Does anyone make money off homebrews?

[II_DeLo_II]

My apologies if this has been discussed before or if this is in the wrong forum but I was just curious to what degree anyone has made any money in homebrews?

 

I've been learning how to program a 2600 game and I've been having a lot of fun at it. Assuming my programming skills get better, I'd like to actually produce a reasonable homebrew to sell.

 

If I do end up with a reasonably entertaining and fully functional game, what is a reasonable expectation for profit from this?

 

I'm definitely not doing it for the money, just kind of curious. Trying to get an idea of what might pop up in the future. I'd definitely spend the extra money on adding carts to my collection but are we talking "Combat"s or "Chase the Chuck Wagon"s?

 

Thanks!

[Pixelboy]

There's no real profit in it. All the money acquired from the sale of homebrew games (like the ones sold by the AtariAge store, for example) usually goes into paying for the carts, labels, manuals and boxes. All that is expensive, you know, so the games are basically sold at cost, so that people will actually buy them. Any profit margin you can expect is mere pocket change.

[+SpiceWare]

Darn - and I was hoping to retire on Medieval Mayhem income

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Usually authors get $5 for each sold cart. So even if the cart sells more than 100 copies you get only very little money for the time invested.

 

You can try to ask for a much higher price, and if the package is ok, some collectors will pay it. But then your game will most likely bought for collecting instead of playing.

 

Still there are 1000s more effective ways for making money. So just forget about the money and do it just for the fun.

[vdub_bobby]

For the time invested the pay is not good, but still - $500 is nothing to sneeze at! Can buy a lot of other homebrews with that...

[espire8]

Usually authors get $5 for each sold cart. So even if the cart sells more than 100 copies you get only very little money for the time invested.

If today, a single programer alone can produce a FANTASTIC original 2600 title and sell a million carts (ie:AcTiVision's KABOOM!, Atari's Adventure) that's $5 million if the author gets $5 a cart. Of course, it's impossible to sell that many carts in these days, but man! if $5 a cart we're so back during the time! --it's too bad we're no longer living in the 80's .

Oh well, we gotta see it as more of a hobby than a buissness, otherwise why would homebrew games exsist? The answer --Like any other art form! for the pleasure and appreciation of us all, and that alone puts "homebrewers" in a class by themselves! Are'nt we all lucky?

[supercat]

If today, a single programer alone can produce a FANTASTIC original 2600 title and sell a million carts (ie:AcTiVision's KABOOM!, Atari's Adventure) that's $5 million if the author gets $5 a cart. Of course, it's impossible to sell that many carts in these days, but man! if $5 a cart we're so back during the time! --it's too bad we're no longer living in the 80's

 

If Atari weren't foundering so badly and could produce another FB2-style unit which included some homebrews as well as some of the missing games from earlier eras (I found the selection of games in the FB2 a little curious. In some ways 3D Tic Tac Toe was a cool game, but why aren't there any of the old sports games? Football for awhile defined the 2600, in ways both good and bad.

 

Returning to the subject of homebrews, if the machine had a dozen homebrews and paid royalties of $0.01/unit, that would represent a cost of only $0.12/unit but would represent thousands of dollars to the homebrew authors. And I think having some homebrews in the unit would really spice things up.

[espire8]

If Atari weren't foundering so badly and could produce another FB2-style unit which included some homebrews as well as some of the missing games from earlier eras (I found the selection of games in the FB2 a little curious. In some ways 3D Tic Tac Toe was a cool game, but why aren't there any of the old sports games? Football for awhile defined the 2600, in ways both good and bad.

 

Returning to the subject of homebrews, if the machine had a dozen homebrews and paid royalties of $0.01/unit, that would represent a cost of only $0.12/unit but would represent thousands of dollars to the homebrew authors. And I think having some homebrews in the unit would really spice things up.

You got somethig there.

