Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 9. Monetization
Through all of the previous chapters we have looked at how to create a game and get
it into the store. In many cases developers will stop there and put the game out for
free. One of the major benefits of the app and mobile gaming boom comes from the
monetary benefit you can gain. Even traditional-selling models have been shaken up
and adapted to take advantage of the technology people used to consume.
Through this chapter we will take a look at the options available to you so you can
hopefully make some money from your work, as well as some options available to en-
courage others to buy your game. We'll focus on the following topics in particular:
• Selling your game
• Trial versions
• Monetization models
• In-app purchases
Once you're done with this chapter you will be equipped to dive into game develop-
ment on Windows 8 and start creating and selling your own games.
Selling your games
Like any app store, the Windows Store allows you to sell your app or game, and
handles the transaction for you, allowing you to focus on developing the game and
raking in the profits. To handle this, they take a share of each sale before tax, and
then collect the rest and pay the developer in lump sum payments, usually based on a
time period or accumulated threshold. To set a price for your game, we need to return
to the
Windows Store Dashboard
and edit our game release. Inside there you will
find the
Selling Details
section, which is where we can define details like the price,
the trial, and the markets that the game will be sold in.
As mentioned in the previous chapter, the markets that you sell your game in will be
affected by the ratings you have. Some markets require a rating for a game to be sold,
so be sure to take a look at the provided information in the
Ratings
section of the
dashboard to see if your game complies or which markets you need to remove from
the
Selling Details
page.
