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November Indie Game Round-Up
cyrus_zuo writes with this month's round-up of independent game reviews. Leading the pack is World of Goo, a popular puzzle game in which you build structures to get blobs of goo from one place to another. "WoG could have zero personality and still be a good game, but on top of the tremendous technical execution, you are presented with a quirky and odd world that teems with character. WoG has a style all its own and the flair and dynamics of the world just add to the pleasure of losing time with the game." Also scoring high were action RPG Mount & Blade and the third release in the Strong Bad series.
I'm not really sure why Strong Bad is referred to as "Indie". Telltale Games is the new kid on the block, but they are a fully staffed and funded studio. Not really the type of company you would think of as small-time "Indie" developers. Given the fact that they made their name by continuing a popular LucasArts franchise (Sam & Max), I'm even less inclined to think of them as independent.
Or is "Indie" destined to be the shareware company of tomorrow? (Anyone remember when Apogee and Epic were the small guys?)
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I think that these days you'll find 'Indie' means 'not controlled by one of the big games companies'.
This could easily include small, multi-employee, well funded companies.
Besides, the days of one or two people with next to no money producing a commercially viable game are pretty much gone.
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Please!
If I wanted to see just the headline and the number of comments, I would be on Fark.
Climate Progress - Hell and High Water
Besides, the days of one or two people with next to no money producing a commercially viable game are pretty much gone.
This argument may be of some merit in the PC gaming scene, but is somewhat ignorant of the emerging game market: cellphones. In this end of the gaming spectrum it is hard for me to even imagine more than a small handful of people working on a title. There's the guy who had the original idea, a few programmers, and a graphic designer if you feel the need. Yet with so few resources, it will be done in a month. Two people working on games on the scale of Crysis, WoW, etc? Yeah, forget about it. But two buddies can still team up in this modern world and make a buck having some fun.
Independent game development studios are not part of company that publishes games. Since they must go to a publisher to sell their games, they are considered to be independent. Independent game development studios are a subset of third party game development studios.
Indie game development studios are small groups that are often poorly funded if they are funded at all. They generally try to make small games that garner attention by being different in a way that seems novel and interesting. Unlike regular independ game development studios, they rarely attempt to make AAA titles. Still, they are a subset of independent game development studios.
The days of one or two people with next to no money attempting to produce a commercially viable game are still very much alive. Some of them are even successful.
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Besides, the days of one or two people with next to no money producing a commercially viable game are pretty much gone.
Obviously not entirely. See: World of Goo. Also, even though it's not at all indie, MegaMan 9.
WiiWare, XBox Live Arcade, and PS Network are perfect places to showcase true indie games. Rather than dying, it's more apt to say the face of indie games is changing. In fact, with the advent of these online services, it's become even easier for a low-budget studio to release a console game.
the days of one or two people with next to no money producing a commercially viable game are pretty much gone.
Actually that's pretty much the story behind Mount & Blade, one of the featured games.
I'd like to see this on more than just PC/Mac/Wii... (PS3 maybe?)
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This argument may be of some merit in the PC gaming scene, but is somewhat ignorant of the emerging game market: cellphones.
But how does a small game developer manage to negotiate its product into each network operator's catalog?
Another reader already pointed out but I would like to expand upon the story of Mount&Blade's development. Basically, there is only one developer, Armagan (sp?), and a small number of people who are responsible for the art and other aspects. I've been with, as a gamer, not dev., M&B since mid Beta (They had an interesting system that allowed users to buy the game at a discount during beta with full future support; the price scaled to retail as the game came closer to release) and have to say Armagan did a great job. The reviews are basically spot on if you average them out; An insanely addictive battle system (better than any other mount-based system is word on the street) with an overall undeveloped and flaky beta-feel to other aspects of the game. A Sandbox game. Don't come looking for KOTOR-like story. If you call yourself a gamer you need to DL a copy; it's free with a level cap of 7 and I would bet 3/5 people who hit seven will buy the retail. And you would be supporting a real mom and pop indie house. There is a great forum community and large mod movement, so modders will likely fill in the gameplay gaps. Oh yeah and Dwarf Fortress, if you haven't gotten the memo.
As this entire article seems to have been hijacked by complaining about the interface, I thought I would comment on a game that I have been enjoying for a couple years now, Mount & Blade. Now while it was only recently 'released', it has been in a perpetual open beta for maybe up to three years now. So I have seen it come a long way. As (most of) the reviewers in TFA point out, the game really shines in the combat and it has been this way since nearly the beginning. Only a few things like AI and the addition and improvement of the few tactical commands available (for maneuvering your army) have changed. Thus the game has long been the closest gaming experience to participating in a massive medieval battle fighting for your life.
Now I did not read any of the reviews, but I am quite perplexed by some of the things that the reviewers had to complain about. No, this game is not perfect, but somehow the reviewers and I see totally different imperfections. First of all, two of them complained about the combat system and how some kind of "lock on" feature would make the system better. What is the matter with you people? Would you like some auto-aim with your dumbed-downness (a fine neologism). Seriously, if you have ever played any FPSes you will have no trouble with this game.
Secondly, another reoccurring complaint about the game was the lack of a main story or any kind of instruction after the tutorial. Well, you start out on the world map and I figure it is not too hard to discover that clicking on said map will move your party to the location of that click. There are a whole bunch of city-looking structures on this map with names on them, perhaps clicking on one of those would take you somewhere interesting? Then once in a town it is pretty much standard RPG-fare to talk to everyone that you encounter. Now honestly, the townspeople and vendors don't have anything interesting to say, however talk to the right characters and pretty soon you have a quest. Rinse and repeat.
Now while the game plays as an open ended RPG and you can pretty well do whatever you like in the game, there really is only one worthwhile goal and that is to amass as many fiefs, castles, and towns in your holdings as possible. Usually this means signing up with one of the kings of the five factions and fighting to further that faction's cause. Early on you will have a smaller war band, so it is best to tag along with others and try to participate in their battles and sieges, and if your contribution really counts, it will improve your relations with the lords with whom you campaign. Once you have good relations, you can ask these lords in the field to follow you and they will join battles and sieges which you start. Later in the game, you will have amassed enough renown and good relations that your faction will elect you as their marshall. The marshall has the ability to give orders to any of the other lords, including the king(!) and they will follow them. Now you can really do some damage as you can lead around several lords totaling an army of several hundred, assign others to protect strategic areas, or send lords to ravage your enemy's countryside. This is where the most fun is to be had, I think.
Lastly, the most glaring thing ignored in the review are the numerous and diverse mods there are for Mount & Blade. The game has a module set written in Python available which generates input files for the game, so it is quite easy to tweak things and this has led to a number of total conversions. A few notable ones include the Pirate mod, LOTR mod, even an old western mod. Though I have played mostly the vanilla version, I have a feeling that the best gameplay is to be found with one of these mods.
I could go on, but this is long enough as it is. If any of this sounds remotely interesting, I would recommend trying the demo which lets you play up until your character reaches level 5. It is available at Taleworlds.com but also on Steam.
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Who cares? Outside the US
Slashdot is inside the US. Its parent company is headquartered in California, and Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda runs the site from an office in Michigan.
That would easily serve the european market
I speak English and a little Spanish, but my Spanish would probably look like Engrish to Spaniards. Are networks in Ireland and the United Kingdom as unrestricted as you claim those on the continent are?