Are these 106 games that you developed OR are they games that we already see on other web sites? You said they are new games. Please clarify.
Anybody know which ad network offers the best CPC for arcades? Most I've found is AdSense which is only .03 - .05 cents for me.
If you have SE friendly links in the script (like the one in my signature ) you have bigger chances in getting to top of SERPS Some link building will be good for sure.
It probably does but it gets lots of traffic it seems Anyway I am here if anyone is up for a link exchange with my brand new Great Games If you are you can submit your game links here (no sitewide link exchange though)
Interesting thread here lol. Well, I'll throw my sites into the mix as well. First is http://gamersgo.com which is a multiple lists. One of them is a list of arcades for people looking for them to play in. Another is a list of resources for arcade site owners, things like banner exchanges, topsites, forums, script sellers, etc. http://auntiefondy.com shares a database with it so it has the same links in it along with it's own. I've also started writing/buying/collecting articles to help give some advice for arcade owners etc on Gamers GO!, things like some arcade promotion tips etc. And I've started a small(so far) collection of mods. I also run a few arcades that I'm trying to get up and running. A lack of time, a lack of money, and server issues have hampered them in the past, but here they are: http://hangoutarcade.com http://funarcadeonline.com http://addicteddoctorsarcade.com http://wiigamersite.com There are a few more but they are down at the moment because of hosting problems. I used to own both arcade-script.com and gamerfx.net from which I offered a couple different arcade script. I had to sell them because of financial troubles lol. It's an easy niche to get into. So easy in fact everybody is doing it and few are making much money at it. I stay in it because I like it. I think I've had revenue of about $1 for the whole year from all of them lol. If I had time to promote them I'd probably get more. If you like to exchange links let me know. Some of the sites have script to do so, some I have to add them manually. Or feel free to bookmark them, add them to your social bookmarks, etc.
interesting thread.....glad I read all this..thanks to those that put forth some valuable information here to those wanting to enter this niche.
Everyone is focusing on traffic but how about monetization ? I don't think adsense is good for arcades because visitors will be focusing on games rather than ads so maybe CPM ads will fit ? What do you guys recommend ?
Guys, i suggest tight up with game developer, and get the first hand in launching the game, then u get unique content, generic visitors! But the only thing is, u need to have traffic, or pay them
The online arcade industry is not as competitive as you may think (if you are willing to work at it) - Yes there are possibly 100 new arcade sites a day being created - But most people stop there (they buy the script, install the script, play a few of their own games) - they think they have planted a seed and it will grow by it's self - I have found that most people who setup online arcades fall in two categories - 1: They like online games so it would be fun to have their own arcade and they do not care about traffic or monetization. 2: They want to get rich quick and they fail right out of the box due to the fact they have no idea about promotion, ad placement, SEO, etc and become quickly frustrated and quit something they never really started. Then there are those few that work hard get into the top 5-10 of the serps and continually move forward in promotion. Personally I have a few arcades and only one that is promoted constantly. It makes on average $3xx.xx per month and essentially pays for the server and a couple of text link ads. It can be a trap that only makes money for support service companies like hosting, scripts, advertising if you let it - that is where the extra work comes in. Yes buying a game and promoting on your site will give you a unique content that may help your site - God knows Miniclips, ArmourGames and the like have been very successful - But there are regular guys and gals that take the minimal script with the default installed games and promote the crap out of it and do very well. Promotion on the Internet (even for arcade sites) is a kin to the real world as in telling everyone and a percentage come to you after they here your words. Like going door to door in the 70s and 80s and selling seeds or greeting cards. (yes I did this as a child and had a modicum of success at it) - you always have to be selling your site - in person, online, and just don't stop. In the real world I manage a car wash - My boss has been in the business for 40 years - he eats, sleeps, and thinks car wash all the time - and that is where his success is - his passion for what he does. That my friends is what most arcade sites be it customized or canned is lacking -- "Passion". So if you and I really want to make this happen and make a living in the "Online Arcade" world - it has to become a disciplined passion - How can I make my site better? How I can promote my site differently, How I get into the top 5 of the SERPS? How can I tweak my pages and squeeze another 5 cents per visit out of it? Basically - if you concentrate all your efforts on to one site and create a list of daily todos's for yourself and stick to it - then you will have done more than probably 95 percent of your competition. Getting off of soap box now - Thanks for letting a middle aged online arcade owner rant. Good Luck with your game sites everyone. -M
Great post marmbo63. I fully agree with you, arcade is no doubt a saturated market, so we need extra work to really get our site known. I'm personally still struggling now. Anyways, I'm thinking of making an arcade site with high score. Does anyone know where can I find script for high score games? Where can I find these games? Do I have to host the high score database or not? Any help much appreciated. Thanks
My site www.NetGolfGames.com has been around for about 4 months and I'm just starting to get decent traffic. Everyday it's more, but I'm at about 700 unique visitors a day. I'm making about $15 a day from adsense income, but I haven't found another good way to monetize the site. Being an arcade webmaster isn't my primary thing...so I'm a rookie at making money with a game site. I almost gave up on the site because I go NO traffic for 3 months, then my keywords finally made page 1 on Google, and all of a sudden I was getting several hundred visits a a day. I'm not sure where to go with my Golf Game site. I'd like to get 1500+ uniques a day, but I'm not sure how to double my traffic just yet. I keep building links and adding games when I can. Hopefully it will continue to grow.
Thanks AXLarry - Here is a small recipe for success with online arcades. 1. Everyday go to the solicitation section of Directories click here and submit your online arcade to at least one free directory submission offer. 2. Write three emails (asking for link exchanges) or do three link exchanges with other arcades that have equal or higher page rank than you do and ask for a link swap (note: most arcades have an automated process for this so you do not have to email them). 3. Add one new game, video, or soundboard a day with a new and unique description written by you. 4. Rinse and Repeat everyday.