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?
