How you will make money is via DLC vanity and starter content packs. You can group a awesome flamethrower with some katana and some awesome green goo grenades, a clown character costume, some maid outfit, and a awesome new map to explore. The maximum you want to charge for that is $5.00. The cheaper you are, the more people will buy if they think it is worth it. Too cheap hurts the market, just right makes you rich. My idea is coming out spring of 2012 for Steam. It is a zombie themed game, bursting with content, and totally free. Everything in the game is AAA quality, with sounding being AA quality. Music will really hurt me on that one, xD. My gift to you is, if you can pull that off, expect to beat the odds my friend.
Now I may have a solid marketing and advertising plan in place that is tried and true, alongside money to advertise, and the knowledge and wisdom to make a sale in any kind of market, but that advantage will only ensure the most money from my work. I encourage you to plan out your game and make sure every aspect of it will FLOW with each other without any slight microsecond of a hiccup. Those hiccups will RUIN immersion and fun. Always remember to incorporate solid Public Relations Data into your game, and make sure that you study what is coming to the market and when it is coming to the market. There are solid times where there will be NO games released, and it will be a perfect time for you to release a game. Just remember, that alongside making fun and exciting games comes the aspects of good business. If one area lacks, then you will fail. Also, don't get weary as a lot of people do and make decisions when you are tired, bored, or just plain worn out. Wait until you are refreshed and then make the decisions, because if you feel like quitting one day, and you end up sticking to it, you might just become the next AAA studio.