The ability to hear about independent games is starting to catch up to the ability to distribute them. Sites like aggregator Jayisgames.com, tigsource.com, and social networking site kongregate.com are helping to get the word out. But there's still no real dedicated sales channel for independent game makers; many of these sites just point to independent game makers' own sites, where the game may be available for download free or for a fee.

Independent developer Lars A. Doucet has had some success financing his game, about America's energy policies (and zombies), using embedded Flash ads from Mochi. Because ads are part of the game, Doucet doesn't even mind when his game is copied illegally because it's being spread around, ads included.

"It's nice to have some kind of income from this, as opposed to working on it for just blood and sweat," says Doucet, who used to work for a traditional game developer.

Hardware Adds a Challenge

Selling online is a bigger challenge for Eddo Stern, whose two-player based around sensory deprivation, involves use of a headset that "allows the player to feel where the other entities are in the game, so blind people can play too." He expects to be able to sell the headpiece and game bundled for US$30, for both the Xbox and PCs.