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From Flash Games to social games on Facebook, including smart phone apps, the indie games have made a major impact in the video game industry. With games like Alien Hominid to Bastion to even experimental retro games like the Bit.Trip series, indie games have given more players a experience to new ideas that won’t have your company closed down by a major publisher.
Although this is a great time for them, I think indie games are just HD 16 bit games. If it isn’t a mod of some other company game, retro influenced, or a rip off app for 2 seconds of play, indie games don’t offer much that first or third part can’t offer (which they really don’t). They just don’t bring a satisfaction to me.
With a lot of genres that use to be popular that are now fuse together, indie developers present short games that range in prices some of us might say fair or unfair. Not realizing the production that takes time and money, some of the indie ideas are not strong or creative. Games like Fez and Journey may give a experience like no other, but what happens when the feeling of playing it is over? Its hot for 2 weeks and on to the next indie game or major game.
With the 16 bit games, we had a lot to talk about and still revisit them today. Some were whacky and bad, some were evolutionary in the genre. Can we really say the same for indie? Flash games where cool and fun to play. They gave us something different and were a bit better than some 16 bit games of the day. It was underground and unique. It didn’t take 8 years to develop and get certified and patch and test played. It was on your computer and it was all fun. I just don’t feel that way with some of the indie games of today.
Do you think that flash games where better or do you feel that indie games have come a long way? Can any game prove they have a lasting effect and not just a rip off of the 16 bit games?