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[raddevon]

I'm Devon, and, along with a couple of friends I met online, I've started a company to help hobby indie developers turn their passion into a career. We do this by providing marketing services to help smaller games succeed. We call ourselves PowerUp Games.

My purpose here is two-fold (at least): I want to better understand what small developers need to make their games sell better, and, as a part of gaining that understanding, we are hoping to start working on our own game soon that we will market ourselves.

Looking forward to getting to know you, sharing what we learn, and sharing in what you've learned.

[gameseeker18]

Salutations, my name is gameseeker18 and this is my first step hopefully to working into game development.  Dreaming about it is one thing, getting off my lazy ass to actually DO something about it is another so hopefully this is one good step forward.

I was about 4 or 5 I think when the NES came out, it belonged to my sister but when my mom and sister went out, and my dad slept all day, the NES was pretty much by babysitter, good times. :p  Ever since I've always been into games so much, enough to the extent of going to college for it right now and I'm in the middle of getting my Masters in Computer Science right now.  It seemed like a better idea for a general degree than a specific gaming degree, but if I gotta I'll go the distance for another piece of imprinted paper. 

Anywho games, definitely RPGs as there's nothing as satisfying as saving the world and quite honestly, I found video games to be like an interactive novel or story (I like to read and write too).  Music has also been something I've loved to death in video games but never took the time to practice making such music yet, especially the 8/16-bit generated sounds that are in today's indie games (Shovel Knight is definitely a good example~).  I've played horrible games (and played horribly at games) before all just because the music was incredible, I could never play Metal Slug 3 to save my life but getting to that very last melody when it's you mano-a-mano with the giant alien brain head, it was SO worth burning more than 10 quarters at the arcade!

So yeah, devoted more than 22 years of my life to video games and not once have I made any initiative to working on one myself nor working with a team.  I hope to rectify that as I'm game to anyone and anything that ANYBODY can suggest to me to get started.  If I get a website up I'll be sure to have it in my footer as well, thank you all for your time and patience and I hope to be quite active here more.  ^^

GS

[FishFace]

Hello, all,

I've actually been a member of TIGForums for years, but that was just to give some feedback on the old classic, Manufactoria by PleasingFungus.

Now I've started writing my own game due to the influence of Ragzouken, so I'm coming back for learning, advice and feedback.

I put the most time into FPS games, but I'm not so interested in making them since they're not so interesting design-wise and require a lot of resources. I enjoy roguelikes (I was brought up on nethack) and roguelike-likes (I have a hundred-odd hours logged on FTL o_o) puzzle games, platformers, some strategy games. Most things, really.

My favourite language is python due to its expressiveness and ease of writing. It's not exactly a classic game-writing language, but so far I've not run into real performance issues due to the kinds of things I'm attempting. I do all my day-to-day computing in Linux, including programming, which sometimes makes windows builds a little challenging!

My academic background is pure maths; all the programming I know is entirely self-taught. That started a long time ago when my Dad sat me in front of QBASIC and later Visual Basic. Many years later I was teaching myself C, C++, and other languages including python.

[quisseh]

Hi there!

I’m…
   ⁃   quisseh (pronounced kwis-ay).
   ⁃   23 years old.
   ⁃   a corporate software developer by day.
   ⁃   a hopeful game designer by night.

I head up a tiny indie game studio known as… quisseh. Currently it’s just me and my fiancé working together. I work on the programming and pixel art, while she helps with hand drawn illustrations (cutscenes) and playtesting. I think we make a good team.

You can check out all of my projects on my website if you’re so inclined. All of the finished projects can be downloaded for free.

I’ve been playing games since… always. My family got me into them at a young age (toddler) and I’ve never wanted to kick the habit. Games are magical.

Historically, I’ve enjoyed…
   ⁃   Super Mario Bros. 3
   ⁃   Megaman 2
   ⁃   Sonic the Hedgehog 2
   ⁃   Super Metroid
   ⁃   Tales of Symphonia
   ⁃   Final Fantasy IV
   ⁃   Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations
   ⁃   Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story
   ⁃   Gunstar Heroes
   ⁃   Ristar
   ⁃   The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
   ⁃   Trauma Center: New Blood
   ⁃   VVVVVV
   ⁃   Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
   ⁃   Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

Lately, I’m enjoying…
   ⁃   Kero Blaster
   ⁃   Mario Kart 8
   ⁃   Shovel Knight
   ⁃   Pikmin 3

And I enjoy making games just a little bit more than I enjoy playing the games above.

I’ve figured out by now that for me, motivation is the most important factor in finishing games. So what better motivation than joining a community of people who are working at accomplishing the exact same goals as I am? I’m very much looking forward to checking out everyone’s work, sharing mine, and learning.

