indie developers

[nuttyprot]

Ok I admit I im the type of person that USED to value graphics and would buy top branded games. But I have to say indie developers have made me find the joy in gaming again and I have a new found respect for them.

Over the past few months i have played minecraft and Terraria and it is so refreshing to see people try something new with developing game. As I am personally sick to death of the same old FPS games that seem to dominate the pc gaming market.

Does anyone think that with the success of minecraft and terraria the big game developers might take note and realize people want new things?

 

[orderoftheflame]

Indie developers have been giving us new fresh ideas for years. I don't see the big studios following suit though.

It's low enough risk to try out new ideas on a game with a shortish production time, low budget and small enough staff that you can change the whole direction of the game when new ideas do or don't work. When you've got a multi-million dollar budget, investors that expect returns and a large number of employees that rely on your game selling well for a steady income, it's not so easy just to go wild and take a gamble on some crazy new idea that might not pay off.

That said, I don't think the big boys would be able to deliver the same kind of quirky, new, small, fun games that indie devs kick out. Best to let them stick to what they know imo.

 

[nuttyprot]

Such a shame could you imagine if minecraft was made by Bethesda. With the modding community that they have and the technical knowledge they have.

Just seems the past few years the game industry has produced the same old FPS or RPG for the pc. Nothing new or inventive just ad a dif gimmick to each one.

 

[overclick]

Have to say I am pretty happy with the balance. I enjoy both the smash hit AAA games and the quirky indie games. One day I might be playing Black Ops or Civ 5, the next it's spacechem or Super Meat Boy. I don't really feel i miss seeing many higher budget games that take a risk.

 

[badcompany]

I have been bored of gaming recently and a graphical whore and been playing FPS mainly since 1997 and I have discovered Frozen Synapse and am now addicted to it.

 

[PapaLazaru]

Frozen Synapse and am now addicted to it.

Genius in what appears to be simplicity. It proves that you do not need high res graphics and big explosions to make a brilliant game.

I have bought loads of indie titles over the last few years. Games like Trine, Minecraft, Osmos, Altitide, Braid, Clones, Defcon, Machinarium, Shatter, Plain Sight, World of Goo, Swords and Solders, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, the list goes on!

Get them in the Steam sales whilst they are cheap.

 

[eekfek]

the indie scene is quite vibrant at the moment, I highly recommend the game Dwarfs? http://www.dwarfs-game.com/ ... simple yet so addictive with a plethora of sub-games and is on sale via Steam.

 

[Van Hellseek]

Does anyone think that with the success of minecraft and terraria the big game developers might take note and realize people want new things?

I might even have given this topic some credit if you hadn't used two massively commercial games as examples.

 

[PapaLazaru]

I might even have given this topic some credit if you hadn't used two massively commercial games as examples.

Successful does not mean commercial.

 

[Van Hellseek]

Successful does not mean commercial.

No... Money does. And both of these make big money.

 

[PapaLazaru]

No... Money does. And both of these make big money.

Indeed, but they they did not have money to start. They are (were) both small developers with a good idea. The idea was that good they made lots of money. That does not detract from the fact that they were small indie developers in the first place.

Minecraft is still in beta btw.

 

[bhavv]

'Indie Games' =/= 'Bad Graphics'.

I've recently been playing Ares and Defense Grid, and the graphics in those two are pretty mint.

I dont know what the problem is with 'top branded' games these days. There is no longer any doubt that just about every major franchise keeps on dumbing their games down, or changing them for the worse, and I have never understood why anyone that makes a game with a brilliant formula would ever do that.

The only top branded games I have found recently that hadnt had any dumbing down were strategy titles released by Ubisoft, but then you have to deal with their notorious DRM.

Indie game producers are basically making the gameplay that people actually want and enjoy, something that the top producers keep on ommiting from their games nowadays.

 

[Huw]

No... Money does. And both of these make big money.

Are you the kind of person who stops listening to a band once they become popular?

 

[Gimpymoo]

No... Money does. And both of these make big money.

I understand the point you are making but both of those developers have not done anything "evil" as yet.

I posted this a week or so ago but believe it is relevant here:

I do believe one factor contributing to the "derp" factor is the complexity of game design nowadays.

ALTHOUGH... saying that...

CONSOLES DO NOT HELP (Saying that, the PS3 is getting some very good exclusives now devs have learned how to develop for the thing).

Supreme Commander/Forged alliance were awesome games, pushed the PC to its limits and it showed.

Supreme Commander 2 on the other hand was WAY more restrictive, I can only assume because the consoles could not handle the processing power which meant unit/map sizes were nerfed.

Why else would you nerf a great game?

Sequels should be better than their originals, take what was good and improve upon it.

Supreme Commander 2 did not standup to Total Anihilation in my opinion.

Has Hank_Marvin said though, time restraints do not help.

The best games ever made were made in a time when passion was put into games when the developers believed in what they were doing and publishers left them to it. Now, (for AAA games anyway) it is all very "Hollywood" with the **** fest which comes with it both political and financial. Back in the day, when games were not considered such big business, it was better as not soo many greedy people around.

In a way, gaming as become a victim of its own success. To appeal to the masses and not just "geeks", they had to make the games more "Hollywood" too which has not helped. Nowadays, you have games designed for gamers, and games designed for people who play games, two very different markets. The truth is, "Gamers" is a dirty word to the big publishers so it is upto the Indies and few bigger "gamers" studios to produce the games us gamers want to play.

Did Chris Taylor want to release Supreme Commander 2 on a console, I very much doubt it, THQ would have insisted upon it and from there on in, the game was never going to be as good as its predecessor.

Indie development is where it is at for two reasons, PASSION AND FREEDOM.

Frozen Synapse and Minecraft are two examples.

Magnificent games although if in the hands of a big publisher, imagine what would happen?

Oh, did I forget Valve and Tripwire Interactive, THEY ROCK. And guess what, they publish themselves so do whatever they want.

Imagine Bobby Kottick in the dev meeting for TF2..

Gabe: "Hi Bobby. Yes, were going to be supporting this for over 5 years with constant updates, over a hundred of them"
Kottick: "Wow, think of all the money"
Gabe: "No Bobby, they will be free"
Kottick: Has a heart attack and dies - HOORAY

Kottick exemplifies the very reason of the ops post.

GREED.

 

[WingZero30]

Looking at interviews of both Bobby and Gabe; one thing does seem very striking!!

Gabe does come across as a genuine person when talking about games development.

Bobby seems to be on the opposite end talking about profits of his company etc. He also seems more shallow.
No wonder COD games don't make good sales