Hey everybody, I got the October issue of Game Informer today and there is an article about indie gaming that I thought I'd share.
console publishers flock to indie developers
Like Bees to a Flower
by Celia Pierce
When asked if someone from IndieCade could write an editorial about how the introduction of downloadable console portals would affect the indie games scene, both positively and negatively, I was hard-pressed to think of a downside. I suppose there are many: the potential for indie developers to sell out, the possible exploitation by publishers, and the relatively small sales figures (at least at the moment). All these are, I suppose, cause for concern. But the upsides are far greater. In fact, it's somewhat baffling that the game industry is so late to embrace indie fare.
By way of comparison, the film industry has, for half a century, embraced mainstream studio product and indie fare in its repertoire in a synergistic fashion that has benefited both sides. This "diversification of species" has helped create a more robust ecosystem that is a win for business and consumers alike. Conversely, the video game industry has, up until now, borne a striking resemblance to the film industry of the 1930s and '40s Under the old studio system, artists - including actors, directors and writers (the latter of whom typically received little or no credit for their work) - were salaried employees of studios, who exercised complete and hegemonic control over creative output. While the fledgling film industry was already better at more diverse fare (and budgets) and at reaching broader audiences than the game industry is today, creative decisions were made in a top-down fashion. Studio executives decided what did and did not get made, how it was made, etc. Sound familiar? This system produced wonderful and artistic products ranging from the spectacle of Busby Berkeley musical, to humble but perennial Frank Capra fable, to epic historical masterpieces (also called "costume pictures") like Gone with the Wind.
One could argue that the point film industry got indie religion, it was on the verge of fossilizing into a massive hegemonic dinosaur. Overhead was immense, and the studio culture was one of risk aversion. But the studio system seized the opportunity presend by indie film and integrated this new generation of creators into its ecosystem, to everyone's benefit.
Case in point, summer 2008. Many of the summer's box office hits have had indie directors at their helms. Consider The Dark Knight, a big-budget mainstream film that has been heralded as the most sophisticated and artistic offering in the overwrought Batman franchise. The film's ad campaign could have easily read "from the people who brought you Memento." That's right, Christopher Nolan, of time-bending, amnesia-tattooing Memento fame, was at the helm of the biggest summer blockbuster of 2008, as well as its predecessor. Film studios have leveraged the potential profitability of low-budget films by managing risk. Billy Elliotearned over $100 million at theaters, but cost only $5 million to make. Memento cost the same and earned nearly $40 million worldwide. As of this writing, Nolan's decidedly indie-flavored The Dark Knight has earned $800 million worldwide, wit production budget of $150 million.
So the real questions regarding the game industry should be, what took them so long? One possible reason might be the taboo against hard drives and "soft" product, spurred by piracy-anxiety, in spite of the fact that the internet was breathing new life into the "dying" PC market. Console companies have finally followed in the footsteps of Shockwave and Steam, whose vision was to take Wal-Mart out of the game distribution equation. Downloadable games are the "wave of the present". It's about time the console-makers caught on.
As a game design professor, an indie game festival chair, and a game designer, I find it difficult to see a downside. Sitting in the Game Developers Choice Awards at GDC 2008, I was struck by what, from my albeit biased perspective, appeared to be an "indie invasion". Major awards were carried off by games that got their start on indie festival circuit, including Portal, and Flow, and a nod to Everyday Shooter, by one-man indie game jam band Jon Mak. This year, GDC indie poster boy Jonathan Blow made his console debut with Braid on Xbox Live, a genre-bending masterpiece that is one part Super Mario Bros, one part Einstein's Dreams, and one part Memento.
I suppose one could argue that these indie developers have become sell-outs, but that would only be the case if they compromised their artistic integrity. Instead, what seems to be happening is that, as Raph Koster puts it, citing Line Rider, "indie is the new industry". IndieCade's E3 2008 showcase drew publishers like bees to a flower. Companies are still vying for IP ownership, but are willing to give up a great portion of the pie if it's already baked, so to speak.
The big studios are finally recognizing that indie developers have succeeded where they have failed: at innovating, at finding new audiences, and doing it for a fraction of cost. From scouting From scouting for new talent at indie game festivals like the IGF, Slamdances, and IndieCade, to starting divisions devoted to cultivating innovation, the game industry is finally catching on. Slow initial sales should not be a deterrent; they will grow over time. ("The Long Tail" anyone?) Indie games can also be more profitable since they cost so much less to make. Mighty oaks from little acorns grow. Just ask Chris Nolan or the producers of Billy Elliot. As to game companies working for "the man," Flow's That Game Company is developing its next anxiously awaited PS3 offering. While Sony is guiding them through the process, the publisher is letting them do their own thing creatively. how else could a game called Flower make it onto an adrenaline-infused console platform like the PS3?
source: Gameinformer, October 2008
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