Portal Sales Statistics
May 20th, 2006 by Juuso HietalahtiPosted in Ask Game Producer, Sales Statistics
Question:
It’d be interesting to see some sales statistics including commission information (how much of the money went to the distributor and how much to the developer) for games distributed on portal sites (such as RealArcade).
Answer:
Unfortunately portals use contracts that doesn’t allow developers to publish sales numbers for them. I previously mentioned a typical fee for portals is somewhere around 50-65% off net sales, and as they don’t disclose their numbers, it’s almost impossible for us to get numbers sold.
Big Fish Games announced in their press release that their Mystic Inn game sold more than 2000 copies in the first three days. Mystic Inn is not their most downloaded game, but this information can give you some kind of clue on how much these games sell.
May 20th, 2006 at 12:20 pm
[...] Portal Sales StatisticsBig Fish Games announced in their press release that their Mystic Inn game sold more than 2000 copies in the first three days. Mystic Inn is not their most downloaded game, but this information can give you some kind of clue on how much … [...]
May 20th, 2006 at 6:56 pm
I thought portal fees were more like 60-65%. Some are actually published on their sites.
May 21st, 2006 at 3:46 am
Royalty from portals is more like 25-35% today. You can get 40% if you have a ton of clout. If you approach established portals like RealArcade as a first-time developer, though, expect to be hit with 25%. Of course, everything is negotiable (in business you don’t get what you deserve; you get what you negotiate).
May 22nd, 2006 at 9:11 am
@Jake: some of them announce the fees, but there’s not much sales stats available from portals. Not the amounts of what was sold and how much the developers got.
@Matthew: Thanks for the insight.
May 22nd, 2006 at 7:48 pm
If you go to real arcade you’ll get 25%, that’s right, they keep 75% of the money. And sorry Matthew, but there wont be any negotiating unless you are called popcap or you’re willing to give them exclusive sale rights for X months. Normally in business there is negotiation, but when a small group hold a monopoly that all changes. I don’t see why any other portal would be any different. Basically you need to bend over for them.
June 1st, 2006 at 6:28 pm
They don’t specify however if those 2000 sales are at full price of $19.95 or gamepass price of $6.95. A big difference I think… ;)
June 2nd, 2006 at 10:02 am
@sakura: True, although 2000 sales with price of $6.95 would be almost$14,000 which is not for three day sales - not to mention to get people buy that gamepass, it isn’t free either…