Here’s our trailer for N+:
The following is the full audio interview we did with Mare Sheppard and Raigan Burns of Metanet Software, the creators of N+.
Special thanks to Mare Sheppard and Raigan Burns for their time.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Super Meat Boy
Here’s our trailer for Super Meat Boy:
The following is an interview we did with Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes, the creators of Super Meat Boy.
Indie Game Project: When did you start designing video games and when did you realize this would be a serious career option?
Edmund McMillen: I got a job working with an indie studio called Chronic logic in 2003, in 04 I pitched them an idea for a game called Gish that went on to win the IGF grand prize in 05. After that I put my full focus into indie game dev as my career.
Tommy Refenes: I was a server / database programmer in Charlotte NC in 2005
making pretty good money but I was depressed and wanted to do
something more. I sold my house, my car, put all my stuff in storage
and moved to work at a now defunct company as their network, then
engine, then render programmer. I enjoyed the work, but the environment was shit. When the company eventually went down the tubes, I quit and started working on my own games.
making pretty good money but I was depressed and wanted to do
something more. I sold my house, my car, put all my stuff in storage
and moved to work at a now defunct company as their network, then
engine, then render programmer. I enjoyed the work, but the environment was shit. When the company eventually went down the tubes, I quit and started working on my own games.
IGP: Did you create any other games before Super Meat Boy?
Edmund: I’ve released about 25 games before SMB, most of them very small flash games but the bigger ones I'm most proud of were Gish, Aether, Time Fcuk, Spewer, Coil and Triachnid. I also worked on Braid doing character design and animation.
Tommy: Mainly my games were tech demos or random flash games. One of
my more well known games, even though it isn't well known, is a game
called Goo! which was in the IGF in 2008 for Technical Excellence.
my more well known games, even though it isn't well known, is a game
called Goo! which was in the IGF in 2008 for Technical Excellence.
IGP: What were the challenges that you faced as a game developer?
Edmund: The biggest challenge for me was financial. I had to do a lot of freelance work on the side to buy myself time to work on my own projects. I was making around 20k a year for a good 6 years before super meat boy happened, it was a struggle but I was always happy and never really went without. Except medical insurance...
Tommy: I'd agree with Ed. Finances got pretty tough at the end of development but it was a happy time up until then because we were doing what we loved.
IGP: What's your opinion on the importance of indie games?
Edmund: I believe indie games are important because they take big risks design and content wise that mainstream studios aren’t comfortable with due to financial risks.
Tommy: Ditto.
IGP: Do you believe that there is less of a struggle to get a game released nowadays, if there is a struggle at all? If so, why?
Edmund: When I started out you could only make money off your game by selling it off your site. No portals, no XBLA no steam no nothing. So yes, it’s much less of a struggle now.
Tommy: Though there is less of a struggle, there is more competition which I think is great because it causes developers to step it up.
IGP: Are you planning any games for the future?
Edmund: Yes, many.
Tommy: Yes, many...
IGP: Any words for people who are thinking of designing a game?
Edmund: Make sure you are making games because you love making them and not because you want money, because there’s a good chance you won’t be seeing much of that for a long time.
Tommy: My advice is a little more high level than yours Ed, it goes
like this. Life sucks unless you're happy...so figure out what makes
you happy and do that.
like this. Life sucks unless you're happy...so figure out what makes
you happy and do that.
Special thanks to Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes for their time.
The Fancy Pants Adventures 3
Here’s our trailer for The Fancy Pants Adventures 3:
The following is an interview we did with Brad Borne, the creator of The Fancy Pants Adventures 3.
Indie Game Project: When did you start designing video games and when did you realize this would be a serious career option?
Brad Borne: My first offer to put a logo in a game was for 75 bucks. That's basically nothing, but the only thing going through my head at the moment was 'I can make money off of this??'
IGP: Did you create any other games before Fancy Pants Adventures?
