Do you recognise the four games on the left? Well, a lot of people will, and all of them are independently produced games, what are commonly referred to as 'Indi-Games.'
But there are many levels of 'Indi' game makers...
As you may or may not
know, I've been dabbling in the wonderful world of no-budget PC indie games
lately, and one thing I very quickly noticed was the amount of individual start-up programmers and small two-to-three man teams that are now asking for up-front funds from crowd-funding projects like Kick-starter. Then they usually complain
bitterly that nobody is giving them any money for their brilliant idea…
Well, not to be harsh
or anything, but why should they? And more to the point why ‘exactly’ do you
need it?
I've looked at quite a few projects, many of which
seem to be nothing but an idea, and can’t for the life of me see where these
asked for thousands would be going. Generally their case isn't helped much by
the complete lack of explanation over where the money will be spent, and I have
seen some very well laid out Kick-starter projects that explained exactly where,
and when, each penny of the money would go.
To be honest I can't see that many of these projects
are any more ambitious than some of my own. And I don’t need any money to
develop those, just the will, a half-way decent computer, my brain, and some
time… Although you’d be surprised how difficult it could sometimes be to get
those things together in the same room and talking to each other.
