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[Bonker]

I'm lone wolf developer and I have plan to go "light" commercial with games, but just don't know which market and strategy to pick. I'm not asking you for a gold hole or something in style how to get quickly rich and other shit, but just what you think what way I should go with to be able to get some income to fill student pocket. So yes, I'm asking if I should go browser gaming like flash portals, yahoo games or I should go with downloadables for PC/MAC or even devices like iphones or some other stuff.Of course I'm not asking for easy way, because I believe there is no such one, but something that should work out and it's not totally depended on luck.

I've checked the flash games scene, but it looks like you have to create a really, really good game to survive the strong competition, which would technically sound you need hundreds of thousands of clicks to get a few hundreds of dollars and without really fresh idea and a lot of luck it seems to be impossible.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

this should go in business, not in general

my suggestions is: it depends on the types of games you personally like to play and make: do you enjoy playing short apps? then iphone. do you enjoy short addictive games that are over in ten minutes? then flash. do you enjoy longer games with more immersion? then pc downloadable.

the necessity to create a really, really good game exists in all the media, not just flash. you have to get really, really good at making games before you go commercial, or you'll fail utterly. which is why i think everyone should get into freeware first. i made freeware games for about 14 years before starting a commercial one, for example.

[Alec S.]

While I think it's good to start with freeware to learn game design, you can still work in flash and at least make some money from it since flash games are add supported.

As for downloadable PC games, there currently doesn't seem to be much of a market for small for-purchase games, so you probably shouldn't enter that market until you have enough skill to make a larger project or are willing to risk paving the way in a less tested market.

One think I've heard (In fact, I heard it here:  http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24686), is that when trying to make money from indie games, especially in markets such as flash games and iPhone games, quantity is important.  You need to have quick development times.  As you said, you can't expect to support yourself on one big hit flash game as it's unlikely one game will be that successful, but if you can make many good games quickly, you have a better chance of having a consistent revenue stream.

Of course, not having "gone commercial" yet myself (except for the occasional foray into flash game design), I probably don't have the best advice.

[Snakey]

Nothing really stops you from going commercial. What does hinder most people is the fact that they're probably really unprepared for it or have no real clue what to do. Going commercial means you have to deal with a lot of stuff you may not normally want to, or bother with. Things such as contracts, limited liability may come into it. Moeny is usually a big factor as well.

[bateleur]

My number one tip for going commercial would be to make sure you're not relying on the income you hope your game will generate. That way if it underperforms you can learn from the experience and come back and hopefully succeed with a subsequent game.

Flash games do need hundreds of thousands of hits to make money, but that's not actually very much. If you can't write a Flash title at least that successful you'll be in for a hard time in the commercial PC downloadables market and probably won't be able to get onto XBLA or Wiiware at all.

That's not to say you should pick Flash. Pick what you're good at. And good luck!

[NateDog]

IF you want to "go commercial", then you should be ready to compromise (at least in the short-term) between what you love and what will generate enough money for you to pay your bills and continue working towards your long-term dream game.

If your goal is to earn a living in the business, then you should STUDY the business.  Take the time to learn which apps make money and where they earn their money.  How much do you need to earn and which avenue has the highest liklihood for you to succeed based on your skills, resources, timeframe, etc.

I hear a lot of developers that would like to earn a living from their hobby.  With that mindset I think you need quite a bit of luck on your side for everything to work out.  If your mindset is how can I make a viable business/living from creating games, then I think your chances of success are much higher. 

It's hard to give a direct answer on the question of "which platform".  Really depends a lot on your skills, financial resources to take a risk, amount of time you're willing to invest in a single project, etc.  The lowest cost, and quickest turn-around is probably casual flash games.  But, you usually need a great concept, and/or very high quality art to make more than 3k total revenue (sponsor, licenses, and lifetime ads revenue) from each game.  On the other hand, browser-based games can generate 10-100x that revenue but require much higher investment and a long-term commitment (with the risk of actually losing money). 

There's a ton of money going into all the casual game sectors right now (flash, broweser-based, iphone, etc.) so as previous poster said, you definitely don't want to lose your day job and pin your hopes on revenue from a new game because all the sectors have become and will continue to become even more competitive.

[knucracker]

So I've written games on and off for free from the beginning of time.  The best advice anyone can give you for making money from games is; make it possible for people to pay you for your games.  Whatever platform, large or small, make sure there is some avenue to get paid.  I used to release games and think that somehow money would just magically flow through the ether and find me.

Whatever avenue you choose, you will quickly start to learn what things are worth and how much to expect.  The biggest difference between an amateur and a professional (at almost anything, not just games) is the professional knows how much to charge.

You will find releasing a flash title or doing an iphone title easier than most other approaches.  The barriers to fresh developers are pretty low and when it comes time to sell the game you have a supporting infrastracture.  What you choose is totally up to your own resolve and interests, though. And..... you might want to look through these slides if you have not already.  They'll give you a hint at market sizes and sales expectations:

http://www.slideshare.net/simoniker/independent-games-sales-stats-101 

[aeiowu]

if you're a student and just starting out in game development, Flash is the way to go.

But to answer this question honestly, you need to first ask yourself: "What kind of games do I want to make?"

Once you know that, the business model can be adapted to that type of game, If you want to make intense 4D space strategy sim games, freeware isn't probably a great idea since it's such a niche market and dev time is astronomical with a game so deep.

Though, like I said, if you're just starting out make games that you can get finished. You'll learn a lot and that'll be the pay off. If you can make a few hundred on one of them, then that's icing on the cake. If you need extra cash while you're a student, get a job at a coffee shop.