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Video game sales are astronomical, but like the music and film industries before it, the game industry has become dependent on predictable and expensive blockbusters. But now, as writer Clive Thompson explains, creative independent games are adding to the gaming ecosystem. And Microsoft's Boyd Multerer explains how amateur game designers can now create their own games for the Xbox console.
I've listened to OTM for years now and this is the first time a piece touched the video game industry beyond a passing mention. Thank you for breaking into this ground and I hope this is a starting point for exploring what this art form has to offer. I come to OTM to give me quality insights into other parts of media and policy that I don't work directly in. Still, I always felt excluded from OTM. The media I work in seemed to be explicitly excluded from OTM's coverage. I hope this is the start of exploring our field as this art form needs the kind of dialogue OTM provides.
As for the piece itself, I do feel that it was centered around one particular console (Xbox360) and not explaining the rest of the environment of consoles. Course, it dovetails into other aspects of the industry which would make the piece longer than it should be. I mention this only to be careful about it next time around.
Guess they are the comic books of the 21st Century, so I suppose you should explore the subject more deeply, even if it leaves me cold. Most of my elders looked down on those dime mags, when Iwas young, so it shouldn't surprise that I harbor similar attitudes to art forms I don't get.
Does anyone know the name of the Xbox game Clive mentioned that has no graphics, only sound? Thanks.
In the Pit check it out on Xbox LIVE Community Games
@Claire: I'm pretty sure it is the Xbox Live Community Game called In the Pit. Here's the link http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/games/media/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80258550113/
@Seg: The intro segment discusses Flash games, the segment about Flow/Flower is Playstation based since they are Playstation games. You might mean that the segment on independent development on consoles is 360 centric, but it's the only major console that currently allows completely independent development and publishing.
Sorry for the delay. The site doesn't contact me when someone comments. :/
@Chris: Well, I guess it all depends on what you mean by Independent. Nintendo did lower the cost of entry to allow independent developers to work on WiiWare games (I worked on five of them). Then there's the iPhone which offers a system with strong similarities to the Xbox process (minus the 'community approval' process).
I pointed out the platform view to illustrate caution in future pieces. It's very easy to drown in a specific hardware features and miss the overarching concepts what what the technology is for.
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