See you around!

[Kamikaze]

Hi everyone!

I'm new here, but I've been reading the blog for a while, so I'm introducing myself very quickly.

My name is Ivan and I am a 16 year old spanish game lover. I've been programming as a hobby for 4-5 years and started some projects but never finished any of them . Maybe I can change that and finish the game I am working on now. I am not a pro gamedev but I like learning new things everyday and trying them.

My favourite game series is The Legend Of Zelda, but not played as much as some of you guys do. I prefer PC gaming over consoles. The games I have played in the last 3 months are:
- HL2 games (the episodes too)
- Portal 1 & 2
- TLOZ Skyward Sword
- Monument Valley (short but well designed and made, worth the money)
- Battleblock Theater
- League of Legends
- You have to win the game (found it on Steam)
- Some more I can't remember

So that's all for my introduction. Mabybe I post some things I do in my free time, maybe I ask for some help or feedback, who knows.

[Mya]

Hi folks,

My name's Mayavan Thevendra, but most people call me Mya.

I worked in the UK games industry for about 8 years, at Headfirst Productions (which went under), Free Radical (also went under) and then Frontier Developments (doing well!), and I've been lucky enough to work on a really great mix of projects as a concept artist/3d modeller.

Earlier this year, I left Frontier and the UK, and moved to Denmark to speak Danish badly and give indie game development a try. I guess like most of you guys, i'm hoping that whatever random bits of nonsense I've got floating around in my head are enough to engage people, and take them to places they might not get to on their own.

...And maybe make a little money along the way.

I've got a couple of Tumblr blogs:

http://mtgam.tumblr.com/ (Indie dev)
http://myoventea.tumblr.com/ (Misc artwork)

I'm into all kinds of video games - I love games that are different, as well as games that are familiar, but polished to a high shine. I've got a soft spot for experimental things that don't make a whole lot of sense.

And i'll always have a special place in my heart for Homeworld, Jet Set Radio, and Planescape: Torment.

So, i'm looking forward to seeing what you guys are working on, and taking some baby steps upwards.

[TheChaoticGood]

Hi everyone,

My name is Juan Carlos Santiago and I'm a lifelong gamer and indie developer. Baby pic below. I’ve had the pleasure to play every major console to hit the market and even see gaming grow from Pong to Skyrim. I am passionate about video games as a medium and I’m happy that it’s evolved into an art form. Ever since I’ve been in computers I’ve wanted to develop games and after college I’ve the opportunity to try my hand at it.



-= Games =-
Currently I’m playing League of Legends, trying to work my way from Gold to Plat.  But if I’m honest with myself my favorite games are RPGs. To that regard I have to pay homage to my FAVORITE GAME OF ALL TIME.

Planescape Torment – If you haven’t played this game then you owe it to yourself to stop whatever you’re doing right now and play this game. In fact, click this. You don’t need to know anything before you play it besides that it’s going to blow your mind.


My second and third favorite game
Chrono Trigger – Final Fantasy 2 on the snes might have been the first RPG I played on a console but this game took everything to the next level with multiple endings and gameplay that was fun and engaging (combat in JRPGs can be boring and can rely too heavily on grinding, which I hate.) oh and the music is classic.


Mass Effect – I was thinking of going with Fzero or Minecraft, but the mix of fantastic storytelling and real time combat makes this a game worth mentioning, even if 99% of you have played it.


-=Indie Development=-

I’ve worked on smaller titles in the past, but I’m finally working on something I can call my own. Outland 17: Void of Liberty is a Tactical RPG that’s inspired by the American Revolutionary War but with a sci-fi ecstatic. Think laser muskets, hover ponies and instead of colonies there are space stations.

I’ve been working on it for over 2 years with a small team and we are finally showing people what we are making. I would love any feedback because that’s how we grow and can make a better game for you all. Our game plays alike a mix between XCom and Final Fantasy, has the mission structure of FTL and the leveling system of Skyrim.

If you want to learn more check out our page and follow us on your favorite social media site. For those of you who want to see news before anyone else or want to give feedback, please sign up for our mailing list.






