It is not sufficient to be good at Flash, you need to actually work on a variety of other abilities and skills as well, and so the Flash developer has to contend with things such as the creation of graphics, sound files, music. Underpinning all of this is the need to have the patience to actually plod through the project to its ultimate conclusion.

In short, games are very demanding items and they require a significant amount of hard work and commitment to ensure that they are successfully fulfilled. Not only is there the skeleton of the program (which is the code itself) but there is also the multimedia as well, such as the graphics, the sound files.

Given that there is so many different assets and elements to play with, rushing into the code head first is not a very wise or sensible idea at all. Whenever I plan on creating a new Flash game I will always start at the same place: pen and paper. In this context, the pen truly is mightier than the sword as it is directly responsible for identifying the direction of the game. Drawing out and outlining your thoughts and ideas on paper is crucial as it will help focus your energies more clearly.

Once you have managed to create a design the next logical step in the process is to proceed onto the writing of the code and the development of the game. Please note that the emphasis here is solely upon making the game as functional as possible, rather than worrying about the added extras such as audio and screen loaders. In fact, audio is only included during this stage of production if it is absolutely necessary, otherwise it stays where it belongs.

Upon the successful completion of the mock up part of the development cycle, I will then proceed to the graphics and audio. Please note that the design stage will directly determine how smoothly (or conversely, difficult) this stage is. If you are scrupulous and organised when it comes to the design stage then you will have no problems during this stage and you can quickly skip through it comfortably.

I only start to add the fancy extras if I am totally satisfied that the remainder of the course has been duly finished. All the little extras which are attractive to the user are great for winning them over, but include them too early on in the process and you will make more work for yourself.

Reading through this article, hopefully you will have came to appreciate that yes, a Flash game takes a lot of time and energy. That said, you can make the process exponentially more easy to achieve and complete with a minimum of fuss if you remain organised and modulate the code. By breaking down the workload into multiple tasks you will be able to delegate work and achieve work more easily.

If you have never actually written a Flash game entirely from scratch then you may find it a far easier and indeed more productive option to simply alter some existing Flash game code as opposed to trying to create a full scale version of the thing by yourself.

You may feel a little put off by the sheer volume of work required and involved in the process of making a Flash game, however as that charming cliché goes, you only ever get out of it what you put in. The money and experience you will acquire is very significant indeed.

Now, the most obvious way of profiting from Flash games is to develop them for clients. The freelance sites such as Freelancer.com or ScriptLance have daily listings for client requiring Flash game development work, but if you’re already doing any kind of web design or development work then you probably already have clients you can pitch. Not only will you earn directly from the project, but by adding that game to your portfolio you’ll attract more clients in the future!

Sponsorship is another way to earn from Flash game development. A sponsorship deal involves adding a company’s branding and links to your game (which can be either exclusive or non-exclusive) in exchange for a fee. The amount you’ll earn will depend on your game, and the sponsor you find but these deals can be quite lucrative.  Why not take one of the Viral Flash Games, redesign or reskin it, add some of your own features and submit it for sponsorship!

In game advertising is another option. There are several advertising networks to choose from, and the largest by far is Mochimedia closely followed by HeyZap. By registering as a developer you are able to embed their advertising code into your games which not only generates revenue, but can also get you exposure by listing the game on their publisher network.  We already have a number of customers who have taken our games, modified them to make them unique, and then submitted them to the MochiMedia network.

You can also monetise your games by simply hosting them yourself, and displaying adverts on the same page. Banner adverts, Adsense blocks or affiliate promotions are all viable ways of monetising the traffic that a good Flash game will generate.  In fact this is how I got involved in Flash games in the first place.  I created a few simple games back in 2002 which I hosted on a little site I called Kwikgames.  The games were so popular I crashed the server, and got into a couple of computer magazines, and the rest as they say is history!

Recently several companies have introduced micro-payments and in-game currency. This allows players to buy upgrades and items, and is a new and fast growing way to monetise games. While this method is still in its infancy, I predict we’ll be seeing more and more of this in the near future.  You’ll need a really solid game with good reasons for people to be shelling out real world cash for your virtual products, but lots of developers are getting into this right now and it’s definitely a growing market!

Finally, for a well developed game there is the option of a commercial release. A number of Flash games have already been ported to PC and consoles, and with the backing of an invester or publisher this can be a way for a small time Flash developer to break into the mainstream games industry. Of course PC and console games are not the only commercial options though, the ever popular mobile phone market can be just as lucrative and with the release of Adobe Flash CS5 porting games to the iPhone will be easier than ever, making this a very viable option.  If you’re looking at this as a long term goal then the time to start learning and building your skills is NOW!  Pull apart our games and learn from the source code, or head over and read some of the Flash games tutorials at FlashGamesClassroom.com to start your journey towards being an accomplished games developer!

So as you can see, developing Flash games can be a great way of making a profit, either as a complete enterprise, or as part of an existing design or development business. If you’re new to game development then start by following game tutorials, or modifying existing game code and in time you could be writing the next blockbuster!

I have noticed that a few customers have not added themselves to the customer email list (hence I’m writing this on the blog!) if that includes you please send me an email with your order number and I’ll make sure you’re added, so you’ll be informed automatically any time there’s an update, and you’ll get advance notification and promotional discounts for future products!

In other news – I finished the second half of my How to make Flash Games tutorial today over at the Flash Games Classroom site, so check it out if you’re interested!

