The 2005 IGF was an adventure in goodness.  Throughout the game developer's conference innovation came spilling out of the doorways of the sessions and flooded all the hallways to the utmost corner of every room.  The IGF uses the moniker of being focused on innovation, and this year it was quite clear that the some of the most engaging game play experiences were found in Indie Games.

However, the IGF is more than just a chance for Indie developers to show what games can do, it is a chance to connect directly with the gamers themselves.  Independent developers have been connecting with gamers better than any other segment of the industry for some time.  This has a lot to do with the closeness of the developers to the people who play their games.  If you play the Sims, you are not likely to be able to make a suggestion to Will Wright about something you had trouble with or a way you thought the game could be improved.  If you did, you very likely would not see any result from having done so.  However, with Indie games, suggestions are often implemented, and issues that gamers have encountered often lead to game 'patches' which really aren't patches at all, but instead are really updates to the game.  (For example, continue the 'patches' to Gish which have included adding a level editor and will soon add 4-player modes to the game)

The connection made by the developers with the gamers is actually something that corporate games doesn't look to care for as the large portals and gaming companies look to take a piece of the casual game pie by using the indie developers to create games that appeal to the non-gamer.

This is of course would come not just at the loss of the corporate developer, who cares little for such connections, but also at the loss of the gamer themselves.  One thing that has struck me strongly during the conference is the need for games to create an experience.  Creating an experience is often predicated by creating something different.  For example, if you think back to the first game you really loved, likely you remember how much fun you had playing the game.  There may have even been sequels to the game, but capturing the magic that you felt while playing the first game may not happened.  The connection that gamers feel with the game that they play is a key component that keeps players coming back to games.  That connection is strengthened greatly by games that make you feel different or pique your imagination in a way that it hasn't been piqued before.

It would appear that I'm in the minority on this, but it is that line of thinking that makes me the PSP as nothing interesting.  As one grows older, the opportunities to play hand-held games in the back of a car are greatly diminished.  While adults always have a cell phone around and may play games on it for that reason, carrying around a PSP seems quite unlikely.  Instead the device becomes something that you might take with you on business trips to play on the plane.  Other than that the device would need to be played at home, in direct competition with the other consoles and computers that you have.  The question I posed to both Sony and to myself is 'Why would I play this over my console?'  So far I haven't seen any reason why I would, the system simply ports console games to a smaller screen, which while mobile, would also be unused while I'm home, which is of course the primary place that I play games.  In comparison, while Nintendogs, I was impressed with how much the game created an experience that I couldn't find elsewhere.  It is a game that I would pick up the Nintendo DS to play, so that I could enjoy the experience.

That experience runs along the same line as the gaming experience that many indie games provide and is my main attraction to Indie games.  The feeling that you have towards the game, the connection to the game, and the gaming experience provides you with something that you can't find anywhere else, and gives you a reason to put down your console and play them.  You feel something unique and compelling by playing them.

This year's IGF capitalized on that feeling perfectly with the choice of Wik and Gish as the two winners, each provides a game play experience that is unlike anything else available in games.  However, that is not the only experience singular to Indie games that the IGF helps to provide.  It also shows the connection of the gamer to the developer.  Much as you don't get the full story and miss some of the conversation through instant messaging, playing a game without knowing the developer's intentions, desires, and design leaves you bereft of some of the experience. 

I had been a Mozart hater all of my life until I took at Music 101 class in my last year in college to make sure I took enough credits to be eligible as a full-time student.  However, in that class I had Mozart explained to me, and for the first time instead of stupid little melodies I saw incredible complexity and brilliance in design.  Many of the best things in life come through appreciation and association, and though it may seem somewhat strange Indie games provides that.  It is something that you don't even realize you are missing with mainstream titles, and after being involved with Indie gaming, the connection with the developers is one of the many factors that keeps people playing more. 

The 2005 IGF showcased great game play and put developers next to the players who played and watched the games.  While not every game is innovative or provides a singularly unique experience, innovation certainly isn't the only experience to be had in gaming, and the IGF provided an arena to show off some of the other positives of indie gaming, including the developer connection.  More than anything, gaming is an experience, and the games you remember are the ones that make you feel something.  It may be joy, or fear, or excitement, or a personal connection, or a simple feeling of newness, but as the world of gaming becomes ever more focused on graphics and franchises, the IGF stands as an opportunity to showcase the exciting world of indie games and the many experiences that players can have while playing them.

Spread The Word:    Del.icio.us  |   Digg  |   Slashdot  |   Reddit

By: Russell Carroll
Posted: Sunday March 20, 2005