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[Benjamin385]

Yes? No? Maybe?

I am asking this as a friend recently brought this to my attention. Saying "Why are you making a freeware game? You could be making awesome paid game for android and PC."

Now keep in mind that I am not an awesome industry standard 3D/2D artist. I have allot to learn when it comes to art.

I just want some solid advice on when I should start charging for my games and when I should not. Also is it wrong not wanting to make money from games dev?

[rundown]

Yes? No? Maybe?

I am asking this as a friend recently brought this to my attention. Saying "Why are you making a freeware game? You could be making awesome paid game for android and PC."

Now keep in mind that I am not an awesome industry standard 3D/2D artist. I have allot to learn when it comes to art.

I just want some solid advice on when I should start charging for my games and when I should not. Also is it wrong not wanting to make money from games dev?

I'd make a few games first and release them. Then look at how mutch attention you can really get. If you are somewhat succesfull you could think of selling them.
And if you arn't fully sure you could always make it freeware with advertisements.

[Benjamin385]

Alright - Thanks for the reply rundown.

Will do that

[Aik]

Do whatever you want to do?

I don't understand how it could be 'wrong' to release games for free, unless you've caught some obscure strain of capitalism.

[effete_denizen]

unless you've caught some obscure strain of capitalism.

 That made me laugh.

 Free is cool, I follow people who release games for free because they have talent and I want to support them. If they released a premium game I'd buy it based on the games that have gone before.

 People don't care that much for the graphics. It's the gameplay that I really care about. Release your games to find your feet, get practice and establish yourself. Keep a devblog too! Over time you will improve as an artist or come across one to partner with =)

 Making money from a games sales would certainly help if you wanted to make a slightly more ambitious game next time as you can throw any profit straight into the new game =) Not that money = quality etc... but it does tend to make things go faster.

 There shouldn't be any stigma attached to either free or paid.

[Oskuro]

Probably the important part is: do you enjoy making games?

If you do, the actual development is its own reward, and making some profit is icing on the cake.

If you don't, then make some market research or whatever you need before you sink too much time and effort for no reward (the reward either being money, or attention from an audience).


As for the free game stigma, that's an stigma to anything, not only games. Free products as seen as inferior because.... Well, because we've all being indoctrinated from an early age to measure the value of everything based on its price.

It's a hard habit to shake off, so don't feel too bad when a lot of people don't seem to find value in art for art's sake. 

[ANtY]

Yes? No? Maybe?

I am asking this as a friend recently brought this to my attention. Saying "Why are you making a freeware game? You could be making awesome paid game for android and PC."

Now keep in mind that I am not an awesome industry standard 3D/2D artist. I have allot to learn when it comes to art.

I just want some solid advice on when I should start charging for my games and when I should not. Also is it wrong not wanting to make money from games dev?

It's your personal choice, and you should start charging for your games when you feel like it.

[Toby]

As soon as you intend to make money off of game development, it changes somewhat; you now have to think about monetisation strategies, tax and dealing with actual paying customers. Is the extra hassle of dealing with making money worth the money you could be making? Personally I think it is - I enjoy it as a hobby and if I can make money as well that's awesome.

[Benjamin385]

As soon as you intend to make money off of game development, it changes somewhat; you now have to think about monetisation strategies, tax and dealing with actual paying customers. Is the extra hassle of dealing with making money worth the money you could be making? Personally I think it is - I enjoy it as a hobby and if I can make money as well that's awesome.

Basically you summed up why I do not want to make money from games.

Monetisation Strategies and Paying Taxes. I know eventually I will have to pay taxes and the like. Dealing with paying customers I can do. Business stuff I cannot. :<

I just want to have fun, make games and have the business people worry about the business side of games.

[Toby]

I just want to have fun, make games and have the business people worry about the business side of games.

Do that, then!
You might get to a point where someone else on a project wants to handle that side of thing, but as you said, let them worry about it.

[Benjamin385]

I just want to have fun, make games and have the business people worry about the business side of games.

Do that, then!
You might get to a point where someone else on a project wants to handle that side of thing, but as you said, let them worry about it.

Alright I wiil!



Once Again - Thank you everyone for the great advice!

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

i'm wary of anyone who wants to 'go commercial' too quickly. i made 14 freeware games over the course of 10 years before i made my first commercial game. but these days people are like 'i know, my first game ever will be commercial!' and it's ridiculous. learn how to make games first, then get good at them, *then* sell them. the deluge of bad iphone games is in part caused by people trying to sell their first game ever

[Mister Dave]

Yes? No? Maybe?

I am asking this as a friend recently brought this to my attention. Saying "Why are you making a freeware game? You could be making awesome paid game for android and PC."

Now keep in mind that I am not an awesome industry standard 3D/2D artist. I have allot to learn when it comes to art.

I just want some solid advice on when I should start charging for my games and when I should not. Also is it wrong not wanting to make money from games dev?

You're ready when:

1) You've made something YOU would pay for, and
2) You aren't feeling the need to ask these kinds of questions. Do it when YOU feel it's right.

No matter what, you'll get armchair quarterback advice, and plenty of criticism. Start learning how to filter that input or it might drag you down. Most of all, be honest to and with yourself.

[SterlingDee]

well, sometimes adding an extrinsic reward like money can actually make the entire process less enjoyable. Try to get your games to the widest audience possible and enjoy what you're doing. Only worry about the money if you really have to.

[Klaim]

i'm wary of anyone who wants to 'go commercial' too quickly. i made 14 freeware games over the course of 10 years before i made my first commercial game. but these days people are like 'i know, my first game ever will be commercial!' and it's ridiculous. learn how to make games first, then get good at them, *then* sell them. the deluge of bad iphone games is in part caused by people trying to sell their first game ever

Does your point of view apply to people having worked in the game industry (one gear in the machine/team) for years before but didn't made a game alone yet and are beginning their indie path directly with commercial games?

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

to a lesser extent, yes. this is because those who work in the industry have knowledge of a narrow specialty: e.g. *just* programming, or *just* art, or *just* level design, and so on. so while they'll typically be better than the average indie in one part of game dev, in all the other parts they'll still be lacking in. if, for example, you asked any of the most famous game developers in the world to make a game all by themselves (the miyamotos, kojimas, etc. of the world), most of them would, without the support of a company and a team, not only would be unable to make a good game, but be unable to make a game period

so i still think indies who come out of the industry need time to learn *all* aspects of game development. if they were an industry programmer they need time to develop their level design, art, music, sound design, promotion/marketing, bug-testing, customer service, website design, etc., abilities. or at the very least they need to team up with others who have those abilities, because every game requires those to succeed, and nobody starts life out good at any of those, and in the game industry all of those roles are handled by different people.

[Zenfar]

Yes? No? Maybe?

I am asking this as a friend recently brought this to my attention. Saying "Why are you making a freeware game? You could be making awesome paid game for android and PC."

Nothing keeps you from releasing a game for free and then raiseing the price after that.  Now if you don't want to deal with the AppStore(s) at all then free from your own website or a download site is the way to go.  Be careful that you don't end up dealing with a business partner and the deal ends up being you work and they take the money.

[cplhasse]

well, sometimes adding an extrinsic reward like money can actually make the entire process less enjoyable. Try to get your games to the widest audience possible and enjoy what you're doing. Only worry about the money if you really have to.

On the flip side it can motivate you to make a better game.

[SterlingDee]

it might help motivate you to make a better game if you need the money to support yourself, but I think if it's just a hobby, adding that extra extrinsic reward could kill one's motivation to make games. If I remember my intro to psych class correctly, that's what the research supports, but I'm sure it's not always the case.

[Hangedman]

Nope