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 indie game publishers work?

Games publishers give developers the money upfront to make a game. They strike up a deal with a studio (game development company) to make a game according to an agreed brief. The publisher then works closely with the game producer at the studio to make sure the game's being made as agreed, to budget and on time.

Do indie games need publishers?

Independent (indie) developers. These are game developers that do not depend on any publishers. They self-publish their games via crowdfunding and other means.

How much do indie game publishers pay?

Game publishers generally take between 20% – 40% of gross revenue from game developers they partner with. Of course, there are some additional pitfalls a new game developer can find themselves in. There can be a few deals that may make sense to you, depending on your situation, that may be a bit higher.

How do you pitch an indie game to a publisher?

What Can Indie Video Game Publishers Do For You?

Does a publisher own the rights to a game?

The developer usually owns the rights to the video game but, in some situations, the publisher may own some or all of the rights to the game. The developer can be a single person or a team of people working together, and may be a legal entity such as a limited liability company or corporation.

Is it profitable to make indie games?

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.

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.

Should I copyright my indie game?

Yes, if you want to protect it from being copied by someone else. If someone else copies your game name, they could potentially damage your business or even steal your customers. If you spend a lot of time and money developing a game, it's vital to protect your work from being copied by someone else.

What are most indie games written in?

Java. The indie game industry owes a lot to Java. Because of its open-source material and beginner-friendly syntax, Java is one of the go-to's for game developers in need of a solid coding language.

Can I publish my game without a publisher?

Every game needs a publisher, whether you do it yourself or hire another company for that role. Publishing is a skilled task, a necessary step for any game to find success.

How do I sell my game to a publisher?

How do indie games succeed?

Spend a lot of time on marketing and community building.

Ultimately, this is the key to success. Everything else is a waste of time if you don't nail this. None of the top selling indie games did it without a great marketing strategy.

How do you monetize indie games?

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.

What is the hardest game genre to make?

MMORPGs, without a doubt, are the hardest game genre to build, for one very significant reason - the sheer volume of resources required to build them. As a common sense rule, +1 game content = +10 more development required.

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 long do indie games take to make?

Creating an indie game can take anywhere between a matter of days and a number of years. With indie games, coding experience and budget will be the biggest influences on a game's development cycle. Here's a few examples of quality indie games all made within vastly different timeframes: Cuphead.

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.

Do indie game developers pay taxes?

Indie developers and other people who work on games for a living face all kinds of interesting income tax and small business formation issues that more traditional businesses simply don't: not being geographically bound, relying on alternative funding, long periods of time with no income, and having multiple options ...

How hard is it to start an indie game studio?

Developing an indie game is hard work. You need to be able to design and build the game, market it to the public, and get it published. Some people usually begin indie studios to develop passion projects, which later can become successful or develop smaller cult followings.