indie gdc - guest speaker: mike enoch - 29th april 2014
DESCRIPTION
Indie GDC - Guest Speaker: Mike EnochTRANSCRIPT
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!
[email protected]@MikeEnochMikeEnoch.com