The Independent View by Dan MacDonald

Freedom and Independence (January 18, 2006)

Independent game development appeals to developers for a number of reasons. For many, the chance to work on their own games and turn a profit while doing it is the realization of life-long ambitions. For many would-be indie game developers, the opportunity to rise up from under the thumb of their current employer, make their own money and eventually run their game business full time is appealing. For those who have worked for a traditional game development company or built games to contract, the opportunity to be in the drivers seat of a game project and responsible for all the design and programming is inspiring. Most newcomers to indie game development come with a little of both, a passion for game development and a gleam in their eye for profitability.

In the last 4-5 years independent developers have exploded from a few hobbyists and individuals to an entire industry and community. Casual / Web games are largely the domain of independent developers and it seems you can't turn around without running into another indie who's just launched a hit game on the game portals and is raking in the cash. In fact, casual games have become something of a gold rush for independent developers, everyone scrambling over each other to make the next big hit or make a clone of the current big hit. The growth in numbers of independent developers has been so fast that there are far more new indies then there are experienced ones.

Because there are so many new Indies I would like to pose the question "what's the point of making games independently?" Everyone approaches independent game development with their own goals and ambitions. These range from "I want to build my dream game" to "I want to build a sustainable business for years to come". There is nothing inherently wrong with either ambition; however, just because they are the ambitions of one or more indie developer does not mean that these ambitions define "the point" of being indie.

So what is it that makes independent game development unique? I put forward that the uniquely defining characteristic of independent game development is the fact that the games are made independent of any controlling interest. No marketing department, no sales team, no project manager or middle manager, or any other incarnation of "the man" can tell an independent game developer how to make their game. What does this mean? It means that independent game developers have the freedom to follow their own passions and preferences in game design and development without the interference or influence of 3rd parties. This is something that is unique to independent game development and is arguably its defining characteristic.

So what about all the independent developers looking to make their full-time occupation game development? While they may be using independent game development as a means of achieving their goals, their primary goal is not independent game development, their primary goal is financial independence. Financial independence is an ideal goal, one that lies close to the heart of all those who espouse the entrepreneurial spirit. However, financial independence as a primary goal is detrimental to the core purpose of independent game development. By pursuing financial independence the developer gives up some of their freedom and picks game designs and topics according to what they think will have the best opportunity to sell and help them reach their goal of financial independence. This removes a certain amount of the passion and preference from independent game development and shifts the focus to profitability and profitability can be as cruel a taskmaster as any marketing team or middle manager. Just ask the executives of any publicly traded company.

Because of the success of the casual games business online, the number of independent game developers pursuing financial independence though games has become by all appearances the majority. Gone are the days when "independent" was synonymous with a Richard Garriot making Ultima in his garage, or an Id software working out of an apartment to create Castle Wolfenstein, or Apogee creating DukeNukem (2D). So to new independent developers, I encourage you to enjoy your freedom and make something you are passionate about. Like most things in life, if you follow your passion you will eventually find financial success. It's not a valid business plan, but there is enjoyment and significance to be found in creating games with passion. The potential for those kinds of games is why sites like this exist. Do you think they really want to review another game packed full of casual mechanics and themes (or whatever else is the hot selling trend of the day)? No, they exist because they want to support developers who are free to create games that are expressions of their own appreciations and personality instead of what everyone else who's bound to the almighty dollar is doing.

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

By: Dan McDonald
Posted: Monday January 16, 2006