Forums → Programming Forum → General Information About Sponsorships
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Each sponsor may have different deals. Contact as many as possible, and work something out. Often, it is a good idea to wait before hastily accepting an offer.
Some may only want you to put an advertisement in your game, and let you also get sponsorships elsewhere as well.
Others, want sole rights and don't let you have any other sponsors.
Some sponsors want you to add a "Click here for more games" link in your game. Others want a preloader. (their logo showing up when the game is loading) Others only want you to use their high score system.
Some will give you one price for the entire game, others will let you get paid based on how many plays your game gets.
Some may want all rights to the game, meaning you are not allowed to make any sequels, at least not with their permission.
Last I read, the average for a sponsorship is $2,000 for a game, but if you are a beginner, and the game is only so-so, expect a figure from $400 to $800 depending on how good the game is.
If you have any ideas for a game, but don't have the tools or time necessary to make it, contact me on my profile, and I'll help you out. If I like the idea enough, I could try to make the game, and if it gets accepted by sponsors, of course you will receive a share of the income.
Submitting a game to a site is different than applying for a sponsorship. For example, clicking the "Submit" link above only puts your game on Armor Games where other players can play the game. You don't get paid for this, however, it allows more players to play your game, meaning more publicity.
If you have any more questions, reply here, on my profile, or on the "Programming Help" forum area. Here is where you will get the most game making related responses.
- 12 Replies
I originally posted this as a response to a question in the Newcommer's Forum, and thought it might be helpful to others if posted here.
If you have anything to add (or anything I might be wrong about) or any links that would be handy, such as sponsors or guides about sponsors, post them here.
I'd love to see a full guide on this, with links and details
Woah $2,000! when I tried to make one it was all crappy I sent it to some of those "sponsors" and well, that was the end, I never heard from them again
Ah. If I were you, I would use a different name and email address next time you send them a game...
What was your game? Did you have an original idea that might have worked had the game been better designed?
And to add to the guide for beginner:
Do not send in cheap, crappy, sloppy games. The sponsors don't want them. Use these games only to learn how to make games better. Present these games to others who would be willing to help you make the games better, and use their suggestions, after all, those will be the people that will be playing your games once they get better in the future.
And if you think that you have an idea that is really good, but aren't experienced enough to make it work well enough or look good enough, present your suggestion to a more experienced game maker. Remember to use good grammar, and not sound like a kid who stole the idea elsewhere or has no idea of what he is talking about.
For example, this is not a good idea:
OMG!! LOLZ!!! I luv ur gamez!!! I play them like all the time!!!! u r awsomez!!!!! I gots this super awsomz idea!!!! It rokz!!!
Instead, be proper, and spell well. If you really are unable to spell well, ask someone who is better with English or older to help you translate or correct your spelling.
I'm trying to make a game to get a sponsorship
But you guys have been scaring me lately XP
You have nothing to worry about as long as you put a lot of work into it. Don't use sloppy graphics or buggy code. Always test, test, test, and look for ways to improve your game, and make it more playable and addictive.
It is better to spend 4 months and get $1,200 for a game than to work for 4 weeks and get $200 for a game, if anything.
People loose interest in a game they can win in 5 minutes, and will likely not play again. People loose interest in a game with a level they are stuck on for at least 5 minutes, and will likely not play again. This of course all depends on the patience of the player.
That's why "Wario Ware Style" games are very popular. You are never really stuck, and yet you still have a sense of achievement when playing the game. You can replay the game several times, and yet it still varies from game to game, so you don't get bored with the same old, same old. That of course is my opinion, and might be a little off.
Find a group of trustworthy people who are willing to give supportive comments and criticism, and who are willing to be honest about what is wrong with the game, and don't just give praise just to be nice.
Note that:
1) The amount of effort you put in to a game will not have direct effect on the overall quality (ex. Bloons, it could have easily been made in 30hrs, and yet has generated over $100,000)
2) Sponsors will only give money for games that are great or better, they won't give you ANYTHING for so-so to good games. Some sites trying to get a start on the road of game sites might pay something for a good game, but it won't be much and it isn't recommended for many other reasons.
3) Finding a sponsor can take a while. You can easily expect it to take 2-3 times as long as it did for you to make the game.
1) The amount of effort you put in to a game will not have direct effect on the overall quality (ex. Bloons, it could have easily been made in 30hrs, and yet has generated over $100,000)
$100,000? And I still do not understand how that could have happened. The game was cheap and poorly made. So there are always examples of games that defy all laws of reason and logic. It is that way in real life as well.
But yes, it is not necessarily the amount of effort, but the quality of effort. I was just trying to point out that working (forgive my language, but I do not know a word that is suited better to describe this) half-a**ed at a project will not earn you big bucks.
And even if you have the best graphics, the best soundtrack, and the greatest code, if the gameplay is bad or the idea is not as appealing, it will not do very well. Of course, maybe it will anyway. It's often impossible to judge what will happen to games when they are released.
2) Sponsors will only give money for games that are great or better, they won't give you ANYTHING for so-so to good games. Some sites trying to get a start on the road of game sites might pay something for a good game, but it won't be much and it isn't recommended for many other reasons.
Yes, most likely, it will not be accepted unless it is great, but there was this one game I played here on AG a while back where you have to gather stuff for a potion for a witch. I have no idea how it got sponsored (in fact, it was embarrassingly poorly made), but they had some sponsor that I had never heard of. Perhaps there is some sponsor out there that is willing to pay $50 for some not so great game, and hope that putting ads in the game will help it pay for itself. For example, many here play all games regardless of quality just for Armor Points, so they would at least get a few thousand plays.
I need to find that game again. I'm sure their sponsor doesn't pay well, but it would at least help many beginners out there to get an incentive to continue learning programming.
Thanks for the input, Dank.
Yes, most likely, it will not be accepted unless it is great, but there was this one game I played here on AG a while back where you have to gather stuff for a potion for a witch. I have no idea how it got sponsored (in fact, it was embarrassingly poorly made), but they had some sponsor that I had never heard of. Perhaps there is some sponsor out there that is willing to pay $50 for some not so great game, and hope that putting ads in the game will help it pay for itself. For example, many here play all games regardless of quality just for Armor Points, so they would at least get a few thousand plays.
That's because that was in the early days of flash gaming. Also, Krin developed that game, the same as the one who developed Sonny.
Thank you for this - i may sound greedy but it has really given me more wants to make a great game.
Hello - i have an idea for a game but I'm not sure to which developers talk to - could you please help me?
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