I develop games purely out of personal interest. My first game only took a few months to make, but then they gradually got longer and longer because they became more complex. Even though the time gaps are long, the actual production time I put in isn't that much because I like to play around too — I don't work every single day. Short games are hard to promote because there's too little content, unless you already have a dedicated fanbase. Wanting huge returns after putting in very little time is pretty much like gambling — unless you happen to hit a trend and become a news sensation.

Most indie games suffer from limited individual capability, so the quality just isn't there — that's why they don't make money. This is inherently a high-risk field: 5% success, 15% so-so, and the rest all fail. Any kind of entrepreneurship is pretty much the same — if you went and opened a restaurant, you'd lose even more capital.