Phew, it's been a while since this page has been updated. Is anybody still around? It's an exciting time for gaming with the PS4 and the Xbox One coming, not to mention more powerful phones, tablets and devices like the Nvdia Shield and Ouya promoting Android and iOS gaming. Then there's the Oculus Rift 3D immersion to enhance gaming, increase in power and games of the Vita and 3DS, streaming through the Shield and Steam Machine.
Speaking of the Steam Machine, gaming might possibly move on to Linux and PC gaming into the living room. There is so much to keep track of, and we haven't even touched on the new games which probably will be better graphically due to next gen, and best thing is, innovation will not be stifled because of the shift in focus towards indie.
Are you having fun yet? It'll probably cost a bomb to keep up with all these; already, I'm wishing I were much richer. I'm feeling like a kid at a toy store ogling at the toys. What are you excited for? Are you getting any of the new consoles at launch? Me? I'm first going to need to rob a bank...
Thoughts and discussion about the gaming industry, practices and issues developing, selling, and support for games. Follow this blog on twitter @gamawareness.
Showing posts with label indie developers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label indie developers. Show all posts
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Big Name Distributors the death of Gaming?
"Indies are saving gaming. EA is methodically destroying it."
Minecraft creator apparently thinks so.
I've always been impressed with the creativity that independent developers are able to come up with, as compared to games published by EA, Activision and Ubisoft. Most of the big budget games from the later consists of games that are updated versions year after year after year. How many Fifa's and Call of Duty's have we seen? Granted, we do see some new intellectual properties (IPs) once in a while, meaning totally universes and back story, but those that sell well are continually milked while those who do ok, but not well enough get thrown out. Rarely do we see an IP get a second chance, and rarely do we see games that break out of the mould.
Game developers under these companies rarely get to get creative with their games as publishers are fearful that the game will not sell. In comes the indie developers. Without the restrictions set by publishers, indie developers can exercise more creativity over their games. This comes with the cost of not having monetary support, so indie games tend to be developed for handphones, or with lower graphical capabilities. Creativity comes with a risk as well, as some games turn out to be a hit, while others are so weird they are not able to find their audiences. Publishing is a problem as well, but with more and more online publishers, indie games are starting to get popular. The low cost of indie games helps them as well.
There are so many game studios that have been shut down by publishers because of poor sales. Why then do these publishers still exist? Because people like block buster games with amazing graphics and cookie cutter gameplay. People do not want to try new IP, or games with strange ideas. Year after year, people repeated buy the next 'update' for full price. In that sense, EA isn't destroying gaming; after all, they are catering to what gamers want, and they deduce what gamers want from what gamers buy. So who's destroying gaming? Us gamers.
Minecraft creator apparently thinks so.
I've always been impressed with the creativity that independent developers are able to come up with, as compared to games published by EA, Activision and Ubisoft. Most of the big budget games from the later consists of games that are updated versions year after year after year. How many Fifa's and Call of Duty's have we seen? Granted, we do see some new intellectual properties (IPs) once in a while, meaning totally universes and back story, but those that sell well are continually milked while those who do ok, but not well enough get thrown out. Rarely do we see an IP get a second chance, and rarely do we see games that break out of the mould.
Game developers under these companies rarely get to get creative with their games as publishers are fearful that the game will not sell. In comes the indie developers. Without the restrictions set by publishers, indie developers can exercise more creativity over their games. This comes with the cost of not having monetary support, so indie games tend to be developed for handphones, or with lower graphical capabilities. Creativity comes with a risk as well, as some games turn out to be a hit, while others are so weird they are not able to find their audiences. Publishing is a problem as well, but with more and more online publishers, indie games are starting to get popular. The low cost of indie games helps them as well.
There are so many game studios that have been shut down by publishers because of poor sales. Why then do these publishers still exist? Because people like block buster games with amazing graphics and cookie cutter gameplay. People do not want to try new IP, or games with strange ideas. Year after year, people repeated buy the next 'update' for full price. In that sense, EA isn't destroying gaming; after all, they are catering to what gamers want, and they deduce what gamers want from what gamers buy. So who's destroying gaming? Us gamers.
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