giving away 1000 Free Ideas. Find out how this works and ask me a question!

Anonymous writes: Hey Jason. I wanna make a mini movie for youtube which involves one person (because i will be filming). I want it to be funny, doing every day life activity but different way of doing it. Something easy and no special effects. Any ideas? thnx in advance!

Dear Anonymous: I’m assuming you want to make something you can serialize, instead of a one-off video. I used 10 Ideas in 10 Minutes to come up with these quick video ideas:

1. Wear a popular sci-fi costume while you do normal things. Imagine a vulcan with a tri-corder at Starbucks… (popular examples are dancing stormtrooper in Japan, and Chad Vader)
2. Wear a popular horror mask while you do normal things. What does Freddy Krueger do to relax?
3. Wear a popular superhero costume while you do normal things. Be extra clumsy.
4. Go about your day, but once per episode, turn to the camera and sell a fake product (like on the Truman Show).
5. Do everything in pretend slow motion while people around you are normal speed.
6. Every episode, review something no one else would ever review, like a toilet, or a stop sign. Encourage viewers to review these things as well through video comments.
7. Do a food show, but only buy and make instant food. Include recipes.
8. The protagonist could be an humanoid or an android that is trying to figure everything out for the first time. How would a walking human computer relate to a gum-ball machine or a parking meter?
9. Do a self-help show, and describe how to do something simple (for the android in #8) like opening a door handle or making toast. Make sure to review the steps at the end of the episode.
10. Re-enact famous scenes from movies in the wrong context or setting. Imagine “you can’t handle the truth” being spoken into a McDonalds drive thru.
11. BONUS: What would Stephen Hawking do? Imagine if a person went through life with Stephen Hawking’s computerized voice as their conscience? I see an Oscar in your future!

Out of 1000 Free Ideas, there are now 979 left.

Need ideas? Ask for help on a creative project and I may give you some free ideas. Find out how.

I am giving away 1000 Free Ideas. Find out how this works and ask me a question!

Anonymous writes: Help with Big Idea

Dear Anonymous: That question is very, very vague. But sometime a sheer lack of direction inspires:

1. Make the idea even bigger. That way it will be easier to see from a distance.
2. Don’t focus on the size of the idea. Start small and then grow it over time. Take a long term approach, like bristlecone pine trees or China.
3. I see black-and-white silent movie footage of a woman from the 20′s silently and obviously begging for assistance by waving her arms in a slightly sped up way while sighing heavily. Jump cut to a black screen with white type that reads, “WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?” Jump cut to a big man in loose pants, suspenders, bowler hat waving a cane around while smoking a fat cigar. Lots of sped up running and falling ensues.
4. Photo of a store window with a sign that reads “Help Wanted With Big Idea” written in Trade Gothic. In smaller, cheesy Brush Script it reads, “inquire within”.
5. craigslist.org
6. elance.com
7. Use the official The Directors Bureau iPhone app: The Idea Generator (http://www.thedirectorsbureau.com/apps/idea_generator.php)
8. Ask a 4 year old for an idea. They don’t seem to have any filters to speak of. Film the results. Post on YouTube. Become internet famous.
9. Ever heard of The Creative Method and Systems? (http://www.slideshare.net/jted/the-creative-method-v2)
10. Two people are trying to manoever a Big Idea up a set of narrow apartment stairs. It is a (painted?) freeze frame, Norman Rockwell style, and there are all sorts of humourous disaster set ups: one of the movers has an untied shoe. There is a cat under the rised foot of the other mover. The rope holding the words Big and Idea together looks frayed. Etc etc.

Out of 1000 Free Ideas, there are now 990 left.

Need ideas? Ask for help on a creative project and I may give you some free ideas. Find out how.