IndieDesigners
Latest
Minecraft creator warns locked down Windows 8 could be 'very bad' for indies, stays wary of Steam too
Microsoft just isn't getting much Windows 8 love from the game community, full stop. Following Blizzard and Valve anxieties, Minecraft developer Notch (the man on the left) is himself cautious about the shift to the Windows Store and the seeming discouragement of third-party outlets. Despite sharing an affinity with Microsoft for square-shaped worlds, he sees any further lockdown of Windows 8 as potentially "very very bad" for indie game developers and overall competition in the gaming business. Not that Notch is singling out the OS for concern: he's also maintaining his resistance to Valve's Steam and doesn't want the Portal creator to "rent games" instead of selling titles that buyers can keep forever. While Notch isn't adverse to producing games for closed systems when it's the only choice, he's joining a growing chorus of those worried that openness is on the endangered list.
Choose My Adventure: Indie and free-to-play edition
Howdy, folks. It's that time again -- time to choose a new game for the infamous Choose My Adventure series. This time, however, I, Beau Hindman, have been nominated to act as your guide for the next month and a half. This might be good or bad depending on what kind of games you would like to see me write about. As the resident "indie/free-to-play dude" I am morally obligated to make a list composed of games we do not already cover several times per week. Do me a favor, though: Even if you do not recognize many of these games, go ahead and vote anyway. Take a moment before you do and check the game's website, read up on some of the FAQs, and maybe make an account. Then, cast your vote. It's important that we give the same amount of spotlight to smaller titles. If we start to value games only for their budget or staff size, then we will end up talking about a very limited set of choices. Variety is the key to happiness! So click past the cut and vote on your favorite pick! Just make sure to have your vote in by 12:00 p.m. noon EST on January 10th.
Free for All: An insight on indie from Alganon
Recently I decided that I wanted to ask different indie developers how their world revolves and what it's like to exist within that world. Development is a funny thing and often much more difficult than many of us will ever know. In my experience, the budget doesn't change the basic goings-on in the development studio, but it can effect what developers are willing to talk about. I would never expect certain mainstream developers to ever open up to certain questions, while many indie developers seem more than willing. Last time, I asked the developers of Istaria what they thought, which you can read here. This time, I decided to send some questions to Quest Online, the maker of Alganon. I received my answers from Derek Smart, president of QOL. Alganon has been one of my surprise favorites of the last year, so I was eager to ask some questions -- after all, he says exactly what's on his mind.
Free for All: Lessons from the world of indie and free-to-play
I'm no expert at anything. I'm sort of like the Mario of gaming -- not an ace in one particular area, but relatively experienced in all. Luckily, this has worked out for me. Name a title; I either have played it or know about it. Name a developer, and I can probably tell you something about it that sticks out. Granted, this ability might not come in handy when Twitter is exploding in the usual "Hey, we all love football" Sunday chatter, but look where you're reading this now. On this turf, being a well-rounded gamer has its advantages. Over the last 11 years, I've noticed quite a few trends and picked up on some unique ways that developers do business. I would never say that the information I have is 100 percent accurate, but it does come from a very open mind. I'll also not pretend that all these lessons will lead to massive piles of cash and free booze. Some of them are examples of what not to do. In fact, stop listening to me. Go read the examples right now, after the jump.
