How To Profit From Flash Games Development
Flash games have become more and more popular in recent years, and with that increased popularity has come an increased demand for developers. If you are a Flash designer or developer, and you’re not already creating Flash games then you’re missing out on a lucrative income stream. Here are seven ways you could be earning money through Flash games.
Developing games for client might sound like a difficult market to break into, but in fact there are lots of companies out there looking for simple Flash games for their marketing campaigns. By starting with small, simple projects you can “earn while you learn” and slowly build up a portfolio as your skills develop.
If you don’t want the obligation and deadlines of working for clients, sponsorship mighht suit you better. This allows you to develop a game at your own pace, and once completed your sponsor pays you to embed their branding and links into the game. The amount you’ll earn will vary, depending on the company which is sponsoring you, and the quality of the game.
In game advertising is another option. There are several advertising networks to choose from, and the largest by far is Mochimedia. By registering as a developer you are able to embed their advertising code into your games which not only generates revenue, but can also get you exposure by listing the game on their publisher network.
Another way to monetise games yourself is to simply publish them on a website, and add banner adverts or Adsense to the site. In fact, this was how I accidentally got involved in the games industry back in 2003 when I put a few of my own games on a site with some banner adverts. Little did I know that would lead to a full time career in the games industry!
Recently several companies have introduced micro-payments and in-game currency. This allows players to buy upgrades and items, and is a new and fast growing way to monetise games. While this method is still in its infancy, I predict we’ll be seeing more and more of this in the near future.
Finally, for a well developed game there is the option of a commercial release. A number of Flash games have already been ported to PC and consoles, and with the backing of an invester or publisher this can be a way for a small time Flash developer to break into the mainstream games industry. Of course PC and console games are not the only commercial options though, the ever popular mobile phone market can be just as lucrative and with the release of Adobe Flash CS5 porting games to the iPhone will be easier than ever, making this a very viable option.
So as you can see, developing Flash games can be a great way of making a profit, either as a complete enterprise, or as part of an existing design or development business. If you’re new to game development then start by following game tutorials, or modifying existing game code and in time you could be writing the next blockbuster!
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