Have you wondered how a WiiWare developer makes money? Me either, but a friendly tip sent in by a developer to Kotaku reveals the magical number needed before they start seeing dough in their own pockets.
The numbers needed to turn a profit in NA is double that of Europe and also varies depending on how big the actual game is. Here is the breakdown according to Kotaku’s tipster:
NA
Games over 16MB – 6000 units
Under 16MB – 4000 units
Europe
Games over 16MB – 3000 units
Under 16MB – 2000 units
If the numbers are met within two years then the developer will see a 65/35 split in their favor from total sales. But if they don’t meet that target by the two-year mark then they’re SOL. And now you know the rest of the story.
via Kotaku
Well, that’s explains why Wii Ware is basically a ghost town…
It must suck to be them. I bet they make some big bucks if the game is really successful though.