The missing link - a service proposal

After you read the last blog entry it is clear that small casual-games studios are having hard time earning their keep using advertising/sponsorship.
Downloading the full version of the game does seem to produce a nice revenue stream , but is mainly done in the large publisher sites , allowing them to collect "humongous" percentage of the profits.

One solution comes in mind ...
Allow a developer to sell "serials" or "unlocks" for online game versions without the need to download a game version.
Use a service-model (like the "MochiAds") instead of the publisher model , allowing the studio to post the game to the publisher site , egonistic to which publisher is it.

Very high level architecture

• Client side - release public flash API (AS2/3) which allows locking certain features , buying an unlock-code online and submitting it to unlock the game in real-time.
• A server side - customized billing site per game , and a submission site allowing users to configure their game for unlock purchases.

This service earns money by taking a small commission on each unlock-buy.

Time frame: few part-time months of coding.


If it is so simple , why it was not done already?
Not certain.
For the big publisher , the reason is probably that they will not benefit from such a service - on the contrary : they may loose potential buys because they will be performed outside their domain.
For any individual development studio, it is not worth the effort for one game (and may even get them in trouble with the publisher)
But it looks as an ideal service for the independent casual developers out there , and unlike the hardcore-independent game industry (which is unbelievably small) , on the casual market their numbers are quite substantial.