How to afford an indie game

A short comic.


Comments

74 responses to “How to afford an indie game”

  1. I agree with the demo comment. Most games that I enjoy as a demo I will buy – especially if it unlocks there and then. The price point really just sets the quality of production

  2. Harry Avatar
    Harry

    Wow I think I just overdosed on bitterness and condescension.

    Sorry but anyone who tries to pass this off as light-hearted or humorous is just trying to paint a thin veneer of pretty-gloss over some really, really ugly stuff.

    Guess this guy just can’t imagine as possible a scenario where someone says “You know, I played your demo, and honestly I would rather go ahead and spend my $15 on three lattes than on your game.”

    Starbucks may be pretentious and expensive, but they’re not the ones using shit-flinging, condescending and insulting marketing that makes me want to give my money to anybody but them.

    If this is the kind of message the indie community gives out regularly to the gaming public, then it’s no wonder people are throwing their $60 at mainstream games who marketing actually makes them feel GOOD about themselves (omg shock and surprise!!), instead of like guilty losers.

  3. Xenomrph Avatar
    Xenomrph

    People aren’t bitching because $15 will break the bank, they’re bitching because the game isn’t worth $15.

    Wacky concept, I know.

  4. Fly Medical Avatar
    Fly Medical

    Guess what? Because of this, I will never again pay for an indie game.

    Way to treat your primary market with respect and grace, dick.

    1. guess what? nobody wants your shitty money, you’re probably poor anyways.

  5. LachlanL Avatar
    LachlanL

    “Guess what? Because of this, I will never again pay for an indie game.

    Way to treat your primary market with respect and grace, dick.”

    Guess what? You were never part of their “primary market”. An indie’s primary market is people who are mature enough to see value in something other than triangle counts and bloom.

  6. Eyebrows... Avatar
    Eyebrows…

    Judging from the original blog post itself, I’d think that “maturity” is out of the question.

    Anyways, I love the flamewars that have sprung up simply by people thinking that VVVVVV isn’t worth $15. It’s not. It’s been overhyped (with a painfully obvious degree of artificiality) and overpriced. Now get over it you big babies.

    I’d pay $15 for any of the other games though, but I doubt that this is in response to that at all.

    P.S. I agree with Fly Medical.

  7. Eyebrows... Avatar
    Eyebrows…

    Oh, and one more note, LachlanL:
    Guess what? Your ad hominem attacks aren’t impressing anybody. In fact, your insinuation that anyone who believes that the God-given glory which is VVVVVV is not worth three weeks pay is instantly a latte-sipping Master Chief fanboy only serves to dig yourself deeper into the grave. Voxel count > triangle count.

  8. Rodrigo Cardoso Avatar
    Rodrigo Cardoso

    “Ignore that lightsaber for your XBox avatar…”
    I LOLed =D

    Man, some people I know, dont ever consider that $1 to $5 games in XBLIG, but BUYs these virtual clothes Crap… =(

  9. Rocketbirds has more production value, and it’s $5 cheaper.
    Sure, it’s a ripoff of flashback, but at least it’ll last longer than a shower.
    VVVVVV is OK, just overrated to no end because it’s something slightly different.

  10. LachlanL Avatar
    LachlanL

    Ohh hi, “Eyebrows”. I wasn’t replying to you, but since you’ve decided to jump down my throat for some reason, I guess I should respond (this is the internet after all and one must defend one’s e-penis).

    First of all, I didn’t mention VVVVVV. I had to google it the other day to find out what it was. Not my cup to tea, but it looks like some people are enjoying it. Apparently though, I must be that game’s mother or something because you’ve decided that I love it to bits and have landed here, flaming and insinuating to defend it. The world is an amazing place when it is filled with assumptions, eh?

  11. Aaron Rogers Avatar
    Aaron Rogers

    This is the most sarcastic and smug thing I’ve read on the Internet. Congratulations, you’re the most annoying person on StumbleUpon so far today! I’m only about 100 Stumbles in, however, so you’re title is up for grabs. 🙁

  12. Performative post Avatar
    Performative post

    Your comic makes me want to pirate indie.

