even in the games industry thats young, you probably don't understand just what you are trying to achieve here.
Because you want hardware your looking at several hundred thousand in prototyping and licensing alone plus software development (you want it to be AAA? add several million), and THEN you get to shop it around to the distributers with no guarentee of making a deal. I meant what i said about the large > small fortune most new companies lose money even a massive hit is not insurance against going broke.
I know I'm coming across as playing you down and cold but all I'm trying to do is impress upon you just how much your over reaching. Adding hardware to a game is not a way to make more money you should be aiming at netbooks if you want to increase your income widen your field don't narrow it.

I was waiting for the punchline for a while. At first I thought it would be a witty analogy to life, but there's so much peripheral noise that it wouldn't really make sense.
It would , therefore, seem that we were being trolled.
They say that if a fool were to persist in his folly, he would become wise. People who have ideas they really care about tend to give them a lot of thought. If I'm struck by a "wouldn't it be so awesome if..." epiphany, the first thing that comes to my mind ISN'T a NAME, FFS. It's a very GENERAL IDEA, followed by a stream of "how" questions.
Also - I pity any society in which a 13-year-old would be driven by GREED. What happened to making the world a better place ?

Vestin, I'm not driven by greed. I'm driven by the american dream. To own a big house, with a white picket fence, a pool out back, a family, and a dog. I'm not greedy in any way. But thanks for worrying about me.
I've decided to write everything that will be in the gameplay, then go below that and decide what the PC and Mac requirements are, then figure out the program.
Thank you everyone for the help.

It's hilarious that it takes companies a ready gold version to find that out... Which makes DECIDING what the requirements should be all the more mind-boggling.

1. Age matters.
-Why? Because you have no experience, no skill, no money. Your still in school for a while. The only thing you have is ideas, and a passion to make games. And with that, you could EVENTUALLY become great. But not now. But one thing you need to know, is that you should never give up.
2. Thats really young.
I believe the average GoG forum member is about 25-40
I believe the average game designer is about 21-40
Trust me, I've done the same thing your doing a couple years ago. I'm 17. I tried making an MMO, and I gotta say, we got much further than you would expect. But thats because I spend all of my time researching game design, yet I still failed hardcore. We had a team of about 20, and it was mostly all conceptual work and brainstorming. But it wouldn't work, even if we had loads of funding. Why? Because our leader was only 15. I couldn't even go to GDC in San Francisco because I wasn't 18. :P
Age means quite allot in game design.

Sigh, I don't know where to even begin.
Let me tell you this. Real life ain't Naruto. You can't just dream the impossible and expect to win because you won't. I'll give you one friendly advice - if you want to achieve something, you need to work for this and work hard. I am talking about commitment that's going to take long, long years of tedious, boring practice.
When I was younger I had a lot of fluxes like this - hey, I'll learn to play drums (failed), hey, I'll learn japanese (failed), hey I'll learn to draw (failed). You need dedication. Optimism means nothing.
One more thing. Thinking that you're smarter than the rest, better than the Average Joe and that you have the most amazing idea in the whole wide world is a path that will eventually lead to some very drastic and painful reality checks. Believe me, I've been there, done that.

If you really want to learn how to make games, you need to start small and work your way up. You will not make the next smash gold hit as your first game. It just isn't going to happen.
In order to get some idea of what it's all about, make Tetris. If you can't make Tetris, you can't make anything. It'll give you some ideas about game loops, timers, basic graphics, etc. All the things that make up a game.
After Tetris, make a simple 2D tile-based platformer (think Mario Bros). It'll teach you about sprites, animations, level design, etc.
Personally, I got as far as Tetris. I made a nice little Tetris game with sounds, persistent hiscore list and everything. I went ahead and skipped the next step of my own advice, and I'm now working on a remake of an old Amiga game, but then I'm a programmer by trade, I've been gaming for 25 years, and I'm not alone on the remake project.
For someone of your age to start working on making games, I'd stick with the program. Of course, you'll need to learn some programming first, but if you're dedicated enough, that shouldn't be a problem. There are loads of free resources online for you to use. Tutorials, development tools, the whole shebang. All that you need is dedication and time. Lots and lots of time. But if you want it enough and have the willpower to back it up, you can do it.
And then you can start thinking about the game of the century.

What software are you going to use to make your game?

It's a shame that this thread has highlighted what is in my opinion the harsh reality of the games industry. We have blocked the avenue for a new "Peter Molyneux" (in my opinion one of the best ever games designers). This poster could be it, but the market is too mature to allow startups, the industry has become too focussed on the "suits".
I would advise targetting an upcoming area of development and using your skills for that. I previously suggested I would map out a recipe for games, having tried that I realised how old it is. What I would suggest is that you identify a promising platform, and innovate on it. Mobile phone development was such a platform, but it's been swamped now. There's still media glam in in, but too much shout for a new product to be noticed.
I think the best area is in a new interface, that's where the sparkle comes, 3D is one such angle - I know it's coming to phones soon, but writing for it is tricky.
The short of this - try to invent a new way of interacting, don't copy old games, be more free. There are (100 - all the startups EA swallowed == 10) companies that are plugging more than you can imagine into writing the same thing we've seen. They are dinasours, the future is in creating things, focus on novel experiences.
Or you could email Peter Molyneux, or Lionhead, and ask to go on a work experience program. Those guys know about inventing. I look forward to what you create.
P.S. Sorry for perhaps harsh posts in the past - it should be a compliment to you that I did not realise you were 13. Age is an important number - you'll realise when you're older ;).

Lionhead have on average 2 intern places a year it's a fun place BUT don't expect to work regular hours in any way, shape or form. You could walk into that office and no matter what time there will be someone there working (and probably a couple lounging around bouncing ideas).

Strangely I did the second one first made a platformer then a top down shooter which had particle physics and procedurally generated enemies.. I LOVED my games programing course at uni :P

I think it simply means that the industry moved away from a garage production. I think it's still perfectly possible to break through with clever and original ideas but as someone said you need to start from small things and work your way up. It's the same with movies. Sure, I could say I want to create a new masterpiece of a space opera that will make Lucas cry in shame underneath his bad but that wouldn't be very realistic. Instead, I could start with a very inspiring movie short that would last ~5 minutes and then go on to the bigger things.
True talent is a thing that will never go unnoticed. The problem is that the talent itself doesn't cut it nowadays. I'd say it's practice that's more important but that might just be my bitter self who is not talented in anything :P.

There is definately still space for indy developers look at games such as Ben there dan that and Uplink, the first was made by 1 person (plus a friend who helped write the script) and Introversion was (and probably still is) just 3 people!

I would have to agree with you guys. The video game industry has become more about the bottom line ($) and less about dreams coming true.

I was looking for some suggestions on gameplay. Does anyone have any ideas?

I specifically need to know what to do about items. How do you move them around the base? Like they did in evil genius? Or like in Nintendo's Animal Crossing Series.I have to apologize for my flaming. It was totally immature of me to fight over something like this. I have learned that the video game industry is a topsy turvy world not suited for me. Thanks for all your comments that helped me come to this realization.