OK, let’s panic a bit first then think logically. What if indie development is ending? How will my dream ever come true? I think we are all doomed.
It seems like creating a unique, interesting game experience is not what customers want anymore!
Is that enough panic or do we need more?
Why am I working so hard on a game when it is just a forgone conclusion that it will never sell? I cannot believe that luck plays such a high role in game sales! Am I wearing pants? Will my mom buy my game? Are my shoes on the right foot? Are they still selling George Foreman Grills?
Enough panic, logic ahead…
Let’s say that there are 10 people who buy games per year for simplicity sake. Those 10 people buy 10 games a year, so we are talking 100 games a year sold to the market. The chances of those 10 people stopping that trend are nearly zero percent. Once people begin a pattern it is hard to break it. The truth is the gaming industry in forms of sales has been rising continually for years and AAA studios cannot keep up with the amount of money that the consumer has.
So those 10 people are buying both AAA and indie game titles. Their money is flowing into the industry, and will statistically keep flowing, and probably only increase. So for an indie game development bubble bursting nightmare to happen, that consumer would have to pull their money out of the industry and buy less games and only buy AAA studio games.
First of all games are entertainment, people like to be entertained, and entertained cheaply. Games make a compelling case for this market. You can purchase a game anywhere from $1 -$70 and get far more out of each than what you spend. The truth is the consumer wants to spend less and get more. AAA titles are the expensive games. Indie titles are the cheaper games.
Consumers also want unique entertaining experiences, indie titles scratch this itch greatly. So with both of those needs for cheap and unique entertainment being met by indie games, why would the consumer stop spending money in that market? The answer is they will not.
Now what are people observing that is making them freak out like Disco is back in town? It is simple, the market has accepted indie games as a true and viable product, no longer experimental and new. Now the market is solidifying and becoming a standard. You can no longer easily buck the trends and stand out like a sore thumb in the gaming world.
What does that mean to indie game developers? Marketing is critical. You must connect to the consumers in a unique way, a social way. If you fail at this then you are just simply on the shelf with all the other indie developed games. You also have to get your pricing right, and your expectations. It is no longer a marketing plus to simply be a guy in his basement coding games. You have to price the thing right for the market and tell people about your title.
Lastly, it has to be a good title. You will no longer sell your game simply because it is not AAA. Make a quality experience and talk about it with people. Make it come alive and you will be fine. This is not the Indiepocalypse, it is us winning over the consumer and becoming a valued part of the economy of game development and it frightens AAA studios like crazy. Keep up the good work and just be smart out there.
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