How Game Makers Make Money

Any game is a business project. The main goal of game creators is to make a profit. There are several monetization models. Developers can effectively combine them in one game to maximize their revenue.

  1. Paying for entry to the game.
    To get access to a game, you have to buy it – either as a one-time purchase or in a subscription format. Mobile game creators often offer to start for free, and if you like it, pay for the full version. NFT games require you to buy cryptocurrency to pay for a starter set of playing cards, characters or virtual running shoes.

For example, to start playing Axie Infinity, users must buy at least three NFT Axie characters.

  1. In-game sales.
    To motivate players to spend more, the developers offer to pump up the game characters not only by completing more difficult tasks, but also by buying improvements for real money: artifacts, weapons, elixirs.

For example, in the NFT-card game Gods Unchained does not need to pay to register, but the initial stage players are only available standard NFT-cards. Rare, epic, and legendary ones can be obtained by advancing to a new level, winning a championship, or purchased with real money. Users with a paid deck get an advantage in the game and the ability to resell their NFT cards for more than they bought.

  1. Embedded advertising.
    Game creators can release games that are completely free, earning money by showing ads. The more time people spend in such a game, the higher the income of its creators. The interesting storyline, thought-out gameplay and the chance to win real money keep your users’ attention.

It is this monetization scheme we applied to the project with sweepstakes mechanics. Users play slot machines, races or instant lotteries, enticed by the prospect of earning tokens and taking part in a prize draw. At the same time, they watch ads on the site. Advertisers pay a commission for high views, banner clicks, and targeted actions.

In order for players to respond calmly to advertising, it does not cover important elements of the interface and does not interfere with the gameplay. For example, they appear while waiting for the results of the draw.