FB consoles are an excellent way to make homebrews reach out furture. There are many great homebrews that don't get enough exposure. Alot of people remember the older game titles but how will anyone outside the AA community know when a new homebrew game is in exsistance? I agree with you that the next FB should support more of the homebrew communities efforts to produce the kind of quality games they make and have made.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

If Atari weren't foundering so badly...

IF!

 

I had some negotiations (actually only I tried to negotiate, Atari wasn't willing or able at all) regarding Thrust and we all know the result.

[bretthorror]

It's too bad they couldn't be made cheaper, I'd be interested in a few, but at US$20-$30, they're something for the collectors and really hardcore guys mostly.

[Albert]

It's too bad they couldn't be made cheaper, I'd be interested in a few, but at US$20-$30, they're something for the collectors and really hardcore guys mostly.

Unfortunatey these carts are not mass produced, and it's a great deal of manual labor to build them. Considering the amount of work involved, I think they are pretty reasonable priced where they are. And aside from the manual labor, the physical parts cost (cartridge shell, PCB, EPROM, 7404 or PLD, cap/resistors, label, manual), royalties, and PayPal fees eat up a good chunk of the price.

 

..Al

[bretthorror]

It's too bad they couldn't be made cheaper, I'd be interested in a few, but at US$20-$30, they're something for the collectors and really hardcore guys mostly.

Unfortunatey these carts are not mass produced, and it's a great deal of manual labor to build them. Considering the amount of work involved, I think they are pretty reasonable priced where they are. And aside from the manual labor, the physical parts cost (cartridge shell, PCB, EPROM, 7404 or PLD, cap/resistors, label, manual), royalties, and PayPal fees eat up a good chunk of the price.

 

..Al

 

Oh I definitely agree, I just honestly would never use a 2600 cart enough to warrant that price tag when there's so many good ones in the $10 range.

[fire!fire!]

I wish more of the homebrews came with boxes. I bought Thrust + Plat. just because it had a box and I thought that was special. Turns out it's very very cool! I can only imagine they are expensive to make and I don't have a problem spending the extra money. I would certainly pay more for games with boxes. (hint, hint)

 

To put all this in perspective I have a Pac-Man box with a Caldor price tag of $33.70. :!: Our parents paid a high price back in the 80's for our games that we begged for. Considering inflation, etc 20-something years later - I have paid less than that for homebrews this year!

[Uzumaki]

Here's a suggestion to boost the profit: advertise. Not every 2600 players know about AA store or the new homebrewn games.

 

So go on fourth and spread the words! Advertise!! Sell a few autographed copies on eBay for fat profit as well!

 

Maybe if you could get in touch with someone over at DP forum, you could get an ad inserted in one future Tip & Tricks magazine. That should reach thousands of players.

[fire!fire!]

True. When I talk Atari, people are very surprised..."I used to have one..." "If they still made games for Atari I would play..." I do tell people *tirelessly* about the new games that I have but in return I get invited to play Guitar Hero II. I have seen some homebrews on ebay recently and they do go for decent money. The red/blue version of Fall Down is on there from someone that claims to have only played it a few times. For the number of consoles going hourly on ebay there should be a much larger market for homebrews. I'll keep talking!!!!

[Gateway]

Here's a suggestion to boost the profit: advertise. Not every 2600 players know about AA store or the new homebrewn games.

 

So go on fourth and spread the words! Advertise!! Sell a few autographed copies on eBay for fat profit as well!...

 

Are you directing this at AA?

 

From what I've seen, Albert has done a great job advertising for homebrews, the site, etc.

 

There's been a flyer about more homebrews in every recent order of games I've bought from AA, and Albert's AA booth is always one of the biggest highlights at the game expos I've attended and seen in photos from shows I didn't make it too. Plus, I've seen AA homebrews on eBay in the past.

 

Plus, I do my part to mention that new games are still being made for the old systems to anybody who will listen: at work, at school, etc. Unfortunately, most of them look at me funny when I mention Atari.