Indie developers refuse to turn the other cheek
by John Bardinelli 
{ Mar 7th 2007 at 6:54PM }
Analogies are a great way to convey information, especially if they involve naughty bits of the human anatomy. Today's Independent Games Summit brought a panel of indie game developers together to discuss the future of the industry. Early on, Greg Costikyan of Manifesto Games referred to the indie scene as a "pimple on the game industry's ass." Whether that's a good thing or a bad depends on how much you like pimples, but Bit Blot co-founder Derek Yu didn't think it was a fitting analogy. Independent games are one cheek, Yu said, while the mainstream is the other. It's hard to walk with just one cheek.That may be true, but the problem is that most people aren't aware of the flabby left cheek, and indie game developers don't have the financial muscle to make it stand out. Ironically, shovelware is a major issue in independent gaming, just like in the mainstream. Anyone with a computer and free time can make a game -- and the results are usually frightening. Your average gamer doesn't know where to find and download the "Good Games®." Game Tunnel and Game Trove, two of the better-known indie information portals, do a fair amount of sorting but are far from comprehensive. Would a little business oomph threaten the charm of the independent gaming scene?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Gamer98 @ Mar 7th 2007 6:59PM
Hell yea girl!
Judd @ Mar 7th 2007 9:14PM
You know you're a loser nerd, if a photoshopped image of what's probably a mannequin turns you on.
I'm not making fun of Gamer98, just myself.
miles foreman @ Mar 7th 2007 7:15PM
Hey! How did you get that picture of my ass???
NintendoFanbot @ Mar 7th 2007 7:23PM
Greg Costikyan says a lot of things. When he euphemized "whose poor gamer's chest did Iwata carve his 'heart of a gamer' from" he later elaborated that he said it because it sounded cool at the time.
I don't think indie gaming is at risk. The only thing that threatens the field is if it floods their market with crap. Basically, the same risks as the major platform developers.
Patrick @ Mar 7th 2007 8:01PM
get better cheeks!
NoHitHair @ Mar 7th 2007 8:13PM
Wait, there was an article accompanying the picture?
http://blog.myspace.com/nohithair
Arturo @ Mar 7th 2007 8:28PM
dont care for the article, nice pic though :D
Coleco @ Mar 7th 2007 9:02PM
NSFW! NSFW! NSFW! NSFW! NSFW! NSFW!
Evan @ Mar 7th 2007 9:11PM
For a website full of people who brag about their supposed knowledge of the "industry" in arguments over which console is best, the articles pertaining to actual industry trends and business sure don't get a lot of debate.
Burnt Meatloaf @ Mar 8th 2007 6:55AM
Isn't that what demos are for?
Indie just means you don't have a lot to work with. It does not imply, "incompetent". Yet another stupid sport game or pointless FPS -- now that's a pimple on the ass of the industry.
Galley @ Mar 8th 2007 8:10AM
I'd like to take a bite out of that ass!