Games (and software in general) tends to general a large following much easier when it is free. Even games that would barely sell as shareware and would have no chance commercially can get a lot of users (text-mode games, primitive games graphics-wise, etc.) I''m trying to come up with ideas to use the large audiences a free game can bring in, yet still make money. Here are the ideas I know of. Comments and suggestions of these and especially new ideas are very welcome. 1. Shareware -- give a away a piece of the game. Have to have a real killer or niche game to do real well. After all, your $10 game is competing with last year''s AAA games for $10. 2. Give away the game, make money on advertising on game site. I know people have tried this, I don''t know that it has been too successful, though. Might be worth a look. 3. Give game away and charge for some sort of extras. Examples: ADOM Deluxe, CDX library owner wrote a book, etc. May work, could be tricky depending on type of game. 4. Episode-based game. Give a good number of episodes away free--then start charging a little OR give all episodes away and rely on heavy traffic from regularly released episodes to drive advertising sales. This would work best for a story-driven game. Ideas greatly appreciated. Jack

Give the game away and write a reference to a website and there write: go to eat to the McDonalds at (address where you work) and leave a good tip. Or write something like: if you walk near (location in the streets where you live) and you see a homeless person please drop a coin. You can advertise the REAL job in the videogame.

*lol*

You can try reading the Money from promo games topic. At least it had one usefull answer.


I like your ideas. Here are some more :

1) Freeware game promoting your own shareware games.
2) More "not good/big enough to sell" small games might make a sellable package.

There are some games out there that actually have the adverts IN THE GAMES, like on billboards and stuff - a cool idea I thought

Roman Arce: Maybe I should clarify. I''m talking about writing good games that traditionally would go the shareware route, but using a method that would make more money. I''m not talking about writing poor games and making up for them by giving it away. My examples of text mode and graphically poor games were only to illustrate that free really can bring in many users. Maybe a better subject line would have been "Shareware Alternatives". My question and point is how to convert all those users drawn by a freebie into money.

Here''s another idea that probably has been done before: Give away the client for a multiplayer game and a free month or two of play. Then charge a monthly / yearly fee. I know that I was dissuaded from Everquest and similar games by paying $40 and still having to pay a monthly fee. But if it had been free to try, I probably would have tried it. No doubt you could gather many people to try the free month or two than would fork out the money up front. Ideally, many of them would end up paying subscribers. The quality of the game and price would determine the people who would pay to stay on. Advertising would be another possible source of income for online games.


Jack

Mostly that are games with photo realistic graphics.
Like in sport simulation games, racecar, football etc.(on the billboards etc.)
But also car games like driver or crazy taxi.
In this case toeristic historic or government buildings, or car models, etc. But this are mostly high quality art games.
So unfortunately you need to make a game with very high quality art. So not every game genre is usable for this.

RPG? I doubt

Adventures ? perhaps, depend on the kind of environmnent the player interacts with. A city is usable. Space or an old century
environment I doubt.

Strategy, I doubt. Depends on the kind of game. The piza or fast food strategy games are possible. Also some airport strategy games, touroperator promotion.

Simulations, are very good possible. Difficult and expensive to develop. Flightsimulator, you can promote airplane companies etc. Sport simulations are very good possible.

Action games:
Beating up, perhaps fighting schools can give sponsors.in a city environment, on bill boards, posters on the wall etc. With photo realistic graphics

Shooting up, in a city environment, on bill boards, posters on the wall etc. With photo realistic graphics.
Platform, ? Doubt, it''s more the graphics style which doesn''t fit.

Space?
Air (possible the model),
Car also possible model and adverisment on billboards in city,
speedboat perhaps possible the model.

Casino games perhaps the casinos,
Board ?
Cart games?
Puzzle ?
Chlidren ?
Arcade classics ? This is the level were whe are mostly, but I doubt that there are real big possiblitlies. Only for some simple online games made in flash. Look in other topic promotional games. You need to have already a client to develop an internetsite for etc. Then you can push for this idea.
But only for this, no. There isn''t a big market for.

But for advertisement in the retail games you can get the big names out there. If it fit in the game, like car games, use real car models. Close a deal with a car company etc.
It makes also the game more realistic. But developing this kind of games is expensive. But it''s possible, with clever strategies.
Depends a lot on your experience and knowledge.
Again the product or service must be regocnizable for the player.
So it must look real, so photo realistic is important.
Not every game can be usd for this.

You could get the players to provide you with their e-mail adress and (when they agree) send them advertising newsletters. Just an idea.

JackNathan, I am glad you asked that question. Please check out www.neurosy.com for a completely new approach to ''selling'' games as freeware...we need to try something new - and this site seems to have the right idea...

JackNathan: Here is an excerpt from thier website to give you an idea - check out thier ''programmers section'' for details. I have submitted several games - it seems like an excellent - and long overdue - idea.

Neurosy itself is NOT a ''company'', but rather an organization of game programmers with mutual interests and like minds. In corporate America, it is very difficult for an individual game programmer to make an impact in the game market. Neurosy was created to address this issue directly by creating a recognizable and reputable outlet for quality freelance games. We hope to accomplish this by offering only quality, thoroughly tested games, and otherwise conducting ourselves in the most professional manner possible.

Neurosy does NOT make money from these games. Your support goes directly to the game programmer, through the programmers own web page. Neurosy was created by game programmers for game programmers in an attempt to address the marketing concerns of the individual. Our sole function is to ensure that every game which is offered through this site meets certain standards necessary to establish and maintain Neurosy''s reputation as a courteous and professional outlet for quality games - and that the programmers whose games are hosted by this site conduct themselves accordingly.

Neurosy''s interests, and motivation for creating and maintaining this site, are based on the fact that we ourselves are game programmers. Our games are individually hosted on this site as well. We simply extended our objective of creating a reputable outlet for our own games to include all of the game programmers on the web willing to adopt a similar ethical and professional standard - for the benefit of all involved.

excerpt from www.neurosy.com