Every year, as part of the Game Developer’s Conference, the Independent Games Festival recognizes outstanding achievements in the field of indie game development. Slowly but surely, the IGF is gaining a reputation as the closest thing gamers have to a Sundance.
Now in its tenth year, nearly 400 titles are vying for recognition, up from 306 in 2010. Clearly, the field is a lot more crowded than it used to be, and many developers see the IGF as their only shot at any attention from the big-league games press.
It doesn’t have to be this way, though. When indies throw their sweaty hides into the IGF octagon, they’re engaging the industry on its terms, often in search of a publishing deal. It’s great that something like the IGF exists, but I’m not sure it was meant to act as a media filter to decide which titles deserve our attention. Can you imagine if the only mainstream games anyone cared about in a given year were E3 award winners? That wouldn’t make any sense, either.
To me, entering a festival and hoping everybody likes your game sounds codependent, not independent. Developers can shout from the proverbial rooftops in a variety of ways and get gamers AND the press to pay attention. Here are four that I‘d like to share with them.
1) Create more open-ended tools to empower players
Minecraft. That’s all I really need to say, right? This Java-based open world building game isn’t even out of beta, and it’s already blowing people‘s minds. But here’s something you might not know: it’s also made creator Markus Persson and the team at Mojang a buttload of money, having just eclipsed one million units sold in January of this year.
I can’t even begin to ring off a list of all the awe-inspiring projects people have created in Minecraft. Its appeal lies in its openness; you can pretty much make whatever you want, all the time. Games like Minecraft aren’t for everyone, but the people that play them have voracious appetites for innovation and tools that enable creativity. These are the same kinds of people that generally seek out independent games.
Flixel, a simple game design program created by Canabalt’s Adam Saltsman, is a great example of an independent developer providing a digestable blueprint for creative-minded gamers. If more indies create easy-to-use building tools, they’ll not only see a huge response, but they might also be ushering in a new crop of designers. And lo, The Circle Of Life continues.
2) Give your studio (or yourself) an identity
One thing that’s so great about IGF is it gives the media an opportunity to get to know the people behind the games. Let’s face it — most of us have no idea who these people are. And that’s fine, because after all, these guys are game developers, not PR guys, right?
But if indies are looking to distinguish themselves from the masses, every little bit counts. In an industry as competitive as this one, indie developers are sometimes forced to tackle the duties of a publisher as well. That means being their own loudest and proudest advocate.
In my opinion, no one is doing a better job of this than the folks at Zero Point Software, who are working on a first-person shooter called Interstellar Marines. Head over to their website and you’ll find everything you need to know about them. A video on the front page outlines the features of the game, the company’s “AAA Indie” business philosophy, and what you can look forward to if you’re an early supporter. They encourage players to pre-order the game, download the latest builds for free, and provide feedback, working with Zero Point every step of the way. And in exchange for small fees (presumably to offset development costs prior to launch), players unlock avatars and upgrades for their Marine.
I can’t tell you how encouraging it is for me to see an independent developer make these moves. To be sure, some devs are just looking for a company to help bankroll their vision, but Zero Point Software’s approach shows a level of professionalism and a belief that reaching gamers directly will pay off in the long run. Others would do well to follow their example.
3) Revisit ideas from gaming’s past
Genres like twin stick shooters, platformers (Splosion Man, Limbo, Super Meat Boy) and PC adventure games (Amnesia, Machinarium) have seen a sizeable resurgence in recent years. Indie games have been a huge part of this uptick, probably because so much of their success lies in mining gamers' nostalgia and revisiting simple, elegant gameplay mechanics with modern updates.
Retro City Rampage and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World are two examples of games that contain tongue-in-cheek nods to gaming’s 8-bit past. But there’s no reason to stop at the NES era. Indie-bred FMV games, complete with cheesy 90’s outfits and whacked-out melodrama? I don’t think I need to tell you how awesome that would be.
4) Collaborate with one another
If you’re a fan of craft beer, you’ve probably heard of the Dogfish Head, Stone, and Victory Brewing companies. For those of you that haven’t, they’re three of the most acclaimed small batch beer breweries in the States. The founders of each company have been friends for many years, and in 2010, they decided to collaborate on a beer. The idea was simple: the three of them created a single recipe, which was then immediately put into production at Stone. Next, the recipe was taken to Dogfish Head and Victory, where they produced their own takes on it. Each brewery’s product was released on its own — three beers, same name, same recipe, but each with its own unique flavor. (It’s called Saison du BUFF, if you feel like checking it out. Please drink responsibly.)
Now imagine how excellent it would be if indie developers translated this model into a recipe for a game? Three different guys — let’s say, Jason Rohrer, Jonathan Blow, and Phil Fish — all sit down and create a design document for a game. Then they all get to work individually, approaching the design with their own creative method. Wouldn’t it be exciting to play the results of each project? Or imagine if two companies — say, 2D Boy and Gaijin Games — worked on a small project together, every step of the way. They could split development costs, share resources and development tools, and usher in a new era of inter-indie cooperation.
While most indies don’t have the financial resources of mainstream developers, many have unparalleled creative muscle. Flexing it with one another could have extremely positive long-term effects on the indie game space. Sharing means caring, people.
Now don’t get me wrong: I love the IGF. I’m pumped for the rest of GDC. And the buzz surrounding the games and the events this year is palpable even from my laptop. But the spotlight fades quickly, and most of the games that entered the competition will disappear faster than you can say “The Unfinished Swan.”
My sincere hope is that indies will take some big steps in these next few years to ensure they stay in the public consciousness, long after the GDC media zoo has said bye-bye.