Indie = unsuccessful?
by Weston Tracy · in General Discussion · 10/28/2007 (2:06 am) · 21 replies
Just a quick question I've had for a while. I'd like to get thoughts on it from this group.
It seems like there is a resistance to calling successful independent companies (Like ID, valve, or bungie) "indie".
So I'm curious as to what "Indie" means. In music it seems like you are no longer Indie as soon as you've become successful. Does the same qualification apply to Indie games? Are companies like ID or Valve no longer Indie because they're successful? As soon as you get a publishing contract, or sell 100k units, are you no longer Indie?
I love the indie spirit, the commitment to retaining control. But it would be sad if you can only claim to be Indie if you only sell a few copies of your game.
Do you have to be a commercial failure to be Indie?
It seems like there is a resistance to calling successful independent companies (Like ID, valve, or bungie) "indie".
So I'm curious as to what "Indie" means. In music it seems like you are no longer Indie as soon as you've become successful. Does the same qualification apply to Indie games? Are companies like ID or Valve no longer Indie because they're successful? As soon as you get a publishing contract, or sell 100k units, are you no longer Indie?
I love the indie spirit, the commitment to retaining control. But it would be sad if you can only claim to be Indie if you only sell a few copies of your game.
Do you have to be a commercial failure to be Indie?
About the author
Game artist. Lover of pixels. Co-Owner and Artist for www.blackjacketgames.com
Torque Owner BrokeAss Games
BrokeAss Games
Instead of doing what the marketing dept says, you are free to innovate.
I would say most "indies" are on a tight or non-existent budget, but being wealthy would mean more tools, so either way, it's not really about finances, it's about control.
The bottom line is freedom.
ID has been an icon to me since I started developing, they have also shown me that there is a definite point where most successful "indie" companies "come out of the garage" and become like most other companies.
I'd rather starve than make another click'a'click'a EQ knock-off...
I haven't made much money since I left the industry to go "indie", but I appreciate the work I produce a lot more since some guy in a cornflower blue tie isn't telling me how to do it.
There is quite a bit of money to be made off of the "indie" industry.
Art, packs, add-ons, etc. are always needed since most teams are small and are trying to finish in a hurry.
And it is much easier than actually finishing a playable title.
This brings me to "dabblers", there are a lot of budding/learning "indies" out there who may not be able to complete a title but are doing it for fun or to learn.
Many times these people are called "indies" but they are not IMO.
Whether "indie" developers or "dabblers", the same tools and resources are usually needed.
Inexpensive, easy to get and good enough to "flesh things out".
Sometimes the tools alone can turn a "dabbler" into an "indie" with a definite vision once they know what they are capable of.
To sum things up...
Game developing is hard, finishing a title is even harder.
The "big score" is hard to pull off as an "indie", but money from developer content and tools is fairly easy.
I suggest doing both if you are serious.
Get money from selling packs/tools to pay yourself for working on your title.
You also may want to consider my company name before taking my opinion too seriously. ;)