After coding Ring Avoider, I decided to migrate to ActionScript 3.0. I spent about two months learning it and my first ActionScript 3 project was a sequel from my last game, Ring Avoider 2.
I thought that I had to create something original, so I added another game mode, Survival (the first game had only a timed mode). I also decreased the file size, but now I think it wasn’t enough. I added MochiAds to the game (I still didn’t know what sponsorships where) and released the game.
This sequel went better in NewGrounds and a worse Kongregate, where it got 3.57 and 2.59, respectively. It also didn’t get any awards or appeared in the front page, so they became ‘invisible’. This time I sent the game to more portals. Most rejected it, including MindJolt. But it was accepted by Spill Group and appeared in lots of their portals, getting 600k views! But to appear there the ads must be blocked, so I only got 25k ad impressions, resulting in $8.96.
In conclusion, this game got a lot more impressions if compared to the last one, but got a smaller revenue. I learned a lot of things with this game: always add MochiBot, which I didn’t, so these stats are precise; try to get a sponsor, so the revenue could be better; and create something original (the new mode was well received).
I consider it a good experience.
My first game, Ring Avoider, released in 05/04/2008, was coded using ActionScript 2 (actually, it’s my only game coded using ActionScript 2).
Ring Avoider is a simple avoider game, but its concept is fun. I was really new to Flash in that time, so my games were based in tutorials. I read that tutorial-based games aren’t well received, so I mixed two tutorials about games and another about UI. The final game can be seen here: Ring Avoider.
I added MochiAds to the game and released it. I didn’t even know what sponsorships were. The first portals were Newgrounds and Kongregate. The scores were 3.49 (very good) and 2.63 (normal), respectively. But the game didn’t go to the first page or got any awards. 48h later the game was ‘invisible’. I took the game and submitted to all portals I knew. Most rejected, but Spill Group and Mindjolt accepted it. I got about 50k hits in MindJolt and 40k in the Spill portals (the game only appeared in few of them).
In the end, my game received about 115k hits and $32.59 ad revenue. I also learned useful tips that improves the games. I noticed that next games would need sound effects for actions and that I should have also tried to get a sponsor and submitted to more portals (these are the thoughts I’m having now, not the ones that I had at that moment).
It’s not bad for a first game after all.
Posted on July 3, 2009 in:
News
My website had already been a blog, but with tutorials. I gave up writing tutorials and created a static portfolio. But now I’m changing it again: a Personal Blog. Why am I doing this?
“Every developer should have a blog. Not just a website, it must be or contain a blog.” – Gabriel Bianconi.
But why do we need a blog? To share our thoughts, give opinions, have a way to express your feelings, show your work, get known, … I could continue this list. And what am I going to do with this blog? Show my work, write articles about stuff I like (probably about programming and design) and maybe write some tutorials.
I’ll try to post often, but I’m not sure how often I will. So, subscribe to my feed and don’t lose a single post.
