Indie game: Difference between revisions

While there has not been any type of collapse of the indie game field since 2015, there are concerns that the market is far too large for many developers to get noticed. Very few selected indie titles get wide coverage in the media, and are typically referred to as "indie darlings". In some cases, indie darlings are identified through consumer reactions that praise the game, leading to further coverage; examples of such games include ''[[Celeste (video game)|Celeste]]'' and ''[[Untitled Goose Game]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/best-games-2018/2018/12/17/18126327/best-games-2018-celeste-games-of-the-year|title=GOTY 2018: #5 Celeste|last=Heller|first=Emily|date=2018-12-17|website=Polygon|language=en|access-date=2019-11-26|archive-date=2018-12-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225175208/https://www.polygon.com/best-games-2018/2018/12/17/18126327/best-games-2018-celeste-games-of-the-year|url-status=live}}</ref> However, there are also times where the video game media may see a future title as a success and position it as an indie darling before its release, only to have the game fail to make a strong impression on players, such as in the case of ''[[No Man's Sky]]'' and ''[[Where the Water Tastes Like Wine]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/JoshBycer/20191014/352119/The_Problem_of_the_Indie_Game_Pedestal.php | title = The Problem of the Indie Game Pedestal | first = Josh | last = Bycer | date = October 15, 2019 | access-date = October 15, 2019 | work = [[Gamasutra]] | archive-date = October 14, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191014211441/https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/JoshBycer/20191014/352119/The_Problem_of_the_Indie_Game_Pedestal.php | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine | url = https://www.wired.com/story/no-mans-sky-one-year-later/ | title = One Year Later, No Man's Sky—And Its Evolution—Is Worth Exploring | first = Julie | last = Muncy | date = 15 August 2017 | access-date = 17 August 2017 | magazine = [[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] | archive-date = 18 August 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170818011719/https://www.wired.com/story/no-mans-sky-one-year-later/ | url-status = live }}</ref> Discoverability has become an issue for indie developers as well. With the [[Steam (service)|Steam]] distribution service allows any developer to offer their game with minimal cost to them, there are thousands of games being added each year, and developers have come to rely heavily on Steam's discovery tools – methods to tailor catalog pages to customers based on past purchases – to help sell their titles.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-07-19-steam-indies-and-betting-on-discoverability | title = Indies on Steam are betting on discoverability | first = Rebekah | last = Valentine | date = July 19, 2019 | access-date = October 15, 2019 | work = [[GamesIndustry.biz]] | archive-date = October 4, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191004155944/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-07-19-steam-indies-and-betting-on-discoverability | url-status = live }}</ref> Mobile app stores have had similar problems with large volumes of offers but poor means for discovery by consumers in the late 2010s.<ref name="poly too many games"/> Several indie developers have found it critical to have a good [[public relations]] campaign across social media and to interact with the press to make sure a game is noticed early on in its development cycle to get interest and maintain that interest through release, which adds to costs of development.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/DanielWest/20150908/253040/Good_isnt_good_enough__releasing_an_indie_game_in_2015.php | title = 'Good' isn't good enough - releasing an indie game in 2015 | first = Daniel | last = West | date = September 8, 2015 | access-date = October 15, 2019 | work = [[Gamasutra]] | archive-date = October 15, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191015190657/https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/DanielWest/20150908/253040/Good_isnt_good_enough__releasing_an_indie_game_in_2015.php | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2019/3/12/18256052/indie-game-release-steam | title = How it feels to release an indie game in 2019 | first = Xalavier Jr. | last = Nelson | date = March 12, 2019 | access-date = October 15, 2019 | work = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] | archive-date = February 27, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200227050031/https://www.polygon.com/2019/3/12/18256052/indie-game-release-steam | url-status = live }}</ref>

 

 

===Other regions===

 

===Development tools===

 

Prior to 2010, development of indie games on consoles was highly restrictive due to costly access to [[software development kit]]s (SDKs), typically a version of the console with added debugging features that would cost several thousands of dollars and come with numerous restrictions on its use to prevent trade secrets related to the console from being leaked. Console manufactures may have also restricted sales of SDKs to only certain developers that met specific criteria, leaving potential indie developers unable to acquire them.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2012/07/how-certification-requirements-are-holding-back-console-gaming/ |title=How certification requirements are holding back console gaming |first=Kyle |last=Orland |date=23 July 2012 |work=[[Ars Technica]] |access-date=24 August 2020 |archive-date=13 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013002650/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2012/07/how-certification-requirements-are-holding-back-console-gaming/ |url-status=live }}</ref> When indie games became more popular by 2010, the console manufacturers as well as mobile device operating system providers released special software-based SDKs to build and test games first on personal computers and then on these consoles or mobile devices. These SDKs were still offered at commercial rates to larger developers, but reduced pricing was provided to those who would generally self-publish via digital distribution on the console or mobile device's storefront, such as with the [[ID@Xbox]] program or the [[iOS SDK]].

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| ''[[Terraria]]''

| 2011

| [[Re-Logic]]

| Re-Logic, [[505 Games]]

|-

| ''[[Human: Fall Flat]]''

| FuturLab

| [[Square Enix Collective]]

|-

| ''[[Fall Guys]]''

| Mike Klubnika

| Critical Reflex

|-

| ''[[Celeste (video game)|Celeste]]''