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Star Chamber's Indie PC CCG Goodness Probed
Thanks to Ferrago for their in-depth review of PC online collectible card game Star Chamber, praising the relatively unknown indie title as "an invigorating little game", and suggesting: "It's been a long time since this jaded gamer was so captivated by a game." The same site has an interview with the creators from Nayantara Studios, in which they discuss the genesis of the game (from "a love of well-balanced, simple-yet-complex boardgames and adding a CCG element to be able to produce a high-quality 'CCG meets computer boardgame'"), and the future of indie gaming ("I do think that with the big publishers and teams focused on producing massive uber-budget games and MMORPGs, and especially with the consoles starting to dwarf PC sales, I think there is a significant window for the smaller, independent studios to take back some of the PC market.")
Didn't like it.
Couldn't really say why. I felt as though the cards were too..vanilla, if that makes any sense. Nothing that really shifted the game outside of the strategic roots. Nothing that shook and rechanged the balance of the game. And once you had an advantage, it was hard to come back.
Just my opinion however.
Awww, heck. HTML would be useful. Here you go:
"I do think that with the big publishers and teams focused on producing massive uber-budget games and MMORPGs, and especially with the consoles starting to dwarf PC sales, I think there is a significant window for the smaller, independent studios to take back some of the PC market."
2 things:
1) Big publishers are defined as having big money, and therefore, naturally, they are going to make "uber-budget" games. Big publishers aren't interested in small budget - that's how indie came to exist. It's nothing new. You can't take back something that you are.
2) If PC sales are being dwarfed then that means relatively, less PC games are being sold. That means with a smaller window, the big budget games will have more shelf space, media coverage, more exposure. That means a smaller window for indie games. How they intend to take back some of the PC market from big-budgets in a smaller environment baffles me.
Since we're being anal here, they said take back a hold on the PC gaming market, not take back small budget game creation.
2) If PC sales are being dwarfed then that means relatively, less PC games are being sold. That means with a smaller window, the big budget games will have more shelf space, media coverage, more exposure.
Right. Bigger shelf space ... in console gaming, where big budget game companies are focusing, as they said. Sure, those Big Money gaming companies that stay in the PC market will pay for and get more shelf space, but with less market for PC games the theory is that many Big Money companies will move out of the PC arena alltogether and thus leave only the Indie titles (or more accurately leave them a larger piece of the *smaller* pie).
As to whether that'll happen that way only time will tell, of course.
I played it when Tycho mentioned it. It was ok, but like most CCGs he who spends the most money and has the best cards wins. Skill in playing the game is not a major factor in winning. Luck and money are the primary determiners. It's pretty neat because it plays like a simplified Master of Orion. But its really just another CCG in disguise. They didn't fool me after I played it 3 or 4 times.
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A couple of things here of my own:
The big publishers are focused on a couple of things currently. First is licensing properties and making games using those properties. Second is producing sequels of games that have done well in the past.
There is a large gap between freeware games and these large budget titles that an indie developer can actually compete successfully in. They might have to use online distribution to get to their customers, but those customers ARE out there - I can attest to that. There are many gamers out there that are looking for something different than what the big publishers are producing, and indie developers are filling that void.
Since we're being anal here, they said take back a hold on the PC gaming market, not take back small budget game creation. *Looks around* Anal? Nah, looks like you're the only one being anal. I was being ostentatious. :p
But yes, looking back at that quote, I did lose my point there with the last sentence and you picked up on my mistake. Teach me to surf Slashdot at work.
I was merely pointing out that big companies have never tried to look anywhere else but the big budget titles. The quote says they are focused towards uber-budget games; my correction is that they have always been focused there. It's nothing new. in console gaming, where big budget game companies are focusing, as they said. Sure, those Big Money gaming companies that stay in the PC market will pay for and get more shelf space, but with less market for PC games the theory is that many Big Money companies will move out of the PC arena alltogether and thus leave only the Indie titles The quote says nothing about big companies focusing on consoles - the focusing is in relation to PC companies. The "massive uber-budget games and MMORPGs" being focused on are on PC, not console.
In that quote I saw no mention of companies moving to console - the point is about consoles outselling PC games. Period. It is an entirely different point to the first point of being focused on MMORPGs etc. The quote is not saying that companies will move from PC to console, but that more console games will be sold than PC games.
Your point is true if it was in regard to game publishers switching platforms, however. I agree.
Ok, that's it. Surfing Slashdot at work does not equal good HTML skills.
Does that really make sense, indie games 'taking back' a piece of the PC market? What happens is this: a small developer makes a game worthy of great praise. Small game developer becomes big developer practically overnight. Small companies still have negligable hold. If they stay small, they at least cease to be indie, saddling up with a bigger company.
Besides, I'm not sure anybody has a significant hold an a portion of the PC market. It's too volatile to make such a claim. The only thing faster than a small company's explosion is a large company's implosion.
This game is *definitely* worth a look. The synergy between the boardgame and card mechanics is some of the best pure gameplay I've ever seen.
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... is pretty accurate, IMO.
Given that it's a small download, with a lot of free content, what have you got to lose? I became totally hooked on the game when I first played it.
This positive Gamespot review:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/starchamber
-- Rob "Xemu" Fermier
I've got a soft spot for online CCGs (Chron X, Sanctum, With Authority, etc), and Starchamber ranks up there as one of the best three I've seen. If there had been a game this good to slap the Star Trek license onto, maybe (that trek CCG) would've survived a bit longer. The game's a little simplistic right now, but most CCGs start that way when they only have one expansion... let's face it, Magic used to be just 'who gets the Shivan Dragon out first: The CCG'. There's a good, solid base there to build on, and I'm hoping this game stays around for a while.