7 reasons NOT to get your game sponsored
While most developers are trying to get their games sponsored in as much ways as they know, Ryan from Freelance Flash Games (great blog! a must read) is going to explais us why you shouldn’t get your game sponsored.
Sponsorship is one of the biggest revenue streams for flash developers. Flash Game License reported over 1 million dollars in sales since it has begun.
So why would you ever decide to forget the sponsorship route? Here are 7 reasons why you shouldn’t get your game sponsored.
1. You can promote yourself. By not having a sponsor intro to your game, you will be placing more emphasis on your own logo and game intro. This will get you more recognition as a developer and can be useful in future sponsorship deals.
2. You can increase your site’s traffic. The key reason a sponsor will give your game a sponsorship is to send traffic back to his site. By putting your own logos into the game the traffic will be coming to your site.
3. You can use your new traffic to generate revenue. If your site is well optimized for advertising, the players that come back to it will click on your ads. Depending on how well your game spreads, this can generate a good amount of income.
4. You can increase your site’s branding. Even if players don’t click on the link to your site, they are still going to see your site’s logo. By showing them your logo enough times, you will build brand recognition for your site. So when they think of how great your game is, they will also think of the site that made it.
5. You can earn in-game advertising revenue. Some sponsors won’t allow you in-game advertising, which can cause you to lose out on revenue if your game becomes viral and spreads to thousands of sites. By not having it sponsored you are free to choose whether you want in-game ads or not.
6. Most Sponsorships are a one time deal only. Sponsorships will only give you a flat fee for your game. By hosting your game on your own site, you will still be receiving revenue from it months or even years from when you released it. There is no limit to how much you can make off of it.
7. You can still make money from non-exclusive deals. Just because you don’t have a primary sponsor doesn’t mean you can’t make money off many of the sites your game spreads to. Sell them a non-exclusive sponsorship and you will be making more money from your game, as well as getting more traffic sent back to your site.
Sponsorships may be the right choice for some developers, but if you want long term monetization opportunities you will have to turn away from sponsors and start driving traffic to your site.
Do you think you can make more money with or without sponsorship?
(11 votes, average: 4.36 out of 5)
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This post has 13 comments
ickydime
Sounds logical. Especially if it opens the doors to more non-exclusive deals.
However, I am wondering, can’t you still place your logo on the game when it loads as well as the sponsor’s logo? Or do most exclusive deals prevent you from putting your own name on it?
Secondly, how much money are you able to gleam from a hit to your blog/homepage?
Free Game Action
I have recently come to the same conclusion that you mentioned in this post. After running a few portals and making a few small games, I realized why by a developer and promoter separately when you can promote your own games and portal all at the same time. Only problem is my lack of time and spreading myself too thin. Great read!
Prankard
All flash games are risks. It may get major publicity or it may flop like a wet-fish.
In some cases, you can get more revenue than what a sponsor gives you however with certain games that I’ve sold I think I’ve beaten the banker.
Zuhair
I have been thinking about getting one of my new games sponsored, so thanks for writing this article, it will come in handy.
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Jeff
Mochiads also a sponsor? should we add the ads in our games?
Ryan
Prankard, I agree. it depends on the game as to whether it would be more financially sound to get it sponsored or forgo the sponsorship route and publish it yourself.
No problem Zuhair, glad you liked it.
Jeff, MochiAds isn’t a sponsor. They offer in-game advertsing for your games, from which they will give you a 50% cut of the profits. I personally prefer to use MochiAds in my games, but it’s up to you whether you want to use them or not.
Saltlick
yeah, but if your like me and need money so you can buy adobe cs4 to make games because your demo is about to run out, a sponsor ship would be good.
Flash Game Blog Friday: Emanuele Feronato | Freelance Flash Games News
[...] Flash Game Blog Friday: Emanuele Feronato Jul.17, 2009 in Reviews It’s week two of flash game blog friday, and it’s time to highlight another favorite flash blog of mine. This time it’s Emanuele Feronato and his excellent, self named, site. Emanuele’s site, like many other site’s that will be featured on these FGBFs, held a special monument for me. It was the first blog that I wrote a guest post for, with my 7 reason to not have a sponsor. [...]
Jay Grey
I’m just curious, how much money do you get for being sponsored? If it’s a one-time payment, how much IS that one time payment?
Also, if you don’t have your own website, what would be the best route then?
If you could reply to this in an e-mail for me, that’d be ace :)
martin
all wahat matters is traffic
if you got it you will be sponsered
Jebb
How simple games are sponsors usually interested in? I mean the diversity in the quality of flash games is huge, so what does that mean in terms of sponsorships? What are the lowest prices you can be offered (and for what kinds of games) and what are the highest prices developers have received?
Maras
Yeah, I do 90% just self-sponsoring.
I figured it even before I started to make games. The sponsor pays because he / she expects that the game will eventualy earn more money over few months.
But if your game flops and you could get money from sponsorship, then it’s loss for you.
Also you have to get decent ROI on your page, otherwise you could still get more from sponsorship.