I look forward to speaking with you all

[SullyTheStrange]

Hey Juan, I really like the art style of your game and the clean look of your characters. Very appealing

[Spire]

Well I guess it's my turn lol. My name is samori Simon...AKA. Spire and I like all types of videogames. I got introduced to video games believe it or not at the dentist. My dentist had a game cube and he left it out for everyone to play. I remember the first game I had ever played was mario kart with my brother. When it was time to leave i had got so hooked to the game i started to cry (I was 4 gimme a break) I begged my parents to get me one, and they were only about 50 bucks at the time so i got one then for the next year all i did was play mario and sonic games year after year and I am Addicted. Well 2 years ago when i was 12 I realized that i can't play games forever (YES I CAN!!) and to me the only thing better then playing video games is making video games so I figured I would start early and start to make a game. Well that hasn't turned out to well. I started 2 games with 2 different friends but it seemed I was the only one commited. So now I am asking my fellow gamers and indie developers for HELP i know i; not just gonna whip out a game out of no where but if i had a little support or like a mentor or to help someone with ideas on their game which is what i really want to do please contact me. To me there is nothing more in life then Games Games and Games email me at [email protected]

[triceratopnotch]

triceratopnotch. Thought I'd sign up since I lurk a lot. Web dev writing his first game in C with SDL 2.0. Reporting live.

[Neeko]

Hey everyone! I'm Nick DiMucci, founder of MindShaft Games. I'm a software developer by day, indie game developer every other waking moment. I've been developing games since about 2009, since which I've cobbled together various games (all horrible) and participated in a few game jams. Now, I'm currently hard at work on Demons with Shotguns, a local multiplayer battle game in similar vain to TowerFall and Samurai Gunn (you can check out my devlog at http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=40761.0).

It looks like people also post their favorite games and games they are currently playing?
So my top three favorite are

• Duke Nukem 3D
• Unreal Tournament
• A tie between The Realm Online & Final Fantasy VII

You would also need to throw in all of the classic LucasArts adventure games in there as well. I use to obsessively play Maniac Mansion and Monkey Island as a kid. I love most all game genres, but I would say simulation and RTS games are the games I play the least of. I'm much more into action games, twitch based shooters and platformers, and story driven games.

Right now, I'm just playing Smite when I get the chance, and just finished up The Wolf Among Us.

You can check out the links in my signature to follow MindShaft Games, and you can follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NickDiMucci

[TheChaoticGood]

Hey Juan, I really like the art style of your game and the clean look of your characters. Very appealing

Thank you so much! The game is really starting to look good. I put the upcoming trailer on the big screen last night and I was blown away.

[millershaski]

Hey everyone,

My name is Tyler Millershaski. I'm a part time programmer / game designer. For a little background, I recently finished a 3 and a half year contract in the United States Army as an all source intelligence analyst. While in the Army I met some guys while working on a Minecraft mod, and now we make small games together.

Our team is composed of two programmers from the United States, a graphics artist from Sweden, and a sound artist from Sweden. This makes communication a little difficult, but we're all passionate about making games.

We recently finished an Android game in Unity, Super Squid Squisher. Let us know what you think.



If you have any questions about Unity development I'd be more than happy to help.

[GridlockBen]

Hi everyone,

My name is Ben Parbury and I'm a games programmer by trade (Free Radical Design, Crytek & Deep Silver Dambuster Studios) but have recently started dropped my hours to part time so I can develop games independently and attempt to make some kind of a living making interesting and varied games.

I'm a great believer in playtesting so I expect that's where I'll be spending most my time on here. If you want to harass me you can at [email protected] or http://twitter.com/GridlockBen

Thanks for listening and making this a thriving community!

[lukechinworth]

Hi, Luke Chinworth here. Hoosier working as an engineer in Oklahoma.
I started tinkering with game development and code (Java) for the first time in January of 2013. My brother is an amazing artist (typeswamp.tumblr.com) and it is my dream to create games with him. My 'career' has got in the way of pressing into this dream, so we have only just recently started throwing around game ideas. However, we did start collaborating at the start of this year on an illustrated editorial blog about our favorite cultural artifacts (drawdistance.tumblr.com), and it has been a complete joy watching my writing and his illustrations align with little intent on our parts.

Super Mario World changed my life. I had played Zaxxon, Q-Bert, and Donkey Kong, Jr. on our Coleco Vision before, but SMW was the first time I realized I was playing a 'Video Game.' I was pretty much a goner after that.

I'm a sucker for atmospheric adventure games with light action and puzzle-solving elements, particularly Team Ico's work. It's a common favorite, but I would be lying if said I connected with any other games more.

Currently, I'm most excited for Jonathan Blow's The Witness, Lucas Pope's Return of the Obra Dinn, the conclusion of Kentucky Route Zero, and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter.

Thanks for your time and thanks for providing such a sweet place for game development to thrive!

[Dissident Dan]

Hey, my name's Dan. I don't always put things on my head, but when I do, I prefer watermelons (or silly hats).


