Hi guys! You might not know this, but there are many game publishers out there looking to pay good money to license HTML5 games. A typical HTML5 game sells for a few hundred dollars, and good ones fetch thousands.
Why do publishers want my game?
Simple. Because they have massive fan bases, and need to serve their fans with fresh new games. A large company like SPIL Games, or Vodafone has millions of users who are always hungry for new games.
If you aren't convinced, think of this analogy : in the book publishing industry, authors write great novels, and search for publishers that will print and market their novels. You are the author. Without the publisher, you might sell a few books, but you won't have access to a larger audience.
About me
My name is Ben, i'm a HTML5 game developer myself. My team created a marketJS, a website where you can easily pitch your game to large publishers, and eventually sell it to them. It's free to use, no fees whatsoever.
The big picture
a) Sign up at marketJS
b) Upload your Construct2 game
c) Interested publishers will contact you
Once you're done, your game will look something like this
The publishers (and developers) on marketJS will get to play your game, comment, check the stats, and send you private messages if they're interested. Neat right?
Sign up
Create a free account
Tip: Remember to enable email notifications, because you'll want to know the second a publisher contacts you.
Upload your game
Note: Please skip this section if you're confident. Most people don't even need to read this, because the system is really easy to use. We've had developers submit 5 games within 6 minutes.
This mini-tutorial assumes that you have created an account with marketJS
Step 1
From your dashboard, click on "Pitch". You are practically pitching to game publishers from the comfort of your home. There's no need for fancy suits and ties :D
Step 2a
Fill in the details of your pitch. Under platforms, remember to select "Web (HTML5)". If your game also runs on the mobile web (like iPhone web browsers), remember to check the "Mobile Web (HTML5)" box.
For license type, it's really up to you. If you'd like to sell to one publisher only, choose "exclusive license". If you'd prefer more buyers, choose "non-exclusive". Choose "custom" if you're unsure. Do not fret, the decision is not final, because everything rests upon what you negotiate with the publisher later on. The pitch is just a rough framework to get both parties focused on what's at the table.
Step 2b
Since you have a completed Construct2 game, you should demo it to publishers! Make sure you check the "web demo" box.
Step 2c
Fill in the web demo section with a URL to your game, width and height
If you don't know the URL, width and height, fear not! You probably already have a game on Scirra arcade. You can easily grab the details from the embed codes:
Step 2d
Complete the remaining details of your game, under General Info
Once you're done, click on "Save pitch and proceed"
Step 3
You're seconds way from submitting your game pitch! Make some final changes, preview to see if game runs nicely, and when you're confident, click on Submit!
Celebrate
Have a chocolate. Your game is now live to all the publishers in marketJS. Rest assured, if your game is good, you'll get emails from them within 24 hours.
In the meantime, here are some fun HTML5 games currently on marketJS
marketjs.com/game/xtype
marketjs.com/game/onslaught-defense
marketjs.com/game/voodoofriends
What next?
I'll be writing another tutorial on how to effectively communicate with publishers, and seal the deal. A lot of it is being helpful, listening to requirements and negotiating a fair price. Stay tuned!
Ben Chong
marketJS