Finally, we’ve come to the concluding post in this series. Today I am going to tell you why I feel this is one of, if not the best bet for making money in the Video Game World. I’m not going to stop there either, I’m going to get you started in the right direction with a few freebies.

If you’ve followed these posts from the beginning of the series, then you may have picked up on one of the central themes found in each post. If it wasn’t absolutely obvious then let me bring it out clear as day here. If you want to make money in the Video Gaming world with as little a learning curve as possible, then you have to make use of the Internet. Think about that for a second and ask yourself what market has been receiving investment capital from some of the largest firms in the country? The Internet! What has been the biggest turning point for mankind since… electricity? The Internet! So how my friend, are you going to make a buck in the world of video games? Cmon, you can do it, that’s right, the Internet!

What you need to do specifically is start a website. The website should be about something of interest to you but remember to never lose sight of your central theme, the games. They should be your central purpose and you should hold on to them like life itself. How you choose to tackle this is entirely up to you. My advice, however, is to familiarize yourself with a CMS (Content Management System) of some sort. For instance, WordPress has become one of the most popular CMS’ for blogging. With some tweaking, and the right plugins, you can get WordPress to bend to your whim, and before you know it, you’ll have a place on the web to call your own. Even if you have skills as a web developer and can start from scratch and build the website from the ground up, a CMS can substantially decrease your work load and make some of those remedial tasks go away.

Here comes the freebies I promised!

Now if you’re wondering what type of website you should start specifically, here are a few ideas:

1) Flash Games – If you tuned in for the first part in the series then you know how much joy flash games can bring to everyone in the world. So why not spread more of it with your own flash games website? Ohhh and as for that freebie, Here ya go:

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

These are rar files containing 100 flash games and images to get you started on your game site. I’ve also included the sql/database file for a popular Flash Game CMS called GameSiteScript. If you are familiar with it, then you already know how powerful it is and how easy it is to use. If you need help tweaking the database for your website, then please feel free to drop me a line.

2) Tips/Tricks – A tips and tricks website is the perfect compliment for ANY gaming website armada. If you love to give advice to your friends then you’ll love the idea of doing it to get a little bit of cash from some advertisers. Let me not forget:

the freebie

This is a Cheats Database to get you started in the right direction. It contains cheats, tips, and tricks on too many games for me to mention.

Upside: It can be relatively cheap to start (Server Cost and domain registration are the only necessities here). Depending on which route you decide to take, the barriers to entry are extremely low. You can make a limitless amount of money depending on how you pursue this venture. You can control the income (The more/smarter you work, the more you make and vice versa).

Downside: You will undoubtedly be entering a fierce market with fierce competition. You may waste your time and not make a penny. If you do not know much about the web, html, php, and various coding languages, then you may encounter a slight learning curve and will most likely need to rely on the service of others OR you will need to familiarize yourself with a very basic Content Management System.

This brings us to part 4 in the series. The method we’ll be talking about today is the art of making money from simply selling your video games. Now let’s get to it. :borg:

So why I have chosen something that seems so remedial for my 4th best moneymaker? Well it’s simple really, selling video games is just that, simple. You don’t need to study or practice for it. Selling used games has made Gamestop more money their new games sales. In fact, they have made millions, literally, hand over fist for years off of the unsuspecting gamer like yourself. Don’t believe me? Read more here.

So if the big fish out there are doing it, why can’t you? Ok ok, so you’re not a million dollar corporation with a diverse stock offering, but hey you have games that you aren’t playing right? Simply dust them off and sell them.

If you’re at all familiar with ebay then you have one of the best outlets to dispose of your used games. Ebay has locked down the market on Online Auctions, and I believe that their market is a fair estimate of how much your game is actually worth in the real world. You could also try selling the games on Amazon. Amazon has been the thorn in ebay’s side for a while now and they just may overtake them for the reigning online sales king. Lastly, you could try selling the games direct to your buyers on Craigslist. There may be someone who is local to you that may be willing to purchase your game, or atleast, trade you for something else. Trading the game opens up a few more venues and websites for your pleasure. If you need an example here, try Goozex.

