FlashGameLicense.com (FGL) is a website dedicated to bringing Flash game developers and sponsors together. I have been using FGL since late 2008 and find it to be a useful tool with an excellent community. Below, I will briefly describe the two things that I most enjoy about FlashGameLicense.com.
Developer Community
Numerous skilled game developers, and some artists, participate on FGL. The single most useful aspect of the site that I have experienced is receiving feedback from my peers. FGL allows developers to upload their games, at any level of completion, and share them with the community. With Flash Gear for example, I initially created a crude demo of the game and sought feedback from other developers. Their comments, opinions, and bug reports proved to be an invaluable resource leading to the successful production of the game. Additionally, it allowed me to gauge interest for the idea, before I put in the effort to create it. I highly recommend that Flash creators use the FGL community to inform the design and development of their games.
Thinking in reverse, another feature of the FGL community is that one can play other members' games. This is beneficial for multiple reasons. For one, by playing someone else's games, I am able to get new ideas for my own and understand how people approach game design differently. Furthermore, if I leave useful feedback for someone else, he or she is likely to take a notice of my games and return the favor. Together we improve the overall quality of each other's products. Lastly, the potential also exists for members to collaborate. By reviewing other users' creations, I can identify people who I might be interested in working with on future projects.
Sponsorship Opportunities
To my understanding, the main intended purpose of FGL is to link game creators with sponsors. This opens doors to new developers who do not have industry connections and helps sponsors find quality games that may have been overlooked otherwise. Though it may take a few attempts, developers of high-quality Flash games can indeed receive sponsorship for their hard work. FGL has a number of pages of FAQs and sponsorship descriptions, as well as a responsive staff, that help to educate new developers about the process. I was fortunate enough to receive my first game sponsorship through FGL and am grateful for that opportunity. It is unlikely that I would have obtained the level of exposure with Flash Gear that I did, had it not been for FGL.
Check It Out
If you are a Flash game developer, FlashGameLicense.com is certainly worth taking a look at. At a minimum, it will expose you to ideas from other developers and potential sponsors. However, if you choose to get involved in the community, it will prove to be a valuable resource for informing your game design and development process.
P.S. Flash Gear will be launching on the AddictingGames website in the near future. I will make a post describing the game and linking to it at that time.
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