Market for Browser-Based Games?

[AskNotGames]

Hey Indie-Resource!

I've been a lurker here for some time and really enjoy the community here! I've been self-teaching some programming, and while I'm definitely not fully proficient yet, I am looking to start small with goals for games that are certainly achievable. That being said, I was following some of Halls' (incredibly helpful) PHP Browser-Based game tutorials, and it got me thinking... Is there still a market for text-based, browser-based games anymore?

To clarify, by market, I mean a significant number of people willing to play a game, not necessarily actually paying for a game or products in game. I'll probably try to finish one anyways just for myself and the satisfaction of completing my first game, but I figured this was something to look into if I ever wanted to develop a browser game further in depth than the current game I'm working on.

Thanks,
Ask Not Games

[Xaos]

My philosophy is that if you build it, they will come. Build a kickA game people will play it.

[Script47]

I made a couple of threads like this on another forum, not advertising it because I don't really use it. But here are the threads.

http://www.makewebgames.com/showthread. ... sed-games)

http://www.makewebgames.com/showthread. ... ll-it-last

[hallsofvallhalla]

Browser games are by far the largest market.

They have the games with largest concurrent and signed up players hands down. You could take the players top 10 3d MMORPGS and they would not equal one of the largest browser game.

[Script47]

Browser games are by far the largest market.

They have the games with largest concurrent and signed up players hands down. You could take the players top 10 3d MMORPGS and they would not equal one of the largest browser game.

Totally agree, but with the quality of games being released these days (in terms of text based games) I doubt many people will play them. People release bog standard engines claiming them to be "unique" and "totally different". When in reality they have changed the colours a little and added some mods which most likely they never made them self. But yes if you have a break then it will be big, lets take Torn for an example. Very simple but it has been changed drastically since the owner started it.

[hallsofvallhalla]

agreed.

Ugh Torn. Such a terrible example. Granted I have not played or seen it in some time but I "had some dealings" with it in the very beginning and yes it had some direction but it fizzled. If things have changed then good to hear. It caught some great hype and did better than expected.

I can name browser games with 60 million players. No other game can claim that. I can name muds with 1-2 million players. That is a text based game.

[AskNotGames]

Interesting, I never realized how large of a market there still was for it. That's very true though, it obviously has to be a good game, and well maintained/regularly updated to keep people coming to it. Thanks for the input!

[Script47]

agreed.

Ugh Torn. Such a terrible example. Granted I have not played or seen it in some time but I "had some dealings" with it in the very beginning and yes it had some direction but it fizzled. If things have changed then good to hear. It caught some great hype and did better than expected.

I can name browser games with 60 million players. No other game can claim that. I can name muds with 1-2 million players. That is a text based game.

Haha, it was the first text based game which came in to my head which wasn't a out of the box MCC game. So I thought I'd use that.