There is no hard evidence that developing puzzle games is the best way to go, to become a full time shareware developer for living.

Check out the topic Succesfull shareware developers. There are all kind of genres mentioned, arcade, puzzle, card especially, rpg, adventure, strategy, casino, board.

You will notice that there are not extreme much shareware developers on the list (33 total). But this are the ones I traced and figured out that they live from the earnings. There could be some developers missing. But one thing is important that the succesfull games shareware developers isn't a big list. So there aren't plenty of them. One thing is also sure most developers fail, unfortunately. I am also sure that just like what Mike said a bit luck is involved.

Since shareware is just one form of marketing, as such developers grow their businesses large enough, they tend to fall off the radar because they no longer rely primarily on shareware marketing. Apogee and id Software are two examples.

The pattern of it being less crowded at the top is true of any industry ... not just this one.

I'll just note that I personally don't believe luck is a very important factor in becoming a successful game developer. (or successfull anything really) Hard work and stick-to-it-ness are probably the two most important factors (with talent trailing far behind and a bunch of other stuff in between). Sure you can *get lucky* sometimes, but you have to be in there playing your cards to win.

I think these two articles cover the main reasons why so many developers fail:
http://www.dexterity.com/articles/shareware-amateurs-vs-shareware-professionals.htm
http://www.dexterity.com/articles/basic-market-research.htm

I was selling 1-3 games per day, certainly not enough to make a living from. Still, I went full-time, doing some shockwave games on the side to pay the bills.

I released my 2nd game, WarHeads SE. An editor at download.com just happened to love the game, and decided to put it on the very front page of download.com, complete with picture. From that exact moment, my sales exploded and went from nearly nothing to something I could easily make a living from.

I think without that break, it would have taken me several months, or even years to reach that point. I may have not had the means to continue for that long with no income.

So, to me, that's pretty lucky.

-Mike

Originally posted by Mike Boeh
So, to me, that's pretty lucky.

-Mike [/B]

You see.. I wouldn't call that luck. Had you not put in the hard work and effort to make a good game that the editor saw and posted you never would have been able to get the money. I get "lucky" like that all the time. I just think that since I'm out there and I have games on the market sometimes editors will pick the stuff up. I did a press release for Twilight Mahjongg and Smart Computing did a free 1/4 page blurb. It sold a lot of copies. Was it lucky? Yes and no...

Mike,

I agree with svero. That is luck, yes, but it's manufactured luck. You made your own luck.

In The Millionaire Mind (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0740718584/davidrmsoftwa-20), Thomas Stanley provides this quote:

The harder I work, the luckier I become.

-David

Originally posted by DavidRM
Mike,

I agree with svero. That is luck, yes, but it's manufactured luck. You made your own luck.

In The Millionaire Mind (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0740718584/davidrmsoftwa-20), Thomas Stanley provides this quote:

The harder I work, the luckier I become.

-David

I like that quote... time to change my "sig"

- S

A couple defintions of luck I like:
"LUCK = Laboring Under Correct Knowledge"
"Luck is what happens when preparedness meets opportunity."

Everyone will experience some good luck and some bad luck. But the highly successful people will ride their winners longer when luck is good and cut their losses earlier when luck is bad.

Shoot Steve, with that definition, I have to give the one for FEAR: "False Evidence Appearing Real." ;-)

Absolutely agreed about luck = preparation + opportunity. Opportunities come by all the time, but how many are we prepared to take advantage of?