Generally, if a game sells well, distributors will want to buy it anyway. A good idea is to establish a good relationship with distributors. On top of that, creating a distribution network among wholesale or retail businesses consumes plenty of time, money, and effort. And if you sell a game in a digital format, then digital distribution fees come into play. So what does the game budget cover? Game promotion in the form of banner ads, discs, manual books, print ads posters, gadgets, TV and radio commercials, in-store promotions as well as displays. Plus, the marketing budget can often double the actual cost of developing a game. That’s a costly venture as you need to subsidize game development and cover the costs of marketing activities. If you’re not interested in developing video games, you can always get involved in publishing. Development costs for Xbox Live Indie Games, on the other hand, require only the sum of $99 per year while Creators Club membership and Microsoft take 30% of sales. Add to it yearly developer fees, some profit cuts, and total expenses are by no means small. For example, developing for Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, or PlayStation 3 requires an SDK license fee of between US$2,000 – $10,000. Profits, however, can be much higher than the initial investment, even within the first days of the release.Īlso, keep in mind costs related to licensing. No matter which option you go for, be aware that developing a game takes loads of time and can even span several years. You can obtain the necessary funds for game development through crowdfunding or pitching to an investor. Not to mention a project manager who would oversee staff and deal with all administrative tasks like licensing, marketing and budgeting. In addition to this, one has to find the right people to do the job, meaning programmers, graphic designers, and many others. The average cost of producing a video game may vary between 1 to 4 million US dollars. Here’s a list of opportunities that the industry offers. Whether you are a video games who has always dreamed of working in the industry or a self-starter looking for your niche, you may want to know how to earn income in the video games industry.

Can you earn money playing video games