Been to my first Game Developers Conference

[Kaftan Barlast]

Indie game developer = a developer that is not owned by, or under contract to a publisher.

 

 

It has been an exhausting 2 days(its lunchbreak now, going to continue this afternoon) so Im just going to write down some quick points on what we came up with during the debate and lectures. http://www.thedebates.org

• We must find other ways to finance games than signing with an established publisher. This is the trickiest point and noone really has the magic answer but in Scandinavia we're looking into independant private or corporate investors, ordinary bank investment loans and subsidizing or funding by the state or EU (the same model that is used for film production)
  
• We must eliminate as many middle men as possible in the chain, ideally, the developer should be able to sell their games directly to the public. This would lead to more money for the developers aswellas as much cheaper games for the public. Today we have a huge money-eating chain of "Developer>Publisher>Distributor>Retailer>You" and its usually much more complex than that.
  
• We have to build more well known"big name" services like Steam that allow for direct purchase and download of games, but without them being actual companies looking to make a profit. Ideally it would be a joint venture run by an organisation of game developers that did take more from the sales then it needed to keep running. It shouldnt impose as much on your system as Steam does either, it shouldnt be stranger than a website.
  
• We should develop more open source, free software development tools and engines for people to use in making indie games so that we can build up a real underground of developers. Ideally, all you should need to make a good game is a computer and the will to do it.
  
• And most importantly, we should stop talking and start acting.
  

Got any other idea on what we could do to promote independant game development?

[Judge Hades]

Not to knock off Steam and other Direct Download ideas but when I spend money I like to have something tangible like discs, a manual, and the such. Call me old fashion but it is one of the things I look for in a game.

 

Beyond that its good to hear that people are doing this and I wish you guys all the luck and success.

 

As for promoting independent game development I think that we need to go back to the basics in game design. It seems like we have a loto f hybrids out there but when was the last time we had a hardcore CRPG that has gotten the same level of press and following as Neverwinter Nights or Oblivion? Or a hardcore space combat sim like Freespace and Wing Commander that draws you in not only in story but the shear amount of space fighting goodness. We need games that get back to the roots of gaming while at the same time not sacrificing the quality of the game so that it uses modern technology and graphical representation.

 

I hope that makes some odd sort of sense.

[Azarkon]

Getting rid of the middle men and turning profits back to the workers that produce them!? This is Communism, I say! GDC is RED!

 

:cool:

[Joseph Bulock]

Not to knock off Steam and other Direct Download ideas but when I spend money I like to have something tangible like discs, a manual, and the such.  Call me old fashion but it is one of the things I look for in a game.

 

 

You are old fashioned. :D

[Fenghuang]

I dunno man, the packaging for my copy of San Andreas is pretty sweet. The manual is a little hardcover book!

[Cantousent]

Getting rid of the middle men and turning profits back to the workers that produce them!? This is Communism, I say! GDC is RED!

 

:cool:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Nope. This is capitalism. ...And while the developers would undoubtedly return some of that profit to the employees, it would be much better for the developer as a company to have this sort of control over the process.

 

Now, I'm not an economist or a game designer, but I'm sure the problem with this idea is the sheer cost. If developers could rely on something like the Steam idea, then that would cut out at least some of the costs, but I wonder how much of what the publish finance is simple distributing. The developers probably need quite a bit of money keeping the operation going while they finish the product.

 

At any rate, the bulk of the developers costs are almost certainly talent in the first place. If not, then they're crazy. On top of that, developers, even indies, are businesses and must maintain some level of profit to continue operating.

 

The closest thing to communism I've seen out of the whole thing is the idea of EU or Swedish funding, which is a terrible idea. It's just relinquishing artistic control and switching it from one corporate entity (the publisher) and placing it in the hands of another, far more powerful entity (the government).

 

We'd all hate it if the lawmakers managed to impose, by law, harsh controls over content based on recent high profile events. Coffee, anyone? How much easier would it be to impose such controls if you didn't need to pass a law punishing publishers, developers, or retailers and simply withhold funding for developers some politician or another deems unfit. Beware the Holy Grail of government subsidy. The water might look cool and clear, but it will taste quite brackish to the palate.

[Musopticon?]

Umm...during that lunch break, what did you eat?

 

This is a glimpse into the inner workings of a budding developer.

[Kaftan Barlast]

The main mother of all problems is ALWAYS the money, you need to provide a team of atleast a dozen people(for a small game) with salaries and equipment for YEARS before youve actually got a game you can sell and profit from.

 

 

We already have a working system of State and EU financing for the film industry and theres no real reason why the same thing could not work for game development. We just need money. Also, in our system the State is forbidden form exercising any type of control over the film production, once theyve cleared that theyre going to back a film the only rule is that the producers mustnt put the money in their own pocket. Its much less restrictive than a publisher who demands not only control of every aspect of game development but also complete ownership of the IP and 95% of the profits.