Borne: A few. I've done some freelance work for a few sites; those are the only ones I can finish up in any reasonable amount of time. Before Fancy Pants, I made SnowBlitz and a little arena shooter called Stande, both with Mark Flieg Jr., who's an awesome artist. I have a few other ideas floating around, but I have a feeling I'll be best known for FPA for the foreseeable future, heh.
IGP: What were the challenges that you faced as a game developer?
Borne: When working on the console game, it was a challenge for me to actually be working with a team. I'm used to working on my own time, or adding and polishing whatever and however I feel. When working on a 'real' game, much more effort is needed to change things or get new things into the engine, takes a lot more planning and prioritization. When I'm working just by myself, though, I never know when to wrap things up and just finish the game!
IGP: What's your opinion on the importance of indie games?
Borne: They're the future, I'd say. If you want to play yet another 'brown shooter,' as I like to call them, play the latest Triple-A title. It's probably polished, it might even be incredibly good, but it won't be innovative. If you want to see what tomorrow's video game trend will be, you have to search it out online.
IGP: Do you believe that there is less of a struggle to get a game released nowadays, if there is a struggle at all? If so, why?
Borne: There's definitely still a struggle. Well, it depends on how you want to release your game. Publishers still rule the retail space, and they're very adverse to risk taking. In the digital space, things are a bit easier, but it still takes time and manpower to create something worth charging for. Online, though, anyone can release anything, and the best float to the top. Now if only we could find a payment system that suits these types of games, to get some money into the pockets of the indies...
IGP: Are you planning any games for the future?
Borne: Of course! I had to put Fraser's Ride on hold, which I was making with artist TommyLM, who has contributed to the FPA series. As long as I have ideas, I'll be making games!
IGP: Any words for people who are thinking of designing a game?
Borne: Go for it! Creating is incredibly rewarding, and being able to create something that people can play and interact with is even more so. Creativity is king online, so if you think your ideas and creations can stand out from the crowd, you should have no trouble being noticed. And for people who are smarter than me and can get into mobile phone or digital download space, there's a lot of money to be made there.
Special thanks to Brad Borne for his time.
Special thanks to Brad Borne for his time.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
If you're interested
These are some links that we found interesting and thought we'd like to share with you, just in case you want to learn more:
Gaming
http://indiegames.com/index.html
A great review site that informs readers of new indie games coming out and the Indie Game Movement in general. It contains special features and interviews. Heck, it even has it's own podcast. Talk about dedication. This site's archive of articles and forums is an almost perfect (And I only say almost because they say nothing can be perfect) site for both the novice and veteran Indie Fan.
http://www.igf.com/
The IGF site talk about the Indie Games Festival, an event similar to Sundance, except for (you guessed it) indie games. The festival was made in 1998 to "encourage innovation in game development and to recognize the best independent game developers who enter." There are three main elements to the festival, The Pavilion, the Festival Awards, and the Independent Games Summit.
http://www.indiecade.com/
The Indiecade festival possesses the same motives as the IGF. Fortunately, it's held at a different time of the year, so you don't have to choose which event to go to! Like the IGF, developers submit there games to hopefully be chosen as a finalist and played at the festival.
http://db.tigsource.com/
Another review site with a cool layout. TIGdb gives viewers a basic summary of the game along with tags showing themes and genres. It also lists the game info, ex: what platforms it can be played on. A community rating out of five is displayed, and the viewer is given the chance to play a demo of the game that he/she is checking out.
Charity
http://www.freerice.com/
Although charity games aren't necessarily indie games. We still need to focus on our school's 'a better world' motto for this project. (Even though we think that indie games do better the world). Freerice is a fun, educational game that, with every question right, donates 10 grains of rice through the World Food Programme to help end world hunger. It tests the player on vocabulary words, progressively getting harder from levels 1 to 60. I got to level 23 with 800 grains donated before I remembered that I had to write this description.
http://www.childsplaycharity.org/
Child's play charity actually involves no game playing. However, it does give you the opportunity to spread the thrill of gaming to child patients to a children's hospital of your choice.
http://www.freeflour.com/Education.aspx
Free flour is essentially the same thing as free rice, which is great. It tests the player on geography questions, and with every question right it donates a spoon of flour to multiple charities. Unfortunately, there is no current sponsor for the site, so no donations can be made. However, they are searching hard for a new one.
