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Thread: Selling games to players

  1. #1
    Custom User Title Incrue's Avatar
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    Selling games to players

    This weird site is selling games
    http://www.candystand.com/games.do?category=downloads
    and also miniclip
    http://www.miniclip.com/store.htm
    and also samorost2 its just the first chapper who is online, the entire game is for someone to buy
    So, i wonder if the living of those making games to sell to users are all that dificult, or at least not that bad as you sayd in that 'games developer is tough' topic

  2. #2
    Patron Saint of Beatings WilloughbyJackson's Avatar
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    There is no easy answer. I know of one dude who makes a great profit at selling "games" but I put the word games in quotes because they're really just traced anime hentai crap.

    There will be a market for games to be sold in any format (I know Pocket PC Flash games were doing pretty well awhile back) but often times, it's hard to compete with other groups who make games using C++ , java or Shockwave when dealing with PC and/or Mobile games. Let's face it, Flash still can do really cool 100% 3-D stuff.

    One thing I still haven't seem much of is someone creating something with a lot of character and personality which you can't find anywhere else, that people might be willing to pay to play. I like using the webcomic market as an example of this. There are a million webcomics out there. Even people with talent sometimes never ever get anywhere or make any money off of their work. Other people are able to quit their day jobs, do their comics full-time, tour conventions, and sell merch. If it is interesting enough, people will come, if it's addicting enough, people will pay.

    Then again, I know of people who have sold downloadable games from Shockwave.com and I suspect they've been rather successful at that. But then again, their games are a cut above the rest in many respects, IMHO.

    Conclusion: There are no easy profits.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Ray Beez's Avatar
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    Incrue: Both those sites are merely acting as "outlets" for game distributors like RealArcade. They get a commission from the sales. It's only really worth it if you have high traffic.

  4. #4
    Hype over content... Squize's Avatar
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    "So, i wonder if the living of those making games to sell to users are all that dificult, or at least not that bad as you sayd in that 'games developer is tough' topic"

    Why not give it a go then ?
    You're a game developer, so knock out a game and try and sell it that way.

    An interesting stat I read the other week, on average only 1% of total views of a downloadable game ( Including demos ) generate a sale ( I don't think I've worded that too well, hopefully everyone can translate my poor English ).
    So just do the maths. Work out how much you'd expect to sell a d/loadable Flash game for, what $10 ?, and then work out how many visitors you'd need to get to make it worth while for your time. So factor in development time, possible website construction, hosting costs, time actually spent on pr, ad costs etc.

    Squize.

  5. #5
    Senior Member Ray Beez's Avatar
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    I want to add to my comment that the games sold via RealArcade are mostly made with C++ and are of a fairly high quality production wise (programming and graphics). So don't go thinking those are cheap Flash games by "just one guy in his basement".

  6. #6
    Custom User Title Incrue's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Squize
    ( I don't think I've worded that too well, hopefully everyone can translate my poor English ).
    Sarcastic bollock enough for me,mate.So, can some moderator make it clear once for all, is this forum just for native english speakers or not?

  7. #7
    Hype over content... Squize's Avatar
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    ?

    My comment wasn't directed at you!

    I was tired when I wrote that and I didn't think I worded it well, so pull your horns in a bit.

    Squize.

  8. #8
    Senior Member tonypa's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Incrue
    So, can some moderator make it clear once for all, is this forum just for native english speakers or not?
    No.

    I dont understand why you get nervous about that sentense. About the fact that only 1% of downloaded games are sold or the fact that Squize thinks he hasnt worded it clearly enough.

  9. #9
    Gross Pecululatarian Ed Mack's Avatar
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    This forum is for everyone interested in flash games and their development. The only people not welcome are those which post rubbish/illegal messages.

