2019-07-31 15:11:02

Inspired by the recent full-time blind developers thread:

I'm a blind software developer looking to branch out into commercial audio game development. I'm currently not hurting for money, am used to living frugally, and have no delusions of getting rich doing this. But I've got lots of game ideas kicking around in my skull that I don't think have been done yet (I.e. touchscreen roguelike) and probably have the experience to pull them off, so I'd like to at least try. I've also started or helped start companies of various types, so have some experience thinking strategically about marketing, business planning, etc. As with the other post that inspired this one, I have a few questions for anyone doing commercial audio game development. Feel free to email privately if you'd rather not share details publicly, and I'll of course keep any communication in confidence. Also, feel free to skip any questions you'd prefer not to answer or which aren't applicable--I'm just asking everything I can think of within reason. For folks developing commercially:

How long have you developed audio games? How much of that development has been commercial?

What platforms do you develop for, and how do sales break down across those platforms?

Do you use any marketing channels other than your website/game landing page? Company forum, chat, blogs, streaming, etc.?

Do you monetize development in any way other than sales? Patreon, donations, consulting for folks looking to build audio games of their own, designing audio interfaces, etc.?

How many titles have you released commercially?

How much revenue do you estimate you've earned to date, and how has it broken down over time?

How much do you typically spend on voice acting, music, SFX, etc. for your projects?

Where, other than here, do you advertise or promote your games?

Are there any questions I haven't asked that you'd like to pretend I did and answer anyway? smile

Thanks for any answers.

2019-08-01 02:29:06

Don't forget merchandizing, T-Shirts, Mugs, Keychains, Action Figures, Posters, Limited edition physical copies, etc. Some also sell individual sound tracks on BandCamp or their Official Sound Track, assuming they have the rights to do so.

-BrushTone v1.3.3: Accessible Paint Tool
-AudiMesh3D v1.0.0: Accessible 3D Model Viewer

2019-08-01 15:56:25

Do audio game developers sell merch? Can't imagine making coffee mugs or something for any of my games, nor am I personally very into it from a consumer perspective. I know I have a couple t-shirts from hackathons or from companies thanking me for some contribution or other (usually building apps on their ecosystem, for instance) but I can't tell you which is which, so they quickly fade into irrelevance.

2019-08-01 20:40:44

Swamp has shirts and iPhone cases I believe, so yes.

Ivan M. Soto.
Feel free to check out my work and services.
http://ims-productions.com