While titles like Lethal Company and Minecraft continue to dominate the Steam charts in terms of player base and copies sold, it has left many to wonder how one can make it as a solo developer. If you are unfamiliar with the backstories behind the two aforementioned games, they were both created by a single person, and have grown into massive success stories.
Minecraft was created by Markus “Notch” Persson, and has become the best selling title in the history of the gaming industry. Lethal Company, which launched only three months ago by developer, Zeekerss, has already seen incredible numbers with no sign of slowing down.
Nevertheless, despite the fact that the world has seen single developers turn late nights into sensational hits, not every solo creator will claim the same payday as others.
As Lethal Company Continues to Climb the Ranks, Other Individual Developers Are Struggling
If you are someone who invests time and interest into the video game industry, then the thought of development has likely crossed your mind a few times.
As thousands of games are released on Steam every year, one has to wonder what kind of revenue a self-employed single developer can earn. A Redditor who goes by Electrical_Simple235, has recently posted about such an experience, and the numbers are incredibly eye opening.
In the developer’s Reddit post, there is a series of figures included that show how much money one would actually receive if they had a title become successful. Electrical_Simple235 discusses their particular situation, and explains that their game has profited $400,000. However, while this figure would seem quite impressive to most readers from the outside looking in, the final payout is much less exciting when you see how much money is taken out.
The details explain what comes out of the earnings, starting with 30%, which is “taken by VAT/USA taxes/Refunds etc.” When that percentage has been removed from the revenue, then Steam comes in to take its portion of the proceeds, which is a “30% cut.” The Redditor continues to go through their calculation of the reductions, until the “final salary on selling a $400,000 game is £53,380.”
The Moral of the Story for Solo Developers Around the World
While it is very possible some may see this figure and think £53,380 is nothing to complain about, Electrical_Simple235 puts their story in perspective by saying the final number “is £4,000 less than the gross average salary in London (£57.4k as of 2022).”
The truth is that development as an independent creator can be quite difficult at times, and not every game will turn out millions of dollars. This Reddit post shows just how much of an uphill battle solo developers will see, given the way the odds are stacked again them. And when digital marketplaces like Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store have control of the narrative, it can be almost impossible to see a title’s full profit potential.
Those who are interested in solo game development should read through the post, and consider all the struggles they may face on such a journey. Even when stores like Steam promote such development, so it can continue to showcase thousands of games every year, this may not be the right decision for you.
As the gaming industry continues to expand, there will hopefully be more opportunities for independent developers. However, in the multi-billion dollar industry that often breeds chaos, there will always be bigger companies taking money from the little guy.
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