Hey there. Do you want to get money off of your indie game? That's pretty much rhetorical because EVERYONE wants money. Do you really have no idea on WHERE to start or WHAT to do? It's simple. Here are a few ways to monetize your game:
1) Subscriptions – free to download, but pay for a subscription for so long as you want to play. This what most MMO games use. For example, World of Warcraft uses this method. The application is free to download, but you have to pay to play as long as you want. Another example is the kid-friendly game, Club Penguin. It uses this method, however it is free to play, but some features require payment. Club Penguin also uses another method that I will explain next.
2) Free trial versions – limited by features, limited by time, limited by expiry date. This is more commonly known as a demo. Most game demos use this method. For example, most games limit the amount of features accessible by t'he player, such as demos from EA Sports. Another example is Just Cause 2, the Just Cause 2 demo by Square Enix allows the player to play a certain part of the game for 30 minutes. When people see the features that aren't accessible to them, they will become more curious and buy the full game.
3) Subscriptions for different levels of access - For example: free for a single character, paid for multiple characters. This works better if the player can choose between different characters to play as. MAG uses this method. In MAG, you can have a single character for free, but to have multiple characters, you have to buy extra slots.
4) Hosting of private servers, lobbies for paying customers - This works if your game has a multiplayer. You could host private servers that people have to pay to get into. Or have lobbies for regular players and ones for players that have paid. That works if your game will have membership functionality.
5) Sponsorship of in-game items (advertising) - A lot of sandbox games use this method. Look around for a few companies and ask if you can advertise with them. If they allow it, but ads for that company in your game. And whatever profits they receive from the time your game releases, you will get whatever revenue split you negotiated with that company.
These are just a few ways to monetize your games. The possibilities are endless! All it takes is your imagination and your care for your target audience. Just keep it cool and legal. And the amount of money you charge for whatever service you choose will depend on your game. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! I tried to make it as simple as possible. Goodbye!
