Indie - How to survive?

Discussion in 'Public Game Developers Forum' started by vbnn2, Aug 22, 2014.

  1. vbnn2

    vbnn2 Active Member

    Hello,
    This is not a thread of sharing my experience how an indie survive. This is accually my question.

    As an indie, we have no salary, no money, no work place and we did a lot of work (I done 2 project before - 1Path and 5Numbers, i must design, code, drawing all by myself), but that's seem okay with me.

    The hardest part of an indie is marketing, i think my game is quite okay as i receive many good review from my hometown. But outside of my country, no one know the game.

    I searched for many way to marketing game for an indie and here is a few way,
    i would love you guys can share your experience with me.
    - Buy ads on some popular website: (TouchArcade for example) i never try before
    - Buy ads on inside game or apps
    - Buy tweet or facebook post
    - Post thread on some popular forum
    - Send press to reviewer (some free and some must paid)

    Ofcouse we are indie and we don't have money =))) so tell me how you marketing your game with the lowest budget and does it success or not?

    And many things else.
    Please share your experience here :)
     
  2. Xammond

    Xammond Well-Known Member

    Mar 22, 2014
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    I'm old fashioned and don't neccissarily agree with 'buying friends'. I think it's all about the game when We=I. In a store we want the best product we can get so it is better to invest time in being creative.

    Maybe team up with someone who spends a lot of time being popular, while you do the technical side (brains and beauty).
     
  3. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    My advice is work so you have money until you have a business which can support you.
     
  4. vbnn2

    vbnn2 Active Member

    As an indie with 2 project i know the pain of marketing. We think our game is good, people around us gave compliment to the game, but the other - they never know the game, so this is a part of game development.
    If we make a game then throw it on the Store and waiting ....? i think 99% we gonna fail :(
     
  5. I think Ketchapp are a good example of what to do if you are indie.
    Both your games are very good by the way. 1Path looks like it did well for you too, published by Bulkypix
     
  6. ChaoticBox

    ChaoticBox Well-Known Member

    Oct 8, 2008
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    Toronto Canada
    Repackage open source projects and rush trending clones out as fast as possible... Every indie's dream.
     
  7. vbnn2

    vbnn2 Active Member

    No, we never clone :D indie usually bring the unique and creative gameplay like tiny wings, duet game, ...
     
  8. Glorkbot

    Glorkbot Well-Known Member

    Aug 14, 2013
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    One way to build interest is by sharing your project with the world before it's completion. Engage people with your development process, so that when the game finally releases they feel like their were part of the journey of its creation
     
  9. unexpect3rd

    unexpect3rd Well-Known Member

    Dec 7, 2011
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    Singapore
    I don't get it, how is KetchApp an example? they feel like just another indie studio
     
  10. Didn't know they were doing that. I was referring to them making simple apps that get into the top 5 in the app charts.
     
  11. Not sure how many indie studios get 3 games into the top 5 in the app charts.
     
  12. TechnoNecro

    TechnoNecro Member

    Apr 9, 2014
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    I despise ketchapp nearly everything they have is a rip off
     
  13. OnlyJoe

    OnlyJoe Well-Known Member

    Sep 29, 2013
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    KetchApps has been pretty smart from a business point of view. Maybe a little weak in terms of morality, as most of their early games were just rip offs. But basically it looks like their 2048 copy was the one that made it big, its stayed in the top of the charts for ages and millions of people must have got it. They openly admit that it is a copy of the web version, that was a pretty smart way to get their foot in the door. What is smart of them and probably has taken more skill is keeping their foot their, because you see so many one hit wonder type of developers shoot up and then fall back down.
    Ketch Apps has done a lot of cross promotion between their games, so they would then clone the next popular idea, and promote it to everyone playing their current games. And as that user base grows they get more power.
    But they are in a situation where they have to stay balanced, like riding a wave. Games die so much faster these days than they used to, I bet the average life of an iPhone game (particularly the type they make) is only 2 or 3 days and then it is never played again. So if they stop the flow of new games they will just die out. Which is why they seem to have got into publishing games, so other people make the games, they just take a slice of lots of pies.
     
  14. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    I guess it depends on your reason for making games. I somewhat think a normal job is a lot less stressful and rewarding than doing that.

    A lot of questions start with why do you want to be an indie dev and what are you trying to achieve.
     
  15. psj3809

    psj3809 Moderator

    Jan 13, 2011
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    I'm with you on that. Looking at their games they're mostly rip offs. No originality at all. Avoid
     
  16. fanling3

    fanling3 Active Member

    Jun 11, 2014
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    I don't believe the success of Ketchapp is just "Repackage open source projects and rush trending clones out as fast as possible".

    So many people on this earth can clone a game within a day, but I doubt how many of them can succeed. I believe Ketchapp actually did something that we dont' know (at least for me), other than just clone a game and put it on store and sleep.

    Though I can't find any information about them, I have found their website with no information, I don't know how they promote their games
     
  17. vbnn2

    vbnn2 Active Member

    Well, i think the answer is the first post of this thread - Marketing :D they must have the ability to promote their game to many user like cross-promotion, feature review or some promotion system (i don't remember the name, but that app let people download many game or application, then they give an itune gift card) ...
     
  18. ChaoticBox

    ChaoticBox Well-Known Member

    Oct 8, 2008
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    They/him/her had some apps (not sure about games) previously and I don't know how successful those were but here's what I saw:

    a) 2048 was released online with full source code. It went viral and got REALLY REALLY POPULAR...

    b) Ketchup quickly released 2048 for iOS and it became REALLY REALLY POPULAR - likely because the web version was already REALLY REALLY POPULAR.

    c) They made (or got others to make) clones of other already-popular games and promoted them in their already REALLY REALLY POPULAR game(s). Repeat this step ad infinitum.

    Admittedly that was a good business plan in retrospect, but I stand by my original evaluation :D
     
  19. BehindTheSun

    BehindTheSun Active Member

    Aug 24, 2014
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    Saigon, Vietnam
    Well, I didn't know about that. It's so clear that I need to stop supporting this developer.
     
  20. Tap To Play

    Tap To Play Member

    Jul 1, 2014
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    I have been an indie developer for about 4 years. I have made a number of titles that made me some money, one that made me quite a bit, and a couple that made me virtually nothing at all.

    It's a gamble each time, unless you've made a name for yourself and have a following.

    How do I survive? I also develop games (and sometimes websites) for clients. Years ago, I met a small game company right here on these forums, and that has lead to work for me.

    For an ios game, I usually charge between $8k ad $50k. This allows me to make enough so that I can also focus on my own projects now and then.

    It's important to have connections that know what you're capable of.
     

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