Irrational going self-publishing route

#1 More developers will follow suit within the next few years for sure. A new type of indie scene rise which has been already happening around us. The new generation of consoles will be one of the major factors involved in this as well PC with increasing higher budgets that are about to take a big jump in costs. Many developers and publishers are re-working their team sizes and this will continue as the amount of people needed now will be huge to develop next generation games on PC and consoles.
Companies with big money will throw it at development with few changes needed to make these new games. Now this is where the door swings fully opened with indie developers & game dev employee's. With technology catching up at decent prices like Torque & others compared to other engines, as well more tools that make the process of developing a high quality game better for indies. For many workers in the games industry, many will be forced out with the changes happening in the next 18 months, many commercial independent companies will go out of business or brought out. The ability for many talented artists, programmers, etc. will fine themselves having an empty feeling even more about making games that so many wanted to do is to enjoy the process as well earning a living.

So where will the studios that can't compare to the huge money or resources from wealthly larger studios. There will be commercial studios that will follow Irrational model and there will be more indie developers that will grow towards the commerical state near Irrational or others. It's many of us indies are following but not all i know but just here on GG we know there are a few high flying big protenial studios who are working hard and creating great results.
Indies will attract more commercial workers who want more in their jobs and i belive in time not too far away there will be more indies that will be able to afford their workers to having a decent style of living, not over the top for most but a good one.

The games industry is still a very very young industry that is reaching its first real milestone of where it will lead to in the future. All we have experienced to this point is the BOOM of the industry in the last 10 years. Hundreds to thousends of Commercial Indies and only a few large commerical studios will be here in the next few years. The large studios will continue with bigger budgets, bigger price tags to buy the games, bigger teams but also longer development cycles. This is where the Commerical Indies will fill that gap in development and publishing. We gamers world-wide want more games to play than waiting for fewer and fewer games to be released. While the quality will be higher due to lesser releases, larger studios will take lesser risks and i don't belive the hardcore gamers are going to be happy, sure they are not happy as it is with sequal after sequal.. Casual gamers will begin to see this little by little and with the Internet on boardband in more homes in the next few years, these casual and hardcore gamers will start to look around.. that is where we will be waiting for them.

The Internet has already helped indies today to make games development a business, a business that is growing. We are just about to experience the Indie Boom, feel good about this as new doors open for all of us. These are only thoughts of one developer here, what are your views? are they something like this or i am so far off the rail i cant see any more ! :)

Irrantional is only one commerical developer but it always starts with just one. The cross-road is coming.

#2 Well how many thousands of people bought HL2 online? That has to be a great step in getting the consumer used to buying online. (Despite the fact I think the Steam app is horrible)

#3 Yes I read about this the other day. Seems like good news to me as it will make people aware of getting their games online. Right now there's a huge distinction in buying a game online (considered second rate) or buying the game at retail. Once some bigger titles are online the distinction should lesson. It'll always come down to good game or not good game though.

#4 They talked about this at Meltdown, (?) I think, and I think it's great. Freedom Force was a hilarious and well done game and I wish them the best of luck. The best part about things like this is that it's good for us gamers, and for them too.

#5 I enjoyed the first Freedom Force, it went to budget quite quickly :D
Nice preview in PC Powerplay (Australia) for it.

#6 Hehe, I loved FF too! Actually, my copy is on its 5th owner since a year ago when I lent it to a friend and told him to just pass it on when he was done :)

I'm wondering with all the hype of the game industry's big $$ these last two/three years if there wont be more non publisher groups willing to invest in smaller studio's projects?

#7 I think that part of enjoying a game is looking at the packaging, reading the manual, looking at the art work, and having a hard copy of the game. But at the same time if selling the game online directly from the developer will make it $20 to $30 cheaper then everybody wins. If all I get for purchasing online is a $5 or $10 discount then you can find me at Gamestop or EB Games.
-Ajari-

#8 This actually changes my mind about buying Freedom Force. I am going to pick up the first day it hits the shelf or buy it direct from the web site if possible. We need much more of this, the game will be released when it is ready and developer will not get ripped off. Good news! I think online publishing models like what Garage is doing and self publishing are the future of PC Games.

#9 Ajari, Irrational is self publishing in a mix of traditional and online distribution : the game you get is a full boxed package, and it's also available at EB, etc. for pre-order.
If it was available for pre-order to Canada direct from Irrational, I would have gotten it, but it's not.
So i'll wait for it to hit the shelves :)