These are some links that we found interesting and thought we'd like to share with you, just in case you want to learn more:
Gaming
http://indiegames.com/index.html
A great review site that informs readers of new indie games coming out and the Indie Game Movement in general. It contains special features and interviews. Heck, it even has it's own podcast. Talk about dedication. This site's archive of articles and forums is an almost perfect (And I only say almost because they say nothing can be perfect) site for both the novice and veteran Indie Fan.
http://www.igf.com/
The IGF site talk about the Indie Games Festival, an event similar to Sundance, except for (you guessed it) indie games. The festival was made in 1998 to "encourage innovation in game development and to recognize the best independent game developers who enter." There are three main elements to the festival, The Pavilion, the Festival Awards, and the Independent Games Summit.
http://www.indiecade.com/
The Indiecade festival possesses the same motives as the IGF. Fortunately, it's held at a different time of the year, so you don't have to choose which event to go to! Like the IGF, developers submit there games to hopefully be chosen as a finalist and played at the festival.
http://db.tigsource.com/
Another review site with a cool layout. TIGdb gives viewers a basic summary of the game along with tags showing themes and genres. It also lists the game info, ex: what platforms it can be played on. A community rating out of five is displayed, and the viewer is given the chance to play a demo of the game that he/she is checking out.
Charity
http://www.freerice.com/
Although charity games aren't necessarily indie games. We still need to focus on our school's 'a better world' motto for this project. (Even though we think that indie games do better the world). Freerice is a fun, educational game that, with every question right, donates 10 grains of rice through the World Food Programme to help end world hunger. It tests the player on vocabulary words, progressively getting harder from levels 1 to 60. I got to level 23 with 800 grains donated before I remembered that I had to write this description.
http://www.childsplaycharity.org/
Child's play charity actually involves no game playing. However, it does give you the opportunity to spread the thrill of gaming to child patients to a children's hospital of your choice.
http://www.freeflour.com/Education.aspx
Free flour is essentially the same thing as free rice, which is great. It tests the player on geography questions, and with every question right it donates a spoon of flour to multiple charities. Unfortunately, there is no current sponsor for the site, so no donations can be made. However, they are searching hard for a new one.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
What is Indie?
A talk on Independent Games and their history.
Indie Games are games that are usually developed by small groups or teams without a video game publisher and financial support. They tend to focus on innovation and often rely on digital distribution. Indie gaming has seen a rise in recent years due to new methods of online communication and new distribution methods. Some Indie games become very successful, such as Limbo, Super Meat Boy, and I don't think there's a soul in the world that hasn't heard of Minecraft.
A drawback on Indie games is that they are not backed by publishers, and unlike the bigger mainstream titles, have little to no budget. This, however allows developers to creative and free-thinking with no limitations, since publisher approval is not required. Another positive aspect is that smaller teams allow for more more individual involvement, which is why indie games are known for innovation, creativity, and artistic experimentation.
Indie gaming started on PCs, and saw a rise via shareware distribution in the early '90s. Unfortunately, advancement in technologies increased game requirements and user expectations, lowering the prestige of indie games. But now, with the widespread expansion of the internet, developers can now market their games online, a much more profitable and available method than retail marketing. Players can now download games from the Xbox Live Arcade, which has it's own category for Indie Games. Today, there are festivals such as IGF and Indiecade, which allow developers to experiment and present ideas to one another without publisher restrictions.
It may at first look bad for Indie Games that lack publishers and budget. But in a way, it has worked to their advantage. Developers are allowed to make innovative decisions when creating games, that can lead to beautiful works of art. Yes, art. If we can just make these games more prominent in the gaming industry and let names like, Braid, Fancy Pants Adventure and World of Goo be heard next to titles such as Portal, Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed and Halo, then the world will finally come to know the creative genius of Indie Games.
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