Upside: You already have games that you play constantly, why not get rid of them when you’re done and/or sick of them. There is also little to no learning curve here, simply have game, will sell.

Downside: You have to spend money to purchase the games and then you will probably sell the game for far less than what you purchased it for. The profits here are limited to your current supply of video games.

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for the conclusion to the series. I promise it will be an article that you won’t want to miss.

Today I offer up Part 3 of my 5 part mini series. In this installment I am going to show you a way of making money with video games that is not as time sensitive as the two methods before. You just have to be willing to play.

When I was building out Arcade Cow and looking for advertisers with the best ROI, I would stumble across many ebooks, tips, and ideas for how someone could become a video game tester. I have to admit, with all this marketing surrounding it, I almost bit and was tempted to purchase one of the ebooks I found floating around the web. But I wanted to investigate further. The allure seemed too good to be true, and as it turns out, it was! I managed to find many interesting stories detailing the plight of the video game tester. The long hours expected, the competition that helps to feed the high turnover rates, and the miniscule amount of pay offered for a hard days’ work.

Here is a look at just two of the articles I uncovered detailing this scenario:

SFGate – Not All Fun and Games
Seattle Weekly- Testing Video Games Can’t Possibly Be Harder Than an Afternoon With Xbox, Right?

So then how else can you make money by playing video games? Well with no other way than the internet itself. You see, in my travels to find out how to make some cash in the world of video games, I would constantly come across websites, mainly flash games websites, that would offer their users cash to play their games. This is offered in the form of prize money, but if you stick around and beat the odds, then you can rest assure that a little luck will fall on your side.

Upside: The learning curve is virtually non existent. You may have to learn the rules of each game you play, but then again, you enjoy playing video games right. So go get your game on!

Downside: You have to play to win. You may lose constantly if you’re not lucky.

Check out some of these websites for a head start in the cash for play world.

GamesVille – Flash Games can be prosperous and get you some cash
Moola – I love the tutorial found on this site.

This is part 2 in my 5 part mini series where I will show you how to make money in the video game world. This brings me to the 2nd money maker and I guarantee this one is more fun than the last.

The Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game is second on our list of things to do. They too have seen a huge increase in popularity as the internet continues to grow. Taken straight from gamasutra, “World of Warcraft has surpassed 10 million subscribers worldwide, with more than 2 million subscribers in Europe, more than 2.5 million in North America, and about 5.5 million in Asia.”. Those numbers are astounding! The numbers don’t lie, MMORPG’s are huge. These virtual worlds have become second homes to some individuals who spend day and night entranced in front of their computers. The allure is definitely real, in fact, some have called it addictive. So how do we go about making money in these expansive worlds?

Each MMORPG is different and special in its own way but the ways that you make money in each are pretty much the same.

1) Just do it – You could create a character and spend hours and hours, day in and day out playing. When your character reaches a certain level, he is worth a certain something. After all, time is money. Some new players don’t want to spend hours and hours creating their super character. So they’ll look to you to buy yours.

2) Show me the money! – If you genuinely enjoy playing any MMORPG then you’ll no doubt amass a certain amount of money in the game. This money has a real world value and can be sold for real cash. Again, time is money, and some players would rather buy their way to the top.

Need Proof? – Check out this individual who became the lucky new owner of WoW character for the small sum of $9,500

Upside: As with our first money maker, the possibilities for making money in any MMORPG are endless. Hell, if you wanted to, you could turn it into a regular day time job.

Downside: Again time and a slight learning curve come into play here. You will have to learn the trade in whatever MMORPG you decide to run with. Also, it should be noted that many companies have questioned the legality of making real world money from an MMORPG. They have dubbed it RMT or Real Money Trade. If you decide to spread your wings in this arena you will definitely want to look before you leap. Read more here .

You should familiarize yourself with the following websites:

IGE – The authoritative source for buying and selling gold in many popular MMORPG’s.
MMORPG – The name says it all
Game Ogre – The internet gaming mega site
When Play Money Becomes Real – An old Wired Article that still holds true to this day.