Just got a response back from a AAA game developer I had interviewed with months ago. They changed their mind and there’s a chance they may want to hire me.
Graduate school and revolutionary research. Independent game development. Working for one of the most respected developers in the world.
I probably can’t do all three. Damn…
Over the last few weeks I’ve adopted the motto of a new definition for “indie.”
“Indie” used to simply mean that you were independent, that no one was paying you to do something, that you were completely free.
And yet, we have multi-million dollar projects appearing on Kickstarter every year. Projects run by famous figureheads. Are these really comparable to the tiny developer spending their savings and their time into their work?
And thus, I repeat my new definition of “indie:”
True #indie: not paying yourself a cent until your product is released, putting all money and effort into realizing your dream.
— Dust Scratch Games (@Dust_Scratch) March 4, 2014
Being “indie” was always a small trend of people thinking they were cool (most of them are cool, but not because of “being indie” like some hipsters would try, but what they do that makes them “indie”). The “indie” lifestyle is present in almost every aspect of creative culture. “Indie” music, “indie” films, “indie” writing (blogs or self-published), “indie” comics, and of course, “indie” games.
But what exactly does “indie” mean?
Of course, it stands for being “independent,” which according to Wikipedia, is simply being free from any government or corporate interests. If no big publisher is paying you for you to make something, or if you aren’t doing what you are told, then you are technically an “indie” artist.
But does this definition still hold today?
By this point, you’ve probably begun making your game. You’re pleased with the results so far, and believe you can commit yourself to seeing this project through to the end.
Then it’s time to get serious and go over some legal stuff you should think about.
So, you’ve been thinking about that game you want to make. You’ve thought about it for a long time, and you think you know exactly how you would go about doing it. You decide you’ll post your idea on Kickstarter.com so you can get funding to start making the game…
…yeah… don’t do that. Your first step for getting funding to make your game is to make the game.
Doesn’t make sense? Hear me out. Kickstarter projects often succeed on credibility, about how much backers trust that you can make what you promise you can. Also, it’s difficult to understand exactly what the game would be without seeing the game in action. Even if you think you need money to make it, you won’t get any money without making it first. It’s a classic Catch-22 scenario.
