Where's the Money in Casual Web Game Development?

For years, developing Web-based casual games was little more than a hobby, a means of creative expression for game enthusiasts. Then advertising revenue started to reshape the casual gaming landscape–now, multimillion-dollar deals, flourishing start-ups like Mochi Media and Kongregate, and the attention of media giants Google (GOOG), Yahoo (YHOO) and Microsoft (MSFT) are the name of the game. Sustaining the stream of quality games to play is now a business venture in itself, and with ad revenue streams at their disposal, developers stand to make a real profit off of their work. But just how much money can these new revenue streams bring to casual game developers’ pockets?

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