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[Craig Stern]

Surely you can make a game that's not for children without breaking that rule.

You could. But what's the point in limiting the range of words available for us to use in expressing ourselves if we're not aiming our games towards children? Suppose I want to have a rough-edged character who expresses himself with profanity. Most people use at least some profanity when they speak. It just seems like a silly limitation that hurts the designer's ability to create a full range of characters with realistic dialog.

[moi]

Ruh roh marketing powah!
$100 makes this a ripoff
indie develloper,
You are the product now.

[Alec S.]

Man, "Breaking Into the Industry" always makes me think of crowbars and ski masks.   

The time limit seems too short to make something specifically for the competition (or rather, make something that is worth risking $100 bucks over.  Most of my games are made in under two months, but I don't think they're what this competition is looking for.)

[JoeHonkie]

Surely you can make a game that's not for children without breaking that rule.

You could. But what's the point in limiting the range of words available for us to use in expressing ourselves if we're not aiming our games towards children? Suppose I want to have a rough-edged character who expresses himself with profanity. Most people use at least some profanity when they speak. It just seems like a silly limitation that hurts the designer's ability to create a full range of characters with realistic dialog.

I'm pretty much anti-censorship and pro-profanity, but I have a hard time thinking there's a problem that isn't easy to avoid here.  Use !*#$ or "frak" or something.  Since profanities generally have no meaning or one that can easily be guessed (implied meanings, not literal meanings) from context that's really not an issue.

Likewise, unless your game is specifically about nudity there's easy workarounds for that.  If you can't say what you want to say without having the work FUCK in there, I don't know that you really had anything interesting on your mind to begin with.

[Alex May]

You think two months is short? Try making a game in two hours. Now that's hardcore indie game making.

That's a great skill. Now do one in the same time that's worth $100,000.

[Craig Stern]

I'm pretty much anti-censorship and pro-profanity, but I have a hard time thinking there's a problem that isn't easy to avoid here.  Use !*#$ or "frak" or something.  Since profanities generally have no meaning or one that can easily be guessed (implied meanings, not literal meanings) from context that's really not an issue.

Frak? Really? Why would I want my characters using a made-up word from Battlestar Galactica?

I'm mostly just interested in knowing what possible reason they could have for insisting that we use #@!*& instead of "shit."

[Alex May]

The same reason you'd say "SHHHH-ugar" if you were in front of kids.

[aeiowu]

Wha? Digital creation employment? Is that almost everyone?
Published game? As in a game you can buy at Gamestop (power to the players)?

Splitting it into two separate competitions seems a bit silly. I mean, it does do some good in that it would separate an ex-Blizzard 15-man start-up company from high schooler in his parent's basement, but it seems like other than that extreme case it's a somewhat arbitrary distinction. I think a better separation would be team size...

This is where I get hung up too. I read "digital creation employment" as being an employee in a game related field, maybe some kind of outsourcing firm or something. I've never been an employee. And published games? Just about any game developer with a fraction of a shot at this thing has probably put something up on on the internet somewhere. Publish = store shelves. Maybe XBLA?

If I enter, i'm putting down non-pro. They can ask questions later.

[ShawnF]

I'm confused by why everyone is upset about the $100 entry fee, but embraces the exact same fee for the IGF.  Is there something I'm missing?

[Craig Stern]

The same reason you'd say "SHHHH-ugar" if you were in front of kids.

Right--so we're back to making kids' games for this contest. Eh, whatever.

[Radix]

The real reason is Gamestop gets heat every time kids shoot up their school, which has been proven to be directly caused by hearing the word 'fuck'.

[Alex May]

The same reason you'd say "SHHHH-ugar" if you were in front of kids.

Right--so we're back to making kids' games for this contest. Eh, whatever.

That's a straw man. Just because something might be viewed by children, doesn't mean that it was designed to be consumed by children. You're being way too up tight about this.

[Eclipse]

US residents only such racist

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

i don't think they'd mind tasteful profanity. besides, you can always use soft profanity instead, like bastard or damn etc. etc. -- works just as well.

anyway, 10 dvds? crazy.

also, this picture...



do i really want my game next to those? it'd be kind of insulting (except for little big planet, which looks nice from what i know of it)

[moi]

It's not only insulting it's condescending.
This stuff would have been okay maybe ten years ago.

It's like they have never heard of the whole "indie" stuff that is going on.

[Alec S.]

I mean, I thought Mirror's Edge was a pretty good game until the last bit, but they seem to be making the assumption that Indie designers are only doing it so that they can get into the industry, while many of them are actually doing it to avoid the industry.  I mean, this seems like there saying "If you make a good enough indie game, you could be making real games one day!" with a pat on the head.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

true, but on the other hand, if they give me 100,000$ they're free to think whatever they like

also, one thing that's interesting is how many of the top-profile indie games were made by ex-industry people: world of goo, fez, etc. etc. -- maybe the secret to being a good indie game developer is working in the industry for a few years and then quitting to make indie games

[Eclipse]

i don't think they'd mind tasteful profanity. besides, you can always use soft profanity instead, like bastard or damn etc. etc. -- works just as well.

anyway, 10 dvds? crazy.

also, this picture...



do i really want my game next to those? it'd be kind of insulting (except for little big planet, which looks nice from what i know of it)

Mirror's Edge is awesomesauce. You should try it, it's one of the stylish game of this gen, and the concept is very well executed too, it's not a perfect game but it's a wonderful title. Don't listen to the crits, because it's simply awesome.

Anyway no, that's not the place for an indie game, and GameStop PR guys are simply that dumb.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

don't own a 360 or a ps3 or i would -- maybe one day though. i liked the idea of a game that uses parkour in theory, but watching videos of it it didn't seem as impressive as watching actual parkour, particularly because it was first-person, which hides most of the interesting action

[Zaphos]

There's a windows version now, too.  Dunno what the system requirements are though.

Also, if by "do I want my game next to those" you mean "do I want my game in highly visible shelving in a gamestop," then ... the answer is probably yes?