Easiest way to make money from games? (incorporate ads).HOW?

I'm a novice.. but was curious what is the EASIEST/CHEAPEST way to theoretically make a few dollars from a game I make?

I realize you can export your games into various formats (i.e. Ios, android, amazon), etc. However.. I THINK certain formats require you to pay fees. For example, I THINK you have to pay like $100 or something to put a game on the apple store.

So my question is... what is the EASIEST/CHEAPEST way to incorporate ads on a game I make? I realize I won't be able to put it on ALL available formats (such as the Apple store because its not worth a novice like me paying $100 to apple)... but is there a particular format that is easy/cheap to do?

For example.. IF I put it on Amazon, do they automatically incorporate ads over my game so that I don't have to do anything? That is what I would prefer.. although I heard (and could be wrong) that you cannot have any advertising on the Amazon store). Another example is if I put the game on the Scirra Arcade.. my understanding is that NO ads are displayed so you can't make money there either.

Therefore, looooooooooooooooooooooong question made short: What is the easiest/cheapest way to export a game and put it someplace where it could theoretically make money by displaying ads? Preferably, I would want it to incorporate/display the ads over my game so that I don't want to worry about that aspect when I'm making the game....

Any info would be enormously appreciated. I did see various/sporadic postings about this topic, but I just haven't been able to connect the dates so hopefully somebody can explain it to me real simple. For example, something like:

1. Apple Ios = $100 fee

2. Amazon = no advertising allowed

3. Scirra arcade = no advertising allowed

4. ??? = You make the game. They incorporate the ads over your game.

PS: I also THINK I can simply create a html5 game with Construct 2 and then have 'cocoon' convert it into all of the different formats for me. Anybody know if that really works? Also, does Cocoon run ads in my games for me automatically without me having to worry about it?

Thanks again GREATLY in advance.

Take some time and search the forums, etc... there are plenty of topics on monetization. Posting your games to web portals like FGL, gamejolt, mindjolt, Spil, Facebook, etc... is free. There is no reason to just "Think" that certain platforms cost money, etc... , it takes a few seconds online to find out for sure which ones cost money and which ones allow ads, just go to their sites and try the sign up process or read their developer documentation.

There are plenty of places to make money on your games with Ads, or with the portals you just make the games and contact them or upload to their sites and they give you offers on your games (if they are up to the quality standards).

It could take pages to explain the details on how cocoonjs and the others do what they do, it would be much quicker for you to read the tutorials on them as they have the details.

BluePhaze... thanks for your response. I'm a complete novice and certainly don't mean to sound grumpy but I must tell you... suggesting to a complete novice like myself that they float around the internet and figure out which places charge, which ones don't, which ones have ads, which ones don't, etc, doesn't seem to be particularly helpful -- at least to me. OF COURSE I knew I could search the internet and re-invent the wheel myself. However, that is the hope of posting on a newsgroup and getting help -- to save time.

Respectfully, I suspect there are LOTS of other complete novices on here like myself that are trying to make a FIRST game and really do NOT want to search indefinitely figuring out which site(s) allow them to upload their game without any cost or specific requirements.

Perhaps somebody can suggest at least ONE place where I can upload my game for FREE and have ads generated on it automatically EASILY where I could theoretically make a few pennies from the advertisement. Then, AFTER, I get the first one in place, THEN sure, I can begin to worry about the countless others out there that have more stringent criteria.

Anyway.. just my 2 cents... in the meantime, my search for ONE site where I can simply upload my crappy little game to try and make a few pennies from advertising continues. Here is what I've found so far -- for the convenience of others:

Facebook: Yes, Facebook is free, but it evidently requires you to have your own SECURE hosting -- which I suspect most novices won't have. I certainly do not.

Apple: You have to spend $$ to get the developers license.

fgl: "Game developers use the site to showcase their games; game publishers can check out the games and make offers to buy or license any games that fit their needs."

gamejolt: It says, "All content on this Site, including art work, graphics, images, screen shots, text, music, digitally downloadable files, trademarks, logos, product and character names, slogans, and the compilation of the foregoing (“Content”) is the property of Game Jolt and its licensors and is protected in the U.S. and internationally under trademark, copyright, and other intellectual property laws."

mindjolt: "To install the API Library in your game, simply download and add one of the following MindJoltAPI.as files to your flash project." (My game isn't in flash and I couldn't even understand the rest of the instructions).

Scirra arcade: Doesn't appear to have any monetization.

... and the search continues.

I hadn't thought searching the internet would count as reinventing the wheel... Usually it is considered the easy approach. The options I mentioned above are the ones that most people here use to make money. Also, Barnes and Noble and Amazon are both free I believe for hosting Android apps. So you can use cocoonjs (premium - also free) or Intel Crosswalk to publish android games with for free. Creating an account for advertisements with admob, mopub, leadbolt, etc... are all free....

FGL allows you to upload for free, sponsors make offers to you on your game either for licenses or for ad revenue, most of the others do the same. Either gamejolt or mindjolt have a similar deal, I just forget which one... You can also look at MarketJS and many others. Most of these have come from this forum based on searches I have done. You may want to check the tutorials on adding the API's for Spil, FGL, etc... as they usually have folks that have used those services. One thing that pretty much all of them have in common as well is that they have standards and certain expectations so making money off a "crappy" game isn't exactly a viable strategy. Most of them will either want you to implement certain features, or be open to adding their advertising or branding to your game. Oh, another one you may want to check out is Kongregate. Also with facebook technically you could host on dropbox, at least until your game starts seeing a lot of play and then you would want to make sure you have a secure host. Currently I use hostgator and it is about $15 a month for their business plan which includes SSL.