Here are some examples of the kind works people have been sending me:

“A fantastic selection of quality games that are certain to attract and retain visitors to my site. The fact that they can be rebranded so easily, using the clear and concise instructions that are included make these games even more of a bargain. Thank you so much.”
Adrian Murray

“These games are great value. Billy has made every effort to make them as easy to customise as possible, the pdf manual and video means even newbies to flash can have their games branded in no time. Customer support has been top notch too – couldn’t have asked for more!”
Heather Allen

“I would have to say that “The Viral Flash Games package is the most reasonably priced collection that I’ve come across and will be a great addition to what we hope to accomplish on our site.”
Darin Beamish

Flash Game Tutorials

That’s right, I don’t just create games, I teach game development too!  I’ve just started a new site recently called FlashGamesClassroom.com which teaches people how to make Flash games.  Why not head over and take a peek at some of the tutorials, and be sure to leave a comment if you have any ideas or suggestions!

All the best,

Billy Deakin

Buy VIRAL FLASH GAMES now!

The package contains 10 great games, including the Flash game FLA files, video tutorial and PDF manual for rebranding the games, and a bunch of cool bonuses. In fact, I believe it’s the best value Flash game source package EVER offered, by anyone! Click to read all about it, and find out what it can do for your site!

I’ve been working hard to get the full package ready and it’s finally there. The whole site goes live on Monday, but if you can’t wait and you want to take advantage of a MASSIVE prelaunch discount, join my prelaunch subscriber list.

I’m offering a huge discount for anyone wanting to test drive the games, the only catch is that I ask you to drop me a quick email to let me know what you think and if you have any comments or suggestions!

Otherwise, watch this space for the full launch on Monday!

The complete pack of 10 Flash games, covering all genres from arcade games to puzzle games and more, will be ready in just a few days. I’m strictly limiting the number of packages sold so that we don’t flood the market, and when they are gone you’ll have to wait until next year when we release another batch.

All 10 games are rebrandable with your own logos and links, and easy to reskin, change the colors, change the graphics, or even modify the gameplay depending on your skill level. Even if you’ve never used Flash before in your life, by following the step-by-step video tutorials you’ll be able to rebrand the games in just a few minutes, and add them to your own sites, sell them, give them away for free, or whatever else you want!

As an added bonus I’m throwing in a couple of extras to make the package even more irresistible, but you’ll have to check back here on launch day to see what the bonuses are!

FLA – Flash game FLA files (*.fla) are the editable source files which you open and edit when you’re creating or modifying a Flash game (or any other Flash project!). They contain all of the graphics, audio and data used in the project and are uncompressed. These are the files you need if you want to rebrand a Flash game, or change the graphics, or make any other changes!

SWF – Often pronounced as swiff files (*.swf) these are the published and compressed game files which you actually put online for your visitors to play. They are compressed so they can be quickly downloaded, and so they are not editable. To create a SWF file you first need to open the FLA file in Flash, and then select Publish. This creates the compressed SWF game file ready for use online.

If you search online for free Flash games to add to your website it will be SWF files that you find. You can quickly and easily add these to your site for your visitors to play, but they will have the original developer’s or owner’s lgos and links in them, so effectively you’ll be advertising for them!

When you buy the Viral Flash Games pack you get the full FLA game files. That means you can change those links and logos, or the graphics, or the audio, or any other part of the game for that matter! You will of course get sample SWF files too, incase you want to quickly test the games, but it’s the FLA files which are of value. Don’t worry about not knowing how to edit them, because the video tutorials bundled with the games take you through that step by step!

I hope that answers the question clearly. There are some other file formats associated with Flash, such as AS files (Actionscript) but you don’t need to know about them and they are not needed for the games on this site.

I’m currently recording the video tutorials which will accompany the 10 Flash games when the pack goes live later this month.  I’m also writing content for the site explaining exactly what is inlcuded in the package, what is involved in rebranding or reskinning the games, and finally I’m sorting out some juicy bonuses to be included with the package.

Here’s a quick run down of what you’ll get in Viral Flash Games:

• 10 great Flash games, complete with FLA source code files
• Video tutorials showing you step by step how to add your own links and logos
• Video tutorials showing you how to reskin the games, changing the graphics and audio
• Free Flash components (more details coming soon)
• Free viral marketing report

This is the first post on this site, and the start of a project which will see an amazingly competetive package of Flash games source code to market in the very near future.

A little background…

I’m a web designer and Flash developer.  I’ve been creating Flash games since 2003 and my games have been played millions of times, on many hundreds of websites.  They have been featured on some of the largest Flash games sites on the web such as Addictingames, Miniclip and Mousebreaker, and also in magazines, and I’ve developed games for many clients of all sizes from Miniclip to the BBC, Kosmo Studios to The San Francisco Giants.

As well as developing Flash games, I also teach Flash, and I’m currently working on a course which teaches Flash games development which will be released later this year (watch this space).

The reason for releasing this product however was digust at the price many other companies are charging for extremely second rate Flash game source code (FLA files).  You can easily pay $100, $200, $300 or more dollars for small, mediocre, and in some places downright flawed Flash games.  I wanted to do something different, so I decided to release the source code to 10 of my most popular games, at one great price.

The games package itself is ready for sale, but I’m also creating a series of tutorials which wil be packaged with the games which will enable anyone to quickly and easily rebrand them.  This is well under way, and so a launch date is set for later this month.  Check back often for news of the launch, or join the mailing list and receive a special preluanhc discount code.

All the best,

Billy Deakin