The most interesting thing I find about the shift towards indie games is how rapidly the shift occurred. Driving factors like the digital distribution of video games rapidly changed, going from a quarter of all games sold to three quarters of all games sold. How quickly the indie community formed and built off of each other was truly astonishing, and it bodes well for the future of indie game development.
The reason I find the rise of indie games important is because video games have so much potential to become an form of interactive art where the whole package of art, music, and writing is included as well. Done correctly, video games could surpass plays, paintings, and movies in terms of artistic freedom and expression- but the reason that games can’t do that right now is because developers have to sell their product for profit, and make their game entertaining for their audience. It could affect anybody in the future because of how unpredictably video gaming could evolve, with the advent of VR adding to how immersive a game can be. Video games can provide a unique experience to anybody, it’s just that most developers don’t have the creative freedom to make their passion alive.
I know the post is only supposed to be a short summary of what is interesting, so I would find it helpful to understand what exactly an “Indie game” entails. What makes Indie games different from other kinds of games? As someone who is very knowledgeable about the different styles of games, I think it will be helpful to included a brief background on what your topic really is, which I am sure will be in the essay itself!
Your point about video games eventually developing to a point that it becomes more unrestricted than other forms of art is a really interesting statement. I would like to see more about how and why you think that is true. You made the point about video games being produced for profit, but other art, too, has an audience is can just as easily be sold for money. It would be valuable to also include what exactly is putting limitations on creative freedoms for developers, as indicated in your last sentence.
Thanks for the reply, it’s true that I didn’t make the idea of indie games very clear. Indie games are basically games by independent developers that create the game without the major influence of a publisher, letting them have full creative control.