I've been inspired by Patrick's example, and have decided to share my thoughts and business results as I proceed with this endeavor. Here's the first earnings report:

I recently uploaded my first game to Kongregate, Urban Defense. It was based on the tutorials, and it was an extremely simple side-scrolling shooter game. There are under 5 minutes of game play. It wasn't just what was covered in the tutorials, though. I found some background music to add to it and also coded some wingmen that will join your main ship and help you fight against the alien invaders.

Since I released the game exclusively on Kongregate.com and I used the Kong API, they share half the ad revenue. My portion came out to $2 for the first day. Since the new games always get a bit more traffic, I suspect the lifetime earnings for this game will be under $10. That's not much, but considering I hadn't ever used flash before and I was able to build the game in 3 days, I don't feel too bad about it. In order to make this a self-sustaining enterprise, I figure I need to get about 14,000 plays a day. That would earn me about $20USD/day and cover my living expenses here in China.

I have two ideas for my next project:

1) Maybe I could do a slightly harder game such as a Tetris or Arkanoid clone.
2) Or, I could make further improvements to Urban Defense, such as a more weapons and levels.

I'm kind of on the fence. I might learn faster from making another game, but I could probably make a more enjoyable one by polishing the one I already have.

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3 replies
  • JKL says:

    cheap knock-offs are always good but i think most people prefer to mindlessly play abstract games like tetris or that damn crystal game that taiwanese love playing on the subway. OR some offensive side scrolling fighter game. like jesus and angels versus satan and others a la Street Fighter II. Moses summoning floods to take out Rush limbaugh who’s hurling lamb chops. YES!!!

  • Zeljko says:

    Thanks for the information. I am also planning on publishing a game. Good luck 🙂

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