My favorite games tend to be the ones that I think feel good, control-wise. I like action games and ones that have real-time spatial puzzles. This includes the FPS games of yore, platformers, and games like Portal. To be honest, I don't usually care much for narrative in games, although I appreciate character in games. I'm more into mechanics. I love physicsy stuff like Red Faction: Guerrilla and Mushroom 11. I will always have fond memories of using a toilet both as a shield and a weapon in Half-Life 2: Deathmatch. Some of my favorite recent indie games are Mark of the Ninja, The Swapper, and Samurai Gunn.

Well, I was 13 or 14 when I decided I wanted to make games for a living, got started in earnest within a year or two, and now I'm an old man of 30 years. The first thing I did that could be considered at all related to making computer games was when I replaced the "Welcome" sound for AOL with silly Simpsons lines like, "Thank you for shopping at Quickie Mart. I'll see you in Hell. <shotgun blast>". I was amazed that I was able to change AOL, and I felt like a bad-ass. That was neither the first nor last moment of my love affair with computers, but it was a poignant one.

I then moved onto both messing around with GW BASIC and doing Quakey stuff like futzing around with the level editor and pak files. (Quake 1 is still one of my favorite games ever, along with Mario 64 and Portal. In fact, if you ever want to deathmatch with me, I'd love to give it another go).

I got into C++ in high school, programming Quake 3 mods and writing a software, wireframe 3D renderer that could load Quake 3 models.


Dual-wielding in my Quake 3 mod, Trial by Fire

My fondness with Quake 1 and idolization of John Carmack got me going down the road to graphics, which led me to internship at ATI and my first games job as a graphics programmer for Mad Doc Software, working on Empire Earth III. I then spent 6 years at High Moon Studios. I'm really proud of the Transformers games we made there. You can see some of the graphics stuff I did through college and my "traditional" career here.


My first foray into skeletal animation

But I was just this one role. I didn't have any influence on what the games we made were about. So I spent years saving up money to quit and go indie, which I did last August. I'm now working on a local multiplayer game called Paperbound. It's an idea I had many, many years ago (and even prototyped), but I didn't decide to take the plunge until recently. I could kick myself for not doing this sooner, as I think it would have made waves back then, but now it seems like the general first-glance impression is, "Oh, great. Another local multiplayer game."

But I still have hope that it will succeed (financially), I will rest happy knowing I made the game I wanted to make, and I doubt I will ever stop making games.

[Elemental Studios]

Hello Everybody!

I'm Joseph Racey, and Elemental Studios is my new indie game studio. I started out as a modder about eight years ago. I've done modding for Call of Duty 4 and World at War, Left 4 Dead, and Far Cry 3. Here is my portfolio for some of my works, http://josephracey.webs.com/

I'm now on my new video game Elemental, which I just launched on Kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/387649267/elemental-0

I look forward to this community and what we can do.

[JeqFrost]

Well, I'm just some random brazillian game developer aspirant who wants to make games just for fun, maybe for business someday.

I'm kind of a newbie, don't know much of programming or graphical creation, but I want to get better in all of these areas.

I really enjoy the Shin Megami Tensei series and my name's Pedro c:

[robbiehunt]

Hi!

I'm Robbie Hunt. I've been making games for a while, mostly just for myself. Gradually as I went through college I realized what a immense satisfaction and sense of self-expression it brought to me. I sling javascript for a living, I used to use Action Script a lot in game jams - but lately I've been working on a tabletop game.

Quick side note about the tabletop game: wow, what a different community. The digital indie game scene is so open and while some are concerned with profit and marketing - everyone seems to "get" the whole self-expression don't-polish-all-the-personality-away thing. I have not quite found that in the tabletop design community.

So that's why I've come crawling back to the digital indie scene!

[AJARTCGA]

Hello!

My name is Austin Ferguson, and I'm just starting to get delve into indie games.
I've been programming for several years now, but I'm not that great. My coding still trumps my art skills, though. You guys better hope I don't post any screenshots before someone else redoes my programmer art, or you may very well go blind!

Anyway, I am working with two friends under the name of White Sleeve Studios. We are just starting to develop our own games, but I can already tell I love the feeling! I have started many projects in the past, but now we are finally buckling down and getting stuff finished. We currently have one big game, The Ballads of Lyr Afin, in development. It is an open world, top-down 2D role-playing game set in a medieval high-fantasy setting. Sounds, cliche, we know. That is why we have decided to put graphics on the back burner, and focus mostly on lore, storytelling, and gameplay mechanics. Hopefully we can get things together and put a devlog up soon! I can't wait to show what we have so far, and receive some comments!

Other than that, we have a few smaller (much smaller), apps for android and iOS. Those just need polished up and published, so hopefully you will be seeing them soon!
Well, that's more than enough about me!