GTL: The Success & Struggles Of Indie Game Developement & Purchase

Twin Galaxies Editorial Staff,

February 21, 2018 11:30 PM

Indie video game studios often present a widely varied array of game design which can seldom be found among AAA titles, but with a market packed to the brim with developers, how does a developer stand out from the crowd?

This episode of Game Talk Live takes a look at indie game developers and the trials and tribulations of attempting stand out in a massively populated market of independently designed and published video games. Joining host Mandie Roman today is gamer, Associate Producer, and frequent Kickstarter backer Bud McLaine, Robot House (Rumu) Project Lead and Gamerunner and Director of mentorship program Working Lunch Ally McLean, and industry veteran Game Designer Alex Brazie (World of WarcraftLeague of LegendsOri & The Blind Forest 2).

Recently, Valve terminated their relationship with indie developer Insel Games when it was discovered that staff of the company were manipulating rating of their game on Steam with reviews created by the staff for their game Wild Buster. The topic brings up whether or not Insel destroyed their chances at having their game be noticed and whether or not an indie game can survive without the Steam marketplace. Experts consider the stance of the Insel team and the ethical lines that were crossed for the sake of making Wild Buster more visible.

Discussion also considers the terms and conditions of the situation and how hard Indie developers need to work to be aware of what things can hard the release and sales of their game. The panel debates upon where self-promotion ends and shady business practices begin, as well as where fault lies with Steam's own management of their system and the games that go through its marketplace.

Next up, the pressure to compete with other indie developers and catch attention straight from the get-go leaves a lot of developers with crowdfunding as their own option for pursuing investment in a game design. Even then, crowdfunding projects can fall apart and investments can be lost due to bad planning or unexpected consequences. What can a backer do if their investment in a game or studio can go awry?

The panel speaks to the unpredictability of game design, the nature of Kickstarters or other crowdfunded projects, and what risk lies with the consumer when they invest in such a project. Furthermore, discussion covers how investors can keep their expectations realistic, how to better identify which Kickstarters are worth investment, and what are the rules to which crowdfunded projects should reasonably adhere. The team also considers the various crowdfunding options outside of Kickstarter, like Fig, how crowdfunding allows indie developers to make more direct connections with their audiences, and how the gaming market has changed.

Despite the troubles associated with being noticed in independant game development, there are organizations built upon boosting and recognizing indie teams and their projects. Groups and events like Indiecade help to create these opportunities for indie projects. Are these the best options for putting an indie game in front of an audience and ensuring they have a better chance of success? The panel discusses the pros and cons of getting involved in an event like indiecade, such as networking, publicity, and more. They also discuss the timing in development associated with engaging in these festivals.

The matter of community management comes up. The experts discuss their personal experiences with community management and how beneficial it can be for a team to be able to positively engage with their audience. Finally, the team considers whether or not a good game can simply stand out on its own or if a game can sell itself no matter how good it is. Games like Cuphead come up, as well as exclusivity deals that could limit a game's presence across the board of platforms at the benefit of receiving a popular publisher's investment to help the game survive to release.

The show has wrapped for today, but you can catch the show in its entirety in the video above. Be sure to check out the previous episode as well, in which Game Talk Live discusses the ongoing battle for streaming superiority between Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.



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