 

 

And regarding distribution, if you take on one hand the enormous cost and sheer hassle of going through distributors("theres no market for an X game, we're not going to touch this") and retailers("Wal-mart does not sell games with X in it") to get your game out there.. and one one hand if Hades is going to have to be without a shiny box to cuddle, Im going to have to say that Im sorry but boxes are out. Its not worth it.

[metadigital]

• And most importantly, we should stop talking and start acting.
  

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Game development is just like every other artistic endeavour. The problem is taste. Just because Woody Allen makes a film, doesn't mean everyone is going to like it and want to pay to see it.

 

David Bowie sold Futures in his art, maybe that's what you need to do ...

[Judge Hades]

All I really carea bout is a printed manual and the games on DVD/CD.

 

It is too bad that some distributors and retail outlets are closed minded that they won't carry certain titles.

[Azarkon]

Nope.  This is capitalism.

 

But eliminating the exploitive business class and returning the profit to the workers was one of the central tenets of Communism. We are obviously dealing with commies here!

 

:D

[Judge Hades]

Capitalistic Commies at that. OH NOES!

[kirottu]

Did the game developers conference have representatives from booth girrlz?

[Kaftan Barlast]

Now I might have labeled this thread wrongly, I was at A game dev conference, not THE http://www.gdconf.com/ I was at a conference for Indie game develpers even if there were people from some published devs there too like DiCE, the Red Orchestra guys and IO

[kirottu]

What about booth girls? None?

[metadigital]

Now I might have labeled this thread wrongly, I was at A game dev conference, not THE http://www.gdconf.com/ I was at a conference for Indie game develpers even if there were people from some published devs there too like DiCE, the Red Orchestra guys and IO

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was serious about the futures comment.

 

 

 

Is it worst to be used by a game publisher, a merchant banker, or a stock broker ... hmmm ...?

[Llyranor]

Now I might have labeled this thread wrongly, I was at A game dev conference, not THE http://www.gdconf.com/ I was at a conference for Indie game develpers even if there were people from some published devs there too like DiCE, the Red Orchestra guys and IO

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was serious about the futures comment.

 

 

 

Is it worse to be used by a game publisher, a merchant banker, or a stock broker ... hmmm ...?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Fixed.

[metadigital]

No. Worst of three options (i.e. superlative), taking the noun form.

 

Worse of two (i.e. comparitive), used as an adjective or adverb.

 

You are wrong.

comparative 

n adjective

1 measured or judged by comparison; relative.

2 involving comparison between two or more subjects or branches of science: comparative religion.

3 Grammar (of an adjective or adverb) expressing a higher degree of a quality, but not the highest possible (e.g. braver; more fiercely). Contrasted with positive, superlative.

 

superlative

n adjective

1 of the highest quality or degree.

2 Grammar (of an adjective or adverb) expressing the highest or a very high degree of a quality (e.g. bravest, most fiercely). Contrasted with positive and comparative.

n noun a hyperbolical expression of praise.

 

DERIVATIVES

superlatively adverb

superlativeness noun

 

ORIGIN

Middle English: from Old French superlatif, -ive, from late Latin superlativus, from Latin superlatus, superferre 'carry beyond'.

worst

n adjective of the poorest quality or the lowest standard. ⇒most severe or serious.

n adverb

1 most severely or seriously.

2 least well.

n noun the worst event or circumstance. ⇒the worst part or stage of something.

n verb get the better of.

 

PHRASES

at its (or someone's) worst in the worst state possible.

at worst (or the worst) in the worst possible case.

do one's worst do as much damage as one can (often expressing defiance).

get (or have) the worst of it suffer the most.

if the worst comes to the worst if the most serious or difficult circumstances arise.

 

ORIGIN

Old English wierresta, wyrresta (adjective), wierst, wyrst (adverb), of Germanic origin; related to worse.

 

worse

adj 1: (comparative of `bad') inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability; "this road is worse than the first one we took"; "the road is in worse shape than it was"; "she was accused of worse things than cheating and lying" [ant: better] 2: changed for the worse in health or fitness; "I feel worse today"; "her cold is worse" [syn: worsened] [ant: better] n : something inferior in quality or condition or effect; "for better or for worse"; "accused of cheating and lying and worse" adv : (comparative of `ill') in a less effective or successful or desirable manner; "he did worse on the second exam"

 

But thanks for playing!

[Llyranor]

Oh yeah? http://www.metadigital.justgotowned.com/

[metadigital]

:Darque:

[jaguars4ever]

:calax:

[Surreptishus]

:calax:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

What emoticon does ^that represent?

[Fenghuang]

I'd just like to point out that unless Broadband and other Highspeed internet options become a lot more widespread me and a lot of other nerds in more rural areas are going to have to quit buying games if Digital Distribution takes over completely.

[mkreku]

By the way, when I talked to J

[Fenghuang]

Ugh.

 

What's up with games like San Andreas shipping on DVDs then?