As indie games reach into the fore of public attention more and more as time goes on, there are a bunch of myths that emerge from the unknown. These are ideas that people seem to assume about indie games or are brought up again and again by those who don’t really delve into our little world to see what kinds of games indie developers produce. We’re not happy with this and would like to address some of these myths so that, if you do see anyone stating one of these myths as fact, you can point them this way.
Note: These myths are based on actual statements we’ve seen pop up all over the internet from many different sources.
1. Indie games are shit
Oh, come on! Are we really starting with this one? While something being “shit” is a matter of opinion, are you really going to discount thousands of extremely diverse games in such a manner? Even if you’ve played 100 indie games and didn’t like any of them, that’s still not enough to discount all of the others that exist out there. Have you also considered that a game like Doom, which emerged during the shareware era, could be considered indie if you wanted? There are so many games that fit under the “indie” umbrella, including hyperactive platformers, twitch shooters, multiplayer sandbox crafters, poetic arcade experiences and cheery adventure titles. And that’s barely scratching the surface.
In all likelihood, indie games cater to your interests in some form, and there are bound to be a couple of games that are made with enough love and produced with such quality AND exist within your cone of interest to change your mind. You just need to find them, and that’s something we can help you out with. In any case, you can’t blindly describe so many games as being shit unless you’ve played them all and found them to be so, which would be highly unlikely. Generalizations such as this are, frankly, just annoying and lazy.
2. All indie games look like Minecraft or use pixel art
This one’s easy, because it’s just so wrong and misinformed. While we’re on the topic, though, the reason that many indie games use voxels or pixel art are because it’s cheap and fairly easy-to-use when developing a game. Consider that many indie games are made by tiny teams, sometimes just a single person, and that pixel art is accessible to everyone, even if it does take skill to do it well, and voxels can take out a lot of the laborious processes that come with creating various systems and worlds.
Another reason for using voxels of pixel art is because it’s a particular style that the developer either enjoys or believed would fit well with their game. All of these “retro” games aren’t just made for nostalgia’s sake, you know. It’s a particular art style that can be used and reworked, and it’s up to a developer if that’s what they want to use. What is annoying is the push towards realism that many of the bigger companies and the culture surrounding games seems to engage with. One of the best things about games is that they’re not realistic and that they don’t have to appeal to realism!
Back to the original myth at hand, though, the best way to debunk it is to provide screenshots of various indie games that don’t look like Minecraft or use pixel art, but do look rather beautiful in their own right.
Dust: An Elysian Tail
Murder Dog IV is made with cardboard, paper and clay.
Zeno Clash 2
3. Indie games are artsy and pretentious
As we touched upon earlier, there are many, MANY, different types of games that are considered “indie.” Some of them may be artsy. Some of them may even be pretentious, and there are even indie games displayed in museums and art galleries. But to assume that they all are? Get out of here! No! Of course they’re not.
It’s like you’ve never even heard of indie games like The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile or Happy Wheels. These are senselessly violent games that are straight-up and honest in their appeal to lowbrow humor and excess. They are what they are, and it’s not artsy or pretentious.
There are many more indie games like this. In fact, the majority of indie games aren’t trying to convey a certain message or meaning in any profound way, nor are they trying to be visual splendors worthy or being framed. There are loads of indie games out there that are actually just trying to be fun games. At this point in time, there are so many indie games that they encompass so many different types of experiences and interests. If anything, it’s the games that aren’t indie that may be cornered into a certain type of game experience, rather than being diverse in gameplay and visuals. You really need to open your eyes to what’s out there if you think indie games are all trying to be one particular kind of thing, because that’s just completely not true.
4. Indie games are made in the basements of parents’ houses
Okay, so there are a few indie games that are made in the basement of parents’ houses, and probably quite a few more made in bedrooms too. But not every indie game developer is a “bedroom coder,” though some would tell you that’s where it all started.
There are a number of fairly successful indie game developers who have their own studios, and these are spacious rooms with lots of light, neat desk set-ups and maybe even a dedicated parking space just outside. Swanky! Let’s not forget that there are game jams held in community halls where many games are created, and some developers like to go to internet cafes and do their work there. It’s proven that a small level of background noise helps with concentration, you know!
The point is indie games are made all over the place, depending on the team size, location, preferences and money available. Some people work better in certain locations, so they’ll deliberately travel to them when working on their game. I’ve even heard of entire games made during train journeys!
And just to further prove the point, here’s some pictures of the kinds of spaces we’re on about:
Stoic Studio makes games in a converted goat shed
LA Game Space will see indie games created in a warehouse
Lunar Software moved into a flat together and turned their front room into an office
5. Everyone is indie now, even Epic Games and Activision
Oh, for crying out loud. Yes, they may be “independent,” but that doesn’t mean they fall under what is considered “indie.” Is there a difference between indie and independent? It’s a good question because it certainly seems that way. Being considered indie, at least by our standards, usually takes into account many different factors. These include size of team, budget, external support (publishers and financiers) and development spirit. Companies like Epic Games and Activision are just far too large to ever be considered “indie” by any stretch of the imagination. That term has been thrown around enough in recent years as it is, and for a lot of genuine indie game developers, it’s important to apply the word correctly, whether or not it means anything. There’s no definitive answer to what indie is, but we can certainly say what is definitely not indie.
6. Indie game developers hate AAA games
Alright, so first thing is you’d probably be surprised as to how many indie game developers used to work on AAA games, so to assume they hated them would be a bit silly, considering that they probably made some of them. The only thing that indie game developers may hate about AAA games are the way they’re made, particularly if it involves practices that feel like a production line, i.e. one person makes a chair, the other tweaks a texture and so on.
Secondly, indie game developers quite often take a lot of influence from AAA games and rework their ideas into new games. While indie games typically try to cater to niche markets that aren’t as interested in what the mainstream is offering, they still find a lot of good in them and often see potential in bigger games that they can improve upon themselves or borrow certain elements from.
Thirdly, let’s stop trying to increase the divide between indie games and AAA games. Why can’t we just look at the broader spectrum of “games?” Isn’t it much better for everyone to embrace all types of games so they have more choice and don’t feel like they can only bat for one side? It’s bad enough that exclusives and marketing schemes try to create loyal, die-hard fans for certain consoles and encourage them to deny the full range of games available without further splitting that loyalty between indie and AAA.
7. Indie games are tearing apart the industry
While there may be indie game developers out there that want to rip apart some parts of the game industry, they’re not responsible for doing anything of the sort. Indie games created their own markets and continue to serve them. They have their own players and didn’t nick them from somewhere else. They help to bring more interest to games that didn’t previously exist because they embrace all parts of culture and wrap it around their form to create something fresh.
And if a game development or publishing company is failing somewhere, then it’s their fault and no one else’s. There may be other factors, such as the constantly changing nature of technology and customer trends that led to their downfall, but that can’t be pinned on to the fault of a singular entity.
Indie games have added to the “industry” by providing fresh ideas and allowing those who lost their jobs at larger game companies to carry on making games on their own accord. In fact, so many indie games studios have been forged after the founding members were let off at their previous job. If these people didn’t go indie, then they would have had to enter an entirely different profession or face unemployment and all of the pleasures that comes with that.
Tearing apart the industry? If anything, indie games might be the safety net.
source (indiestatik)
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