  10. #10
    Patron Saint of Beatings WilloughbyJackson's Avatar
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    OT:
    ED! You're still alive. O_O

  11. #11
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    I think a lot of people here forget that the rest of the world don't spend their days on FK or any Flash games portals. I guess here everybody knows which game is a clone of what and that this game is "hitTest + dynamic text only". But the big majority out there will have a great time playing things that will seem so used and copied all over again for people here. Just think of your grandma that will just love a puzzle or even a web version of soduko. There's a giant market out there for those who look further than their nose.

    If Maria carrey can sell her songs....!!!
    Hope nobody knows I am still on Flash 5
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  12. #12
    Patron Saint of Beatings WilloughbyJackson's Avatar
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    Getting people to play your game and getting people to buy your game is a completely different animal.

    When you start selling you Flash game in EXE/MAC format and having people pay for it, you start competing with other games made in C++ and Javascript. I mean, I love the Japanese Doujinshi games, but most of them could not be done in Flash easily, and they end up looking better than the Flash counterpart, full screen, no slowdown...

    This is not to say there isn't a market for it, but you need support, hype, and visiblity. I mean, even Mariah Carrey has a large hype machine behind her.
    Last edited by WilloughbyJackson; 04-06-2006 at 03:42 PM.

  13. #13
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    I totally agree with ya, but you got to get something clear:

    1) do you want to make the last trendy ou-la-la game of a life-time so nobody will never remember all the ones before and make a living out of it with champagne in the booth of the ferrari

    2) do you want to make flash games, aiming the rest of the 6 billions humans that will enjoy a lil break once and then and spend bucks for things, believe me

    I never made any buck selling stuff to portals or my flash or game community but to the rest of them.
    Hope nobody knows I am still on Flash 5
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  14. #14
    Patron Saint of Beatings WilloughbyJackson's Avatar
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    A) I think your questions are too limited in scope. Do you want to be innovative and thus rich, or do you want to make money off of coffee break games.

    B) I don't have to clarify anything. I have several plans which are not "must sell to portals" or "I need to create something mad crazy fly and get to the top of Newgrounds and worshipped like a god." Will they work? Who knows, I have no time to try it right now.

    I have made money off of Flash games and Flash game programming, but in the end, I create to create. I have about 40 game ideas in a file folder, and it's always growing. I've never wanted a ferrari or to be filty rich anyhow, just happy, which I am.

    End of story...

  15. #15
    Senior Member Ray Beez's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WilloughbyJackson
    I have about 40 game ideas in a file folder, and it's always growing.
    Oh god, you're depressing me. I am reminded that I have so many ideas myself, just sitting there (either in note form or in my head). Some of them date back as far as 1994. How sad is that?

  16. #16
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    The only hard part about games, its all the piracy. Flash, C++, etc. they are all stolen way too often to make a lot of cash.

    I usually see cracks for most games or hacked versions before they even hit the shelves.

    So thinking you will make a lot of money developing games is wrong.

    If you like to develop stuff there is actually a lot more money in making practical applications.

  17. #17
    Patron Saint of Beatings WilloughbyJackson's Avatar
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    Of course, you also have to understand that there are a lot of people who don't pick up the pirated version of games still or just preview the game and then buy.

    Otherwise, the game industry wouldn't be worth billions of dollars now.

    Also, if there wasn't money to be made, Shockwave.com and other site which sell games would have probably given up by now.

    With all that said, unless you're doing something special and make it worth paying for, it's probably not going to sell much (because even kuso-games sell).

  18. #18
    Senior Member Sietjp's Avatar
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    What is kuso-games?

  19. #19
    Patron Saint of Beatings WilloughbyJackson's Avatar
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    In nice terms, it means "crap game" in Japanese.

    These are games which often are really horrible but still sell for one reason or another. Sometimes it is because it is a sequel to a famous series, sometimes it's because of the license they are using is popular.

    Admittedly, in the US, there isn't as much love for crap games as there is in Japan. The legendary game Death Crimson, voted the worse game ever for Sega Saturn has a cult like following and even spawned this insane monster:

    http://www.insertcredit.com/archives/001014.html

    -pXw

  20. #20
    Senior Member Sietjp's Avatar
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    I've learned something today. Thanks.

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