As rumors swirl around and as we get more glimpses into the almost-always-online future of the Xbox One, people are a bit bothered by the possibility that this is simply the way future gaming is going to be.
Unfortunately, that's what happens when Microsoft reveals a so-called "console" and almost completely ignores games. It doesn't inspire confidence that gaming is going to be the focus in our future game industry.
This is where indies step in. Now, that word - indie - is becoming rather blurred. Have you seen Minecraft's sales lately? Have you seen the graphics for The Witness? To me, "indie" simply means "not AAA big-name retail release, and priced accordingly". Indie games are anywhere from $5-$30 and they are meant to provide entertainment at a lower cost of entry than a full-blown $60 retail game.
Last gen, indie developers made splash after splash. We had Castle Crashers, Geometry Wars, Fez, Binding of Isaac, Journey, Braid, Super Meat Boy, and many more games. Not to get off topic, but most of the popular indie games were revivals of old arcade-style games, and that was cool. What happens, however, when indies in the 8th generation of gaming decide to brand out beyond pick-up-and-play arcade experiences and explore other genres? We already saw it with Journey. We already saw it with Telltale's Walking Dead. We're gonna see it again with The Witness. Perhaps even the almighty shooter genre will be co-opted by indie devs. Unlikely, but a man can hope, right?
Anyway, back on topic. Games are getting expensive. Next-gen, they're going to be even more expensive, what with required online, used-game fees, and (of course) more DLC racking up the price of games. Indie games will always be the cheaper alternative, and there is a possibility that next-gen consoles will thrive based on how they treat indies.
Though it may seem completely foreign to us, what if someone bought a PS4 to play indie games? It sounds crazy, right? I mean, who would spend the money just to play a bunch of indie games? Well, people once said that about smartphones and tablets (especially tablets). We were told that people wouldn't care to buy a brand-new tablet just to play $1 apps. Boy oh boy, we were wrong. In the same way, it is impossible to predict where the next "craze" will appear, and being able to grab four $15 indie games for the price of one big AAA retail release is something that more and more people are going to consider, especially with the status of our global economy.
I don't know about you folks, but I will definitely be spending more money on downloadable indie games this year than I'll be spending on brand-new retail releases. That's simply because indie games often offer a more convenient method of playing games (short, quick, quirky, and fun). Nothing against The Last of Us, but I'll instead be dropping my cash on Spelunky HD and Fez when they hit PSN this summer. Will there be other gamers like me in the 8th gen, people who only buy the occasional $60 release but instead spend a lot of money on smaller downloadable titles? That's hard to say, but it appears (based on pieces of tech known as "smartphones") that the gaming market is moving in that direction.
Obviously, big-name, big-budget AAA titles are always going to be an integral part of gaming, but if the Wii-U and Vita have taught us anything, it's that videogame droughts DO exist, even in the magical new world of the 8th gen. It's never a bad thing to be able to ride through those game droughts with some fun, cheap indie games at your disposal.
Xbox Wire: “We're excited to confirm that Game Pass members will be able to jump into Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on day one.”
Here's hoping for a drop of all 19 of the other cod games on gamepass. That would be a wild trip down memory lane.
After being burnt with MW3 (really enjoyed mw2019 and MW2 (2022) as well as cold war). Guess I can give it ago on pc GP for a month. If I like it buy it on PS5 or PC or don't if I don't like it. I may dislike gamepass. But since it's Microsoft who potentially looses out on my money I don't mind.
Nice!
All those rumors were dead wrong and COD fans will be able to play Black Ops 6 day one on Gamepass!
So Microsoft is willing to take a financial hit? Could have done that with Tango. This was the correct move. Any other move would have piled on what happened recently whether it be, price increase, new tier, or not releasing it on GP at all.
With Dead Cells co-developer at the helm, will The Rogue Prince of Persia possess the regal quality needed to reign supreme?
Immediately after the launch of Preseason, XDefiant players noticed that hit reg is just completely off. They demand for it to be fixed.
My Vita is packed with Indie games from PS Mobile.
Infact, I recently bought and reviewed the fantastic PASSING TIME. If you're interested I suggest you watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watc...
Basically, it's a football game played by touch controls only, it really is quite amazing!
I've been playing lots of PS1 and PSM games on my Vita recently.
As someone who has championed indie games for years, I always loved Microsoft’s support for solo/small dev teams through its XBLA marketplace.
However, and I don’t know if anyone can confirm/deny this, I’ve been hearing that they’re pulling the plug on this initiative, thereby making it harder for indies to self publish.
I will finally get my Xperia Tablet Z next week and that is gonna be my center for mini-games and indie-games :) I do believe indie games are very important for next gen. Can't wait to try out The Witness.
Yes the witness is a game I want to try along with some delicious survival horror games like amnesia a machine for pigs, among the sleep, asylum , etc. Don't forget distance is an arcade racing game with track editor also available for Linux. Independent game developers have proven to bring quality innovative titles at reasonable prices.
Like the blog and what are your favorite indie games. Ummm how is traveler tales an indie game developer?