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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.
Are new MMOs afraid to take risks?
Syp over at BioBreak is working on an interesting gaming project. He is valiantly attempting to flesh out a timeline for all MMOs in the history... of MMOs. While working on this project, he came to a stunning, if not somewhat obvious realization: MMOs don't take as many risks as they used to and the ones that do aren't rewarded for it. The latter is likely feeding the former in this situation.It seems with all emerging genres that the pioneers really are just that; the risk-takers who pave the way for future products (or services). Over time though, this innovative spirit is lost or at least lessened to a great degree, and when it comes to satisfying the masses, it is somewhat understandable. Take the television, music, and motion picture industries for example. How many hospital dramas have we seen since E.R. first aired? How many recycled pop music tracks fuel success for the next big boy or girl band? We just can't wait to see the next super-hero movie sequel! While individuals may crave fresh ideas and implementations, "the masses," just don't seem interested.However, not all creativity is lost. There are a number of independent MMO developers working on niche titles that might catch your eye. Don't bet on them being a huge hit with the masses, though we're sure they're just fine with that.
