Why do indie games suck so much?

[Longo_2_guns]

I mean, nine tenths of them are just taking some old concept from the SNES days, mostly lame 2D platforming, and just putting in some wacky "twist" on that and throwing in a 2deep4u ending. Most of them are completely uninspired and really nothing that great.

 

[Bretimus_v2]

...and the rest are obnoxious flash game formats.

Not going to disagree with you, but it's always nice to see someone trying something new and different. Especially when mainstream games are becoming near-clones of one another. Be honest, game play is always going to trend towards convergence. It's just nice to someone breaking off from the group.

It's also great to have game designers have a valid shot at putting something out there instead of punching in their hours as random code monkey #2024 who has aspirations at taking the reins one day.

Still there is a lot of garbage out there.

 

[De-Ting]

Why does anything that anybody makes suck?

 

[danielrbischoff]

Is there a specific title that's inspired this thread?

 

[Bretimus_v2]

I'll put $10 on Amy. I wouldn't spend that money on Amy, but I'd place a bet on it for that value.

 

[Longo_2_guns]

...and the rest are obnoxious flash game formats.

Not going to disagree with you, but it's always nice to see someone trying something new and different. Especially when mainstream games are becoming near-clones of one another. Be honest, game play is always going to trend towards convergence. It's just nice to someone breaking off from the group.

It's also great to have game designers have a valid shot at putting something out there instead of punching in their hours as random code monkey #2024 who has aspirations at taking the reins one day.

Still there is a lot of garbage out there.

Oh, I agree completely. There are a few that really shine through. Cave Story comes to mind.

Beyond that, though, it's a lot of flash trash and platformers that are all the same. I would LOVE to see something really great, but that doesn't seem all that likely. Bigger teams are needed, and it's harder for one man to make a game, but still. Someone out there is bound to be creative.

And no, not talking about any one game in particular.

 

[Green_Lantern]

I can probably count the indie games that I enjoy on one hand, so considering the vast number of indie games available I would have to agree.

However, the ones I like, I REALLY like. Indie games are kinda like that for me, I either really like them or just don't care enough to play for more than 30 minutes.

 

[Affen]

I hate how games like these were called freeware back in the days, but now they're all indie and totally worth 10 dollars. Most of them are not.

Either way, I enjoy the simple gameplay they offer and the retro styles feed my nostalgia. But please drop the indie, bring back freeware.

I got couple indie bundles for a Team Fortress 2 item, so I didn't really lose anything.

 

[StudioTan]

Compare these to the plethora of mainstream games that aren't worth playing. There are a lot of those as well. You can say the same about any form of media.

 

[cyberjim2000]

Don't forget those tower defense clones. So many tower defense clones...

 

[StudioTan]

Like Rampart?

 

[NecroWolf]

I rarely buy indie games, but my reasons are a bit complex. I'll sum it up that I don't support the independent developer market because a good majority of them come off as snobs, and wave their, "WE'RE POOR AND INDIE" flag. Don't worry, I do the same thing for the indie music scene and movie scenes. Maybe I'm just an asshole.

Some of them, I buy though. I play Minecraft, but I don't like Notch. I play Terraria, don't know nor care about the developers.

I don't play Super Meat Boy, because... I don't know, it looked boring.
I've been playing Project Zomboid, I guess that counts.

 

[Green_Lantern]

Hmm...Your loss, considering SMB is one of the best indie games out there

 

[NecroWolf]

I don't doubt its fun, but I rarely play platformers to begin with. I'm not dissing SMB, I just... don't play platformers that often. They aren't fun for me.

To me, it looks like a bare-bones platformer. There doesn't seem to be any incentive for me to play it. No real story, no graphics of note, just platforming and figuring out your way around puzzles taken from 1994.

That isn't my thing. I rarely get a sense of accomplishment out of platformers games, even if I beat them. I don't game to challenge myself, I game to enjoy myself and live in another world for a bit. That however, is just me.

 

[TheJx4]

Don't forget those tower defense clones. So many tower defense clones...

Soooooo many.
Can we get some brawlers or something?

Is everyone afraid of that genre?

 

[StickyGreenGamer]

I mean, nine tenths of them are just taking some old concept from the SNES days, mostly lame 2D platforming, and just putting in some wacky "twist" on that and throwing in a 2deep4u ending. Most of them are completely uninspired and really nothing that great.

Couldn't that argument be leveled at any entertainment industry as a whole though?

Sure, there are the obnoxious and vocal indie groups that help bring on the disdain, but they are really doing nothing more than treading in the footsteps of the giants before them.

How much originality is really left to be explored with the current generations of games?

You can color something here, twist something there, eliminate and add elsewhere, but deep down in the bones, it is still the same product.

 

[pres50]

Indie games wont be good until developers are given better tools at a cheaper price. Like people were saying, most indie games are just glorified flash titles, (if that) and do nothing to progress the media further than it had been 12 years ago. Street Fighter 2 on SNES/Genesis is way better and more fluid than any indie title I have ever seen, and that game doesnt have to have amazing 3D graphics. The tools Capcom was using then were a lot crappier to boot.

Indie games (like flash games) feel cheap, rushed etc. not because the developers are doing a bad job, its just the tools they are working with simply cant compete or grab our attention when compared to big corporate titles and you better believe the corporation will keep it that way so that creativity never leaks out. When creativity leaks out, big companies like Activision, EA and even dare I say Rockstar (sorry guys but GTA 3 was a while ago now) LOSE money and at the end of that day thats all that video games mean to them.

It's not like they pay us to play them or reward us for beating them in the form of cash or legal tender. They want your money and your loyalty to give it up every 8 months when they release the same game they did 8 months ago and we go and buy it. They love how the system works and will crush anyone who opposes them. Can't wait for COD 14, I wonder if it will include some new maps?

 

[TheJx4]

Indie games wont be good until developers are given better tools at a cheaper price. Like people were saying, most indie games are just glorified flash titles, (if that) and do nothing to progress the media further than it had been 12 years ago. Street Fighter 2 on SNES/Genesis is way better and more fluid than any indie title I have ever seen, and that game doesnt have to have amazing 3D graphics. The tools Capcom was using then were a lot crappier to boot.

Indie games (like flash games) feel cheap, rushed etc. not because the developers are doing a bad job, its just the tools they are working with simply cant compete or grab our attention when compared to big corporate titles and you better believe the corporation will keep it that way so that creativity never leaks out. When creativity leaks out, big companies like Activision, EA and even dare I say Rockstar (sorry guys but GTA 3 was a while ago now) LOSE money and at the end of that day thats all that video games mean to them. /quote]

UE3, Unity. Build your own tools.
They feel cheap and rushed because they are cheap and rushed.
The "big" companies aren't the only ones who go with the cash-in strategy.

Minecraft started this 2D blocky buildy shitty revolution. Spawned several imitations, just as MoH, CoD, blah blah blah did.
It's just how it works. Games will suck. Indie games just tend to suck more.

 

[pres50]

Maybe better tools as in easier to use, like figure out a way to make a tool or program that anybody (even your grandma) can make a stellar awesome game. Even the so called easy to use tools/programs are quite complicated for someone like me.

 

[TheJx4]

Maybe better tools as in easier to use, like figure out a way to make a tool or program that anybody (even your grandma) can make a stellar awesome game. Even the so called easy to use tools/programs are quite complicated for someone like me.

Well, that's the thing. Game development isn't for everyone, and it shouldn't be. That leads to even more low-quality games being released.