HOW OLD DO I HAVE TO BE TO SELL MY GAME COMMERCIALLY?

author=pianotm
You're worried about somebody stealing your content. Nothing on Earth can prevent that. Plagiarism is a fact of nature.

You own everything you create; this is the concept of copyright. As long as you can prove that you created the content in question, you don't need to file with the state: that is merely a fee so that you can have the government's endorsement of your work. Filing for copyright is ideal, but if you can publish the game with someone like Steam, that is equally effective in securing proof of copyright. The point is that if somebody plagiarizes you, you need definitive documentation to show to a court. You don't need the government's copyright office for that: it's just an extremely convenient service they provide. State and federal law allow anyone of any age to file for copyright (though I do believe that you are a minor, you do have to have somebody act as Power of Attorney. A parent is sufficient Power of Attorney in this regard.) If you choose the government copyright office, it's the best way to protect your work, but it costs money, $35-55 if you do it yourself, or $250-500 if you hire an attorney, so really, have something worth copyrighting.

As for private organizations such as Steam, terms like "Power of Attorney" mean nothing. Unlike the government, if restricting you based on age is one of their arbitrary rules, then you cannot publish with them until you are of age, and that's that.

author=eplipswich
I'm not sure about age, but if you wish to sell on, say Steam, you need to pay a one-time fee of US$90 first. Then you can upload as many games that you've created as you like.

You also of course need a Steam account to upload a game, and to create a Steam account, you need to be at least 13 years old. So that's one. Another thing is that it depends on the law of your country.

I think it's best that you consult your parents first before even selling anything, though.

author=Liberty
You know, if you add it to RMN there'd be documented history for you to fall back on since we time-stamp everything AND you'd have witnesses who know for fact that you made x game.

Also, people aren't going to steal your ideas when they have a billion of their own. Quite a few newbies worry about this and it's not something that you need to worry about that much. People will be inspired by your games, but that's true of games like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy Whatever, but the chances of someone stealing your game and slapping their name on it is slim. I think we've had maybe two instances of it in the past 10+ years, if that. So... I think you're safe.

author=LockeZ
Selling your work has nothing to do with copyrighting it.

In the US (and in almost every other country on Earth), any creative work you make is instantly and automatically copyrighted the moment you create it. No action on your part is necessary.

As pianotm said, if you want to be able to sue people who plagiarize your work, you do need to register it with the US Copyright Office. Registration costs $35, and it takes them about eight months to get back to you. There's no actual reason to register if you're not planning on suing someone though. Registering your work the moment you create it does not offer any advantage. You can wait to register your copyright until after someone actually infringes it, and it doesn't affect your legal options at all.

author=eplipswich
Good luck then. Remember, you need to pay a one-time fee of US$90100. And you need a bank account of your own. Both for Steam Greenlight.

I don't know where you're going to get the $90100, though. Unless you're already working.

EDIT: Make that US$100. $90 is for my country. Check here: http://steamcommunity.com/greenlight/faq/ for all the terms and conditions.