Why Independent?

The longer Game Tunnel has been running, the more that question has come back in different forms and with different answers.

Mage Bros., the second great title from JJ Soft, for both kids and adults.

Why do people make independent games? What is the future of independent games? What are independent games? Those are all good questions that the independent industry itself struggles with. As an industry, it is poorly defined. People who make independent games aren't even sure if they are making an independent games. Often mid-sized studios make a game that they expect to have mass market appeal, and then when it doesn't, it becomes an "independent" game.

In movies, the independent market is also known as avant guarde. The perception of the independent movie industry is that movies are made in the industry that would not be released into the mainstream due to the story or presentation being different than what major movie companies consider to be marketable. Independent movies have grown in popularity over the years as a larger portion of the population has learned of their existence and found that they enjoy something different from time to time. The independent movie market certainly has its share of hard-core fans, but the growth of the industry has come through casual viewers, those who occasionally watch independent films, but do not attempt to become experts of the industry.

Hollywood has responded to this demand by adding independent films to their releases. With each major independent film event, there are studios watching carefully and gauging interest, to determine if the movie might have a larger appeal that would turn a profit. When an independent film is picked up by Hollywood, the public views it as a great thing for independent films as a whole, and so does a majority of the independent crowd. The reason is that by the acceptance of an independent film into the mass market, it is a statement that the mass market appreciates the industry.

Independent movies is a good comparison with independent games. At least it should be. However, there are some subtle differences that causes the independent games industry to grumble from within. These growing pains are helping independent games to gain an identity, though independent games certainly do not yet have an identity.

The definition itself is as previously mentioned, one of the problems for independent games. What is an independent game? What makes it officially "independent." The history of independent games has caused many to call them shareware games. Earlier in the history of gaming, computer programmers created games in their garages for other computer programmers. As the market of home computers grew, these programmers started releasing games as "shareware." The games were often cutting edge and original in both concept and design. The small marketplace made most games very original due to the low number of games available.

The marketing plan was to get people to play the games and then, after they had tried them, the customer could buy them. It was and is a great marketing plan that is now being used by every major computer game programmer. Through time, larger companies started to release computer games. The first of which were not any better than the small garage game companies. However, as time marched on, and the involvement in creating a game increased, a wide gap has become ever more apparent between the games made in garages and the games that major companies make. Often this has given to the notion that games not made and released in stores are of low quality, because in comparison, many of the garage games are.

With a widening in the gap in depth of game play between a major release, and a garage or shareware game, many shareware authors found they could not compete. Many have instead left for larger programming jobs, or for other jobs. Others have focused on a different market that has been left virtually untapped by the major studios. The internet has provided the ability to
market games that are played by people on their computers who normally wouldn't buy games. This is a market that is largely female, and who is not as concerned about the graphics of a game, they are more concerned about enjoying their experience.

This has lead further to the confusion of what an independent game is. To fill the market, and their own pockets, developers have created countless puzzle and card games. These games have been fairly well received, in some cases very well received. However, the cutting edge aspect of gaming had been left entirely to the large studios. Much as is the case of the movie industry, most large studios shun any idea that has not been tested and tried in the marketplace.

The Rage, one of many high-quality independent games looking for a larger following.

The frustration of many qualified programmers in the studios, who feel stifled by their environment has lead to another segment of the independent community. These programmers are often tried and tested. They create games that have production values that rival games bought off of the shelf. Graphics are high quality. Interfaces are simple to use. Bugs are few and far in-between. Unfortunately for these developers, the marketplace has been difficult for them. As a second segment of the independent marketplace, many of them have found it hard to create a following of mainstream fans who appreciate their work. Many create games that are aimed at the mainstream marketplace only to find that independent games do not have any real mainstream pull. The independent marketplace is currently changing, bringing more of the mainstream fans into contact with it, but it is not in the same situation as the independent movie market. High quality developers, find their games often unknown. Many, feeling frustration and empty stomachs have returned to the programming companies they despised.