If you look at the tutorial section and also at the export options in C2 you will get a good quick feel for some of the different marketplaces and portals that you can put your games on. Another important note is that you can't publish games for money unless you have a licensed version of C2 outside of publishing to Appbackr for tizen, etc... Hopefully if you can afford a license for construct, affording a hosting plan like hostgator or one of the other common cheap ones like bluehost, etc... shouldn't be a stretch. At the end of the day, most of the time you have to put a bit of money in to get any out. You will also find that sometimes making the game is easier than profiting from it.

BluePhase: Thanks GREATLY for your input.. You've certainly given me a great head start. Sincerely appreciated.

BluePhase: I'm sorry to bother you yet again but I'm stumped with another question:

I am making progress submitting my game to Amazon. Thanks again for your help. However, I do NOT see how to incorporate ads into the game even after it is online with Amazon. Any idea how to do this? I see FREE games on Amazon but many do not have any ads displayed during game play. Again.. the idea is to have ads displayed in the game and THEORETICALLY make a few pennies.. but even after you submit it to Amazon, I still do NOT see how to incorporate ads.

ANY help would be enormously appreciated on how to incorporate ads into the game -- so they you could theoretically make a few pennies when it is distributed by Amazon. Thanks again.

PS: I THOUGHT that Amazon/etc puts ads on the apps automatically but maybe I am misunderstanding. Here is a tutorial which I THINK solves the problem... but there are so many different options. Any recommendations on this tutorial or can you recommend something better? Again.. I'm trying to figure out the EASIEST way to incorporate ads into the game so that theoretically you would make a few pennies:

https:// scirra. com/ tutorials/ 740/ how-to-monetize-your-appgame

NOTE: I put spaces in the above web address since this message board still won't let me include it.

puzzele Free game portals (low requirements): Clay.io, Itch.io, GameMix

You can also try Google Play Store ($25, one-time, non-recurring payment) I know you're looking for free publishing, but thought I'd put it out there since you mentioned the App Store.

I don't think Amazon will put ads on your game automatically (what if you don't want ads?), you'll have to use one of the various methods that are currently available - that tutorial should work and is the easiest way I know of.

Crosswalk (Android) doesn't support ads currently, and CocoonJS has a myriad of problems (and requires premium, IIRC).

game jolt is very easy and fast... and you don't have to do any extra work, plus there isn't any waiting for approval. clay.io is easy, but it's been taking forever to be approved lately.

Just email Austin at if your game is taking a long time to get approved on clay.io

Thanks everybody for your feedback... I'm STILL trying to wrap my brain around incorporating ads into the games with mopub/etc. I was hoping it would be as easy as using googlesense (where you basically just copy/paste a few lines to put advertisements on websites) but it definitely seems a LOT more involved than that when using Construct 2. I'm sorry.. I really am new at this stuff.

However, I did come up with one idea that although, perhaps not perfect, is the EASIEST way I have been able to incorporate an ad into a game within seconds and with absolutely no headaches -- and theoretically make a few pennies while advertising your own product/website! Here is my idea:

1. Create the game in Construct 2 as normal.

2. In construct 2, create a button/picture like normal (i.e. make the button/picture have an advertisement to a particular website). Then place the button/picture in the game like you normally would.

3. Tell Construct 2 when somebody clicks on the button/picture (of the above mentioned website advertisement) it simply brings them to the website. (just like your normally would)...

... SOoooooo... how do you make money with this? Simple. I signed up for Adfly -- which took 30 seconds to sign up and use. Basically, all you do is signup with Adfly. Then you tell Adfly what website YOU want to advertise. You do this by entering your website address on the top of the adfly website (when you log in). You click "shrink."

NOTE: Use the 'framed banner' option and NOT Interstitial Advertisement option -- which is far less intrusive).

Now Adfly gives you a shortened website... Use THIS shortened website that Adfly gave you in step #3 above -- then you put this shortened website address in your Construct 2 game (instead of your original website domain address). Basically, when in Construct 2, tell the game to bring to you the Adfly shortened website INSTEAD of the original website address. Now when a person clicks on the button/picture in your Construct 2 game, it will use this new Adfly web address. The ONLY thing this new web address does is it adds a banner to the top of the website screen... but it still brings the person to the website you wanted.

Here is an example of it displaying: IdoNOTwantKids .com website (I HAD to add spaces to the website address so it would be displayed properly on this message board) but first using an Adfly link:

http:// adf.ly/f4stn <-- I HAD to put a space in the web address since I'm new on the message board

If you want to sign up with Adfly, here is the link to adfly to sign up:

http:// adf.ly/?id=6457448 <-- I HAD to put a space in the web address since I'm new on the message board

NOTE: Technically you can just go to adf.ly and not use the above link, but PLEASE use the above 'referral' link if you decide to use it. I think I get another penny or something via the referral if you use it.

Anyway... when I figure out an easier solution to incorporate ads, I will let you know.. I tried to follow the tutorials on this website, but honestly, they are simply too advanced for me at the moment... or more likely, I'm toooooo dumb to understand them... but I figured this might be a good first step for novices like me.. Even better, now supposedly you can get paid to advertise -- and you can even advertise your OWN product/website which is probably better than advertising somebody elses.

Hope that helps.