Comments on: Spirit Levelling Up: The Spirit Engine 2

By: malkav11

malkav11 — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:04:44 +0000

The biggest issue for me is simply this: most of the indie games scene are either variations on common casual games or aim at a couple of very niche genres I don’t care about (i.e., SHMUPs). Also throw in really simplistic, if quirky webgames. Most sites that write about indie games regularly therefore spend 95+% of their time focusing on these sorts of games that I don’t give a flying toss about and there is no easy way for me to sort out the stuff I might actually find interesting. Like this, or Yahtzee’s Trilby series. Most of the other sites will cover the occasional really hype-intensive title like Braid or World of Goo (not saying they’re not deserving, by the way) or maybe Audiosurf, but I will have heard about them as much or more than most big studio releases so the umpteenth round of coverage doesn’t do much for me.

Rock Paper Shotgun has been a godsend in this regard, and I still don’t really care that much about over half the indie games you talk about.

By: Tyjenks

Tyjenks — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:02:08 +0000

Great article Kieron.

Also, wonderful, humble and honest post from Mark. Indie games have come a long way. Everything being five minutes away is great for smaller developers, but it has also bred impatience in us gamers. AS long as RPS, GameTunnel, TIGSource and others keep up the good work, hopefully, not too many gems like SE2 will get by us.

I had heard about SE2 from several places, but have yet to give it a shot as I typically spend more time reading (Typing) about games more than playing them. That will change over this long (American) holiday weekend where Spirit Engine 2 is concerned.

By: Hmm-hmm

Hmm-hmm — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:48:22 +0000

What.. like buying publicity?

By: The Guy

The Guy — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 20:09:41 +0000

I’d love to make a service where indie developers could sign up for a shared publicity service for a low amount of money that would ensure them coverage on specific sites.

By: matte_k

matte_k — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:51:35 +0000

I like its simplicity, in a time when you’re confronted by these massive, open world, go anywhere and do as you wish games, having all that stripped away from you is a pleasant change. It’s quite pacy, and a good way of cramming a quick game in before, say, going to work/college/pub/see a man about a dog. The graphical style is clean and aesthetically pleasing, and the music is excellent too. More where that came from, please :D

By: Tei

Tei — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:43:02 +0000

I think the real problem is:

Long version:
– People is lazy
– Indie guys release his games in a very small and isolated community, that community is like a isle, so everything that is created inside, stay inside (like a fight club, I guest)
– People is lazy, and a AAA title has like 9000 filters already. If you “discover” a good indie title, maybe you are wrong and is a crap game. There are zero or very few filters to eliminate the crap.
– People is lazy. And talking about a game no-one-know is too much work, you have to write about everything to comment a minor detail. People love to share ideas, but talking about the unknom is too one-side, is not fun.
– Most of the indie games are *NOT* good.
– Tons of these games are casual/too short games.
– We like the taste of AAA titles with 40 million dollares on budgets. A small game with only 2 guys behind feel… different. (exception:Mount & Blade, it has levels and levels of hugueness and awesomenes).

Short version:
– Lazy people is lazy.

By: としあき

としあき — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:16:57 +0000

For those of you who feel you’ve missed out on indie titles, /v/ has archived a collection of many awesome freeware games (with the diversity of having ADoM, Ur-Quan Masters, Sumotori, and Gang Garrison 2 all in one collection) here:

http://www.mininova.org/tor/1974034 (a torrent of PC games? CALL THE PIRACY POLI–oh right, nevermind)

………..
……………….__
…………./´¯/’…’/´¯¯`·¸
………./’/…/…./……./¨¯\
……..(’(…´…´…. ¯~/’…’)
………\……………..’…../
……….”…\………. _.·´
…………\…………..(
BRO FIST
Pass these games on to 5 bros or you aren’t a bro.

By: Richard

Richard — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 16:59:56 +0000

(downloads!)

By: Kieron Gillen

Kieron Gillen — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 16:51:22 +0000

Mark-P: Thanks for commenting. I understand the thinking which means pushing your game is something to be avoided, but it’s a shame – I think a lot of indie games suffer because their creators don’t want to do it.

(People occasionally comment about Introversion’s more-biz-people model to doing things, but it’s pretty much because of things like this. I kind of wish someone would perhaps act as an umbrella to other indie games devs who can’t afford an individual marketing man. The idea of devs binding together under a flag of convenience to sell more strikes me as worthwhile.)

Good work, anyway. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to come back soon. And I just plugged it to a journo mate who i suspect will dig it. Hi Richard!

By: Pags

Pags — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 15:52:35 +0000

Interestingly, the top referrers to my site for the past month or so have been a number of private torrent sites. I don’t know whether this is a net positive or negative event, but there’s little I can do about it so I’m trying not to get too down.

You baited the bear! This is where the thread devolves into a mass piracy debate.

By: Dizet Sma

Dizet Sma — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 15:00:31 +0000

You do realize, Mark, that you’re going to get several dozen requests for ‘review copies’ now.

By: Hypocee

Hypocee — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 14:59:20 +0000

Well, at least when you do write you’re eloquent and fun to read. Skimming through, your post just before tab-close kicked me from ruthlessly passing by to grabbing the demo.