  13. James Avatar
    James

    I think this post is plainly ridiculous. I’m not one for indie games (prepare for gross generalisations), I find them very monotonous and after the demo couldn’t even dream of buying the full game 99% of the time.

    However, there are many things that indie developers could do to make me personally more inclined to buy their game.
    -Make buying it easy
    -Don’t make me replay the demo, and make me aware that i wont have to
    -Make it a price that isn’t comparable to an album, or a tv series, make it such that i can thing “oh, its only £8, i could spend that on a meal” rather than “oh man £12?! that’s alot”

    This comic has almost entirely ruined any purchase from an indie developer in the future. Kudos.

    p.s. Big budget game series are not boring and derivative simply because they have a back story, that’s worth considering for your games.

  14. lolyyupep Avatar
    lolyyupep

    lol most indie games suck and are hardly ever worth more than 5 bucks much less 15.

  15. Awesome! 😀

  16. I think this post wasn’t necessarily about the fact that you should spend 15$ on indie games. Let’s be honest…If there’s actual innovation, not rewriting an old concept, it’s coming from the indie zone. of course, some games are innovative, some not so much. I, for one, wouldn’t spend more than 25$ on a game. except if the game was really worth it.

    People need to recognize the true value of the indie scene. sure, some games aren’t worth their price. totally true. some games are better than others. but even this is a subjective point of view. Being indie is about trying stuff that hasn’t been tried before, stuff that you would like to see. You may or may not like it.

    Indie games are a mirror into the vision of the developer. but indie devs deserve money, because they go to big lengths to do something that they want to see done, even if it’s not the most awesome game ever made. They’ve got courage to try a new concept. You’ll almost never see a big company risk everything to bring out a game that might be a total failure, just because they want to innovate.

    In my opinion, every game dev has the obligation of innovating in his life.

    In conclusion, support indie games. support innovation.

  17. GRAND THEFT AUTO FTW Avatar
    GRAND THEFT AUTO FTW

    WAAAH SOMEONE INSULTED GRAND THEFT AUTO WAAAAH

    I hATE YOU YOU SUCK

  18. But, but, if it’s available on the Internet, it should always be free, just like music albums and blu-ray movie rips. Right?

  19. jezus Avatar
    jezus

    thats all good, except most indie games that i have found on xblive suck because they are short and the quality of indie games fall short to mainstream produced games and latte frappaccinos. I might pay $3 for an indie game.

  20. Quite right! Software is a pain to develop – at least software that is rightfully called software. A decent remuneration is ok!

  21. TJF588 Avatar
    TJF588

    For me, I’ve been scavenging on sales, though/and in cases of “donation” or “name your price”, I try to get around a dollar. I’m a cheap ass, and likely not an aid to the developers, at the least in name-your-price deals. However, I’d imagine that putting such games on sale is not so much about turning profit, but exposing not only the games but also the developers. After the steam (lulz) runs out on a game’s release, its worth to the developer than takes on an advertisement role. “Hey, you remember that game you liked? Those guys are making another one!” By selling them on their previous work, even at such a loss, they might get their purchase on the new venture. I know that I wouldn’t’ve gotten World of Goo, or even Portal, because I didn’t have an interest that offset the price. But I’ve been enjoying (and getting appropriately mad at) WoG, and now that I’ve had first-hand time with Portal, I have some basis for interest in playing Portal 2, especially since a good friend liekz it.

    tl;dr – For games I wouldn’t have bought anyway, offering them at broke-rate prices is good exposure.

    (Although, I likely won’t buy anything, no matter price decency. I’m just that cheap, aside from my pre-order swag addiction (I’m trying to break it) and brand-loyalties to SQEX.)

  22. Yeah right Avatar
    Yeah right

    I’m sorry but VVVVVV is just plain shit.

    You people need to understand is that indie game industry is full of crap too. There are just a few gems.

  23. Hey there, You’ve done a fantastic job. I’ll certainly digg it and personally suggest to my friends. I am confident they will be benefited from this web site.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *