How to make money from games

There are an increasing number of lightweight ways to make money from producing computer and video games. Many of these are suitable for indie (independent) or small developers. Here is a sampling for comparison:

Sell Apps Directly:

• iPhone App Store: app store for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch
  
• Android Market: app store for Android platform (created by Open Handset Alliance, led by Google)
  
• BlackBerry App World: app store for RIM BlackBerry products, including Java ME platform
• Nokia Ovi Store: app store for Nokia products, including Java ME platform
  
• Handango: app store for Java ME and other mobile platforms; works with multiple product vendors

Sell Access to Online Game Service:

• Multiverse: online 3-d game platform including billing and transaction processing; you pay a fixed percentage of earnings for a license, plus relatively low collection fees; if you charge nothing, you pay nothing

Make Money from Advertising:

• Mochi Media: advertising revenue platform for Flash
• AdMob: advertising revenue platform for mobile devices
  
• Google AdSense: advertising revenue platform for the web; could be incorporated into any web-based game, or your game company's website, for example

Sell Other Things:

• You can also sell schwag or devices or other things in addition to your game revenue. T-shirts, mugs, related hardware, website subscriptions, and all other manner of goods and services can supplement what your game makes by itself.