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Independent Game Studios Talk Tactics

Posted by simoniker on from the my-baby-is-purple-and-hideous dept.

Thanks to GameSpot for its article discussing the challenges facing independent videogame studios. The piece explains: "The game industry is moving toward greater and greater consolidation... Increasingly, an independent studio capable of turning a profit from the advances-against-royalties formula is the exception rather than the rule." It goes on to talk to Bill Roper (formerly Blizzard, now at Flagship), Feargus Urquhart (formerly Black Isle, now at Obsidian) and others, with Urquhart claiming independent developers are at no special disadvantage in current times: "I sort of look at it like babies and houses, there probably never is the perfect time to have a baby or buy a house. You just have to decide to do it and then do it."

3 of 16 comments (clear)

  1. So the point of this article is... by King_of_Prussia · · Score: 4, Insightful
    small independent companies have a harder time making multimillion dollar games than large corporations? What a surprise.

    Maybe if the general gaming public was more interested in gameplay and lifetime than newer graphics and updated player statistics, independent studios such as the ones mentioned would have an easier time about it.

    --

    Making the moon less necessary since 1998.

  2. Don't go there! by Gadzinka · · Score: 4, Insightful

    As the gaming industry, more and more consolidated with games written on the outside by talented programmers/artists and subsequently distributed by ``big houses'' starts to look more and more like recording industry, I've got only one advice to Independent Game Studios: DON'T GO THERE!

    It will take you another century to free yourself from allpowerful Games Publishing Industry and countless fights against soon-to-be-created GPAA.

    Save yourself and your customers trouble and think about some more direct way to distribute your games, before all your work, copyrights, money etc starts to flow one way, to pockets of ``games labels''.

    Read some horror stories by golden and platinum record bands that didn't make a dime on it. Well actually, in some of these cases record labels claim that said artists still owe them money.

    AND DON'T FSCKING GO THERE!

    Robert

    --
    Bastard Operator From 193.219.28.162
  3. Re:my experience by himitsu · · Score: 2, Insightful

    For some mediums, mainly cd or online distribution, I can understand doing it all in-house, but how should people who are developing for closed systems distribute? In the case of the GBA or GameCube the only way to get released is to get a publisher to burn your game to a bunch of blank carts or mini-cds and release it nationwide because the cost is too prohibitive. The only solution for GBA is to sell flashable carts, and they end up costing around $100/cart.