USPS offers street addressing for PO boxes now. [..] Problem solved.

That applies to only 4% of the world. 

Make the kind of game you like to play.

This is definitely the take-away point. Games made with passion is a niche in itself.

Thanks for sharing. Definitely interesting point about visibility in non-English stores.

To me, a niche is something focused and obscure with a small but dedicated player base. A niche is where you can charge 50$ for a 10$ game and people are happy to buy. This is why I wouldn't call unsaturated non-English stores niche -- people (presumably) won't spend more money than for the same English counterparts or different games, because that's not their niche. They are buying for convenience factor -- their phone is localized, their store is localized, their search is localized, their game ends up being localized.

Good link, thanks!

I think game devs have a different idea of how much games are worth than your actual customers. So I believe you will get a biased sample size on this forum.

create your project on your own, then when it is at a certain point, run polls and get feedback for certain features.

Pretty much agree with this as well. Tell what the game is first and only ask for feedback after your audience has been filtered to those that want such a game. Then you at least have a chance that feedback will not average out into the most common generic features.

What are the benefits of your system versus a traditional transaction where the user is using an already-established service (like Steam, GOG, Play/Apple store), the platform hosts their product, and developer receives upwards of 70%? Do you offer customer service, currency selection, proper tax handling, etc.?

"The motion to dismiss is denied with respect to the copyright claim and granted with respect to the unfair competition and unjust enrichment claims." So what they are basically saying is "there's no direct copyright violations by current law, but there's clearly scumbaggery".

This to me sound really good if they actually stick to it and make precedent for future cases: "The creative methods a game designer uses to define and shape [individual decisions and the interactions among the players] are the expressive elements that are protectable under © law."

Summary from what has been discussed before a lot.

Just reference: not okay
Fair use: okay -- but this has to be some sort of "commentary" (parody, criticism, education, etc.); background statues would hardly qualify. And the context of product matters as well.

If you see games using characters from other places, they probably have permission or they are obscure and/or harmless enough that no one cares even if they technically plagiarize and/or plain infringe copyright. In practice, no one cares until you make mad money off it.

how to not look like a dick when trying to get people on board your project?

Never tell them that it is an opportunity "to gain experience".

Surveys like this don't work because everyone wants something different. It's the old "customer doesn't know what s/he wants". Once your sample size is large enough you will have options averaged out. That's like asking people to rate the juice they prefer. You will end up with 60% like orange, 40% like apple, and 0% like cucumber juice. Will you pick the over-saturated orange and apple markets? Or will you mix a multi-fruit concoction that doesn't really satisfy any niche. There is a reason early design stages of good games are not presented to wide outside input.

Hate to be that guy, but get your spelling, grammar, and formatting proper. I read "adventure game( i nthe vein of Lifeless Planet, Gone Home,Dear Esther) ,set set on a small remote lighthouse island" and that's as far as I would get if I was to judge the developer's professionalism and seriously consider spending money on the (promise of a) game.

It does look decent for an indie game, so get a video going ASAP.

[indie game developers] typically pirate games rather than buy them, typically do not buy the games of other indies

Never considered so, and I may be speaking from minority, but other indies is precisely the one place I wouldn't pirate. I much rather buy 4 indie games, never play them, and pirate an AAA title of the same price. "Morally dubious" factors aside, I kind of expect many indies to share this.

(Not that I don't completely agree that there is little point marketing to devs other than seeking some initial feedback that devs might be more inclined to provide before the game has enough substance to be shown to regular players.)

The page seems to be a collection of widgets.

I have to agree with this well put observation. I think the main problem is the lack of consistency between various elements. It lacks an overall style and layout that would make it feel whole.

Is it okay?

Oh god, no! Judging grom your side of story, it is completely unprofessional, nonconstructive and largely unethical.

.. refuses to show me the demo ..

I have hard time comprehending this. What kinds of secrets could there possibly be? How are you supposed to tweak or change anything or even see if art works in-game? If he refuses to share even a dev build, then what chance is there things will go smooth if any kind of money becomes involved.

asana.com

Players spend money on those games. As long as they keep spending money, companies will keep making these games. And, really, why would companies make quality games and lose profits when they can shove in well-tested F2P methods and make millions?

At the end of the day, it is uneducated buyers that enable this business practice. A generation of casual gamers know only such games, so they don't act against it. You have to convince all the casual gamers to stop giving their money to unethical corporation games and demand higher quality. Because you sure as hell won't convince EA to stop, despite a decade of being at the top of the worst companies list.

So good luck convincing aunt Jassmine on Facebook that Candy Crush is evil and she should go play Fez or something, or convincing EA executive that they ought to suffer a billion dollar loss to make some gamers happy.

Might help to report them maybe?

The above rules don't forbid profit share at the moment, so report for what? One can argue "profit share" is paid work, just not in advance, under the current wording.

Can we start being more stringent with the rules because I'm sick of wading through the 'profit share' posts! If they aren't paying you as a freelancer then it isn't bloody paid!!

Any update on this? Since the Collaboration section was moved, there is a continuous stream of "profit/revenue share" posts in the "Paid" section.

I see "college" being used a lot. Why would anyone go to college and not university, unless there's something wrong with your secondary education? For practical purposes, all college degrees are basically useless for anything but an introduction to a proper university. If it is not accredited or at least in an accredited University, don't bother.