Indie Development in 2014

What I learned from GDC

Mike Enoch

Welcome!

What is indie in this context?

About me:• Background in console development• Portfolio manager for the Prototype

Fund• Still developing on the side• About to go indie full time

Related GDC content

• Independent Games Summit• Independent Games Festival• Indie MEGABOOTH• Alt Ctrl GDC• Experimental Gameplay Workshop

Plus side events, parties, etc…

Development is getting easier

• Never been as cheap or easy to build games

• Wide array of cross-platform tools and technology available

• Unity 3D is very popular, GameMaker too• Price drops from Unreal and Crytek may

drive indies towards higher-end 3D• Adobe Creative Cloud and other cheap

subscription tools driving down costs and opening up access

Increased competition

• Accessibility is leading to a massive influx of new developers at the bottom end

• Consolidation of AAA development combined with risk-averse creativity is pushing a lot of experienced devs to go indie too

• More traditional developers and publishers are also increasingly moving into the indie marketplace

New markets

• Mobile and tablet markets increasingly taken over by big business

• Indies are starting to target other markets first – PC and Steam getting very popular

• Niche targets also tend to be more viable as the market expands

• Consoles are opening up again, even providing funding without taking IP

• A lot of indies getting excited by VR, still talk of Apple TV and other micro-consoles

Opening up Steam

• A lot of debate as to whether Valve opening up the Steam market will save or kill indie PC gaming

• Right now it’s a good opportunity, easier to pass Greenlight, also easier to get a deal that puts you straight on Early Access

• In 6-months time though? Could go the way of the AppStore, but no-one wants to write off Valve

New funding

• Massive uptake of Kickstarter and other crowd-funding sites

• Also a lot of interest in alpha funding (the Minecraft model) – especially through Steam Early Access

• However, many are predicting a backlash as more people jump in and developers take advantage

Discoverability

• Still the number one problem for most indies• Importance of events, competitions, and

communities – building your profile and networking with the in-crowd

• Teams and individuals collaborating, pooling resources – the indie take on consolidation?

• Today’s indie, tomorrow’s publisher? • Trend towards micro-publishers like Devolver

Digital, accelerators like Execution Labs• What’s your story? Tell it!

Business models

• Indie backlash against free-to-play as players get abused by unscrupulous businesses

• Free no longer a differentiator, virality no longer assured, increasing costs of the model

• Excitement around alpha and crowd funding making indies rethink relationship with the player and what that means

• Some creative approaches – reverse sales, live development, patronage

Golden opportunity?

• Many describing the current situation as a golden age for games, especially indies

• Expanding market and rapid rate of change leading to many new opportunities

• Indies that do well can become the new leaders in games development

• I’m in, how about you?

What this means for me

• Collaboration – artist wanted• Moving away from mobile / tablet• Paid digital, early access or similar• Going to take a look at Unreal, but

probably sticking with Unity• Fast turnaround, but too big to clone• Events, networking, publishing

Thanks!

M.Enoch@Abertay.ac.uk@MikeEnochMikeEnoch.com