How much do indie game publishers take?

What percentage do game publishers take? The size of the royalty is typically between 10 and 20%. After the publisher has recaptured the costs, the team begins to receive the first deductions. At the same time, the publisher's expenses for the game may not pay off if for some reason the community does not accept it.

How much does it cost to publish an indie game?

Indie publishers typically expect their games to cost between $250,000 and $500,000 to develop, accounting for a team of five people working for two years on a game. The publisher may invest another $200,000 to $250,000 on testing, marketing, and any additional expenses they feel are necessary to succeed.

How much money do indie game makers make?

According to ALCOR, the average junior indie game developer in the US in 2022 earned $40,500, with mid-levels earning $55,500, and seniors earning $69,000.

Should I get a publisher for my indie game?

If all you want to do is develop a game, go with a publisher. If you're not sure whether you can build a big enough community and don't have much time to try things, go with a publisher. If you have no time to learn about the whole release process and what's necessary to release a game, go with a publisher.

How much do publishers pay indie game devs?

What percentage do game publishers take? The size of the royalty is typically between 10 and 20%. After the publisher has recaptured the costs, the team begins to receive the first deductions. At the same time, the publisher's expenses for the game may not pay off if for some reason the community does not accept it.

How to Negotiate With Game Publishers

Do indie publishers make money?

Because independent publishers can come in all shapes and sizes, the royalties they offer writers tend to vary widely. Whereas royalties from very large, traditional publishers like the Big Five tend to max out around 15%, many small, indie publishers offer royalties of up to 40–60%.

Who is the richest indie game developer?

The success of Minecraft did so well that Notch ended up selling Mojang to Microsoft for a $2.5 billion cash deal. This makes him the richest indie game developer.

What indie game genre is most profitable?

Most Profitable Genres For Indie Games

The most promising genres in terms of earnings are RPG, strategy, and simulation. They are followed by adventure, action, sports, and racing games, which are worth choosing only if you are completely confident in your idea.

Is it profitable to make indie games?

According to Game Developer, those indie teams that “made it” receive on average $4 million in revenue per game, which makes an impressive indie game developer success salary. Obviously, not everyone gets such a goldmine.

What percentage of indie games are successful?

Yes, only 3% of indie developers ever make more than $1m, but that's still over 1,500 indies who have done so. Let's see what they do that others don't.

Who is the richest video game maker?

What is the average indie sales on Steam?

Median indie game earnings on Steam barely exceed $1,000 lifetime.

What do publishers do for indie games?

They publish and market games and invest in projects and games developers. Publishers can help you with everything from advice and management of the game development process, financing and distribution to marketing of the game via various channels.

How do I get a publisher for my indie game?

The most helpful tactic is to talk to other developers who have worked with publishers. Ask for recommendations. Consider taking some time to go to conventions and networking events to meet publishers in person.

How long do AAA games take to make?

But for games in the AAA category, it's a good assumption to say that they take something between 3 to 5 years to develop. This can be a lot more if the gameplay or assets need to be done from scratch, or if the assets are already there from the previous year (like they do with Call of Duty).

Which game income is best?

PUBG Mobile was the top grossing game in 2021, with $2.01 billion revenue.

Why are indie games so much better than AAA games?

Another fundamental difference between AAA studios and indie studios is the amount of money invested in each. AAA studios tend to have multimillion-dollar budgets, whereas indie studios have a much slimmer budget, often relying on crowdfunding, like Kickstarter or Indiegogo, to help finance their projects.

Are there billionaire game developers?

Perhaps another take-away is that the wealth generated from Western game companies has been better distributed between founders, executives, shareholders, and employees than in places like China. Either way, there are billions and billions of dollars in the video game industry, and plenty of billionaires, too.

Who is the youngest indie game developer?

At 12 years old, Max Trest is already an established independent video game developer who has even created a game with the Unity engine.

How many indie game developers fail?

70% of all indie games are commercial failures. Of the 30% that are considered successful, only 7% of those games will generate enough revenue to fund a second project.

How much do publishers pay upfront?

Most trade publishers in the general market (that would include Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, etc.) pay a standard royalty on hardcover books: 10% of the book's retail price on the first 5000 copies sold, 12.5% on the next 5000 copies sold, and 15% thereafter.

Do publishers pay royalties?

Most publishers pay royalties based on the retail price of the book. That means if the book retails at $20, and the royalties rate is 5%, you will earn $1 per book sold. These kinds of royalties are often called “list royalties” or “retail royalties.”

How much are indie publishing royalties?

Indie authors make up to 70% commission from sales, minus the cost of publication, whereas traditionally published authors make only 5–15% royalties, minus the 15% that goes to their agent.