Also, his own app ships with a hand picked suggested users list:
2,265 karma · joined February 4, 2009
In the article the author mentions it has to do with serving static files, which is something that nobody should be using Rails to do anyway. I'm not surprised nobody found it until now.
The site is http://www.forumwarz.com
Our conversion rates are low, but we've managed to get enough people playing to sustain itself, one full time employee (me!) and a few contract employees.
It's been a lot of fun. If you are passionate about games I highly recommend it since it can definitely be sustainable. Having said that, I'm not sure it's necessary a lucrative path for most people.
Remember when every game was trying to push an adorable cartoon mascot? Do you think the business people weren't behind that too?
While good graphics are certainly no substitute for good gameplay, there are certainly far more AAA titles available now than there ever has been.
Some come from large studios: Left for Dead, Bioshock, Fallout. Others are coming from the emerging indie scene like World of Goo and Braid.
For example, my product is a web based RPG. We use a points system, where users can purchase Brownie Points in various increments. Then they can redeem those points for various products (all of which web-site only features.)
It's an alternative to subscriptions (like Lighthouse). Where your users pay a monthly or yearly fee.
The changes have already begun. First the largest game expo, E3, was killed off and brought back as a shadow of its former self.
Then we've seen the rise of the indie game. Braid and World of Goo have shown to be excellent examples of games that cost very little ($15-20) and provide a compelling experience.
Large studios are investing less into smaller games, like Valve did with Portal, and earning better profit margins by distributing them digitally.
There will probably always be blockbuster games like Grand Theft Auto, but the market is splintering. Millions will continue be lost in many of the big studios.
I personally think it's healthy. As a huge consumer of games, I don't think there's ever been a point in time when there's been so many amazing games available.
So technically 24 months, which is longer than the other posts I'm seeing here so far.
Are you sure about some of the claims you're making?
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2007...
^^^ This article seems to think viewership is down and I've heard that repeatedly over the last few years.
My product is a browser based game that is very popular with the 4chan crowd. We already advertise on ED. It's as close to a perfect fit for their audience as anything I can think of.
On their previous ad network (I just learned about the new one), things were self serve, but every time I bought ads I was told there was a conflict and to try again.
They seem completely uninterested in doing business with us, or anyone. Maybe that's why the whole thing is failing from a financial perspective?