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I would hope consistency in regular communications and substantial updates are important. But they're not. They make you more liked but not more paid. Well you are hitting on marketing and product release. Now, honestly it really depends on the 'crew' where communication matters. If you are consistent, yes it does help getting paid... now it's not a simple formula; there are plenty pitfalls and no matter what level of communication, marketing and release times will fix-- otherwise everybody would be doing it.
Targeting a niche is not a good idea - it's just less paying audience - unless you know there are a small amount of people who want to pay a lot for that niche content. Oh boy where to start? Let's just simply say not everyone is into everything that can be put into a game. So yes you do have to find a niche that is popular enough that pays. Simply put NTR is not everyone's cup of tea... nor is Chicks-with-dicks, or etc... etc. Some people love medieval fantasy, others are not. The adult gaming industry, like all other industry is like a pie; your market share of that industry is your market share of it. And yes--you are 100% correct. Too narrowly focused in small market share is a recipe for failure. It's a fact because "A Perfect Marriage" has NTR, there are people who will not play it no matter how good it is.
Staffing - no, you don't need a financial admin to make a game. Attractive art, good story, acceptable programming. It's worth learning about games marketing or hiring someone to do that, but only after you want to pay them a budget in the thousands. Oh...really? Every heard of taxes? In the states it's not a bad idea to know how to file and pay taxes or how a 1099 works (simplest forum to use but limited in application) and that doesn't include local state taxes--while some governments want to know if you have financial activities in other countries. Just as an example regardless of what 1040 forum you are using, you have to report you have money outside the US and how much. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.
But you're right the more people in your group who can wear different hats, the better off you are.
A Perfect Marriage has really attractive art (protagonist) and an engaging story. That's what built the primary core of paying customers (and the secondary non-paying fans, who probably won't convert to paying but promote the game). The releases are slow but satisfying and surprisingly bug free. Totally spot on! It's a great game. Mr. Palmer has hit the ball out of the park in an area where there are some many games with cheating, NTR and etc. Even better it's just not some run of the mill game of an angry wife on the verge of cheating but a game with OLD FOSSILS who might be one of Anna's lovers. I'll wager a large majority of the audience wants to see how Mr. Palmer pulls that plot off. But damn you are 100% correct about Mr. Palmer's characters. We the audience are invested in their outcomes. That in writing circles is a success. From here on, its Mr. Palmer's to lose or continue with success.
I would encourage anyone who can make attractive art to try making a game if they want to make money. So do I and why I made my comments encouraging ItsNotus to go for it.
FYI... take a guess what my career specializes in.
*hint: Before this current job I was a credit manager, Escrow Account Manager prior to that
