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[Black_Stride]

Tho, neither Stray, Kena, nor Sifu are indies. These are AA studios with publishers.

Why are people calling those indie to begin with?

They are small self funded independent productions.....begging a publisher to.........errr publish your game doesnt really take you out of the "indie" space.
It would be clearer if the publisher funded the title.....but alot of what we call indie games are self funded with the devs then shopping the game around to get a publisher to do the marketing and distribution for them.

Devolvers whole thing is finding indie games and doing the marketing and distro for them, said games are still indie games no?


I know where you are coming from though.

 

[Banjo64]

Not sure why you’re just highlighting Sony deals in the title OP but yeah, as you point out in the body of your post studios like Gears For Breakfast, Team Cherry, Moon Studios, Playtonic and Supergiant are some of the best things about the industry right now.

Fabraz made a game called Demon Turf that looks right down my ally, just waiting for a free window to buy and play it.

There’s stuff like Blue Fire that looks ace too.

Just loads of quality stuff.

 

[Calverz]

Throw in Cuphead and Ori.

No because they are associated with Microsoft and Xbox more than playstation and that goes against OP’s narrative.

 

[Kagey K]

No because they are associated with Microsoft and Xbox more than playstation and that goes against OP’s narrative.

Indies are only good when Yoshida is moneyhatting them.

The curating is incredible

 

[DenchDeckard]

You could say its 8 bit derivative but Tunic is genuine up there for game of the year in my opinion. ( and for many other gamers too) if you can't play those games because they don't look right to you then that's you're loss.

Indie games have always had the ability to be the most rewarding, thought provoking and mechanic pushing uniqueness of all games.

Especially in the last ten years.

Will deffo give stray a go at some point, I'm looking forward to seeing what it does to push gameplay forward.

 

[Lupin25]

I don't see how people can say that they're awful in comparison to AAA games and then proceed to ignore the sizeable amount of really good looking indies. There is a sizeable number of people on this forum who constantly complain about how bad AAA is but won't accept indies because they 'look bad' or 'are all derivative of 8 bit games' or 'are all depression simulators' (ignoring the fact that 99% of indies are trying to help people get OVER depression, not encourage it)
Well guess what, Stray's out, it looks amazing, people like it, and if that's not enough for you, we've got Ravenlok, (which is coming out soon) Sifu, Kena, Cuphead, Ori, Skullgirls, A Hat in Time, Scorn (coming out soon as well), High on Life, (also coming out soon) and a whole lot more from where that came from.
These indies will become the AAA of the future (as evidenced by Returnal, which was the first AAA game from a primarily indie studio), the only way we can see newer, more interesting, less greedy developers is if we give them the support that they need.

They’re in the body of the post, stop being a little girl because your favourite game isn’t mentioned.

 

[GigaBowser]

Game looks good graphically but press triangle to jump here in a cat simulator?

 

[DenchDeckard]

Oh, is this thread a classic stealth as long as the graphics are good the games good?

I thought sifu had insane gameplay...it doesn't really look that great but deffo unique and decent enough in my opinion.

I'm not about graphics at all when it comes to gameplay. Sure I love great graphics and can be wowed and like it when I am, but if I'm going to a game like stray etc I kind of what something really interesting in the gameplay side. Or something surprising. I guess it offers that?

 

[64bitmodels]

Oh, is this thread a classic stealth as long as the graphics are good the games good?

i was moreso thinking "hey, if the graphics are good enough to get GAF's attention, maybe they'll pay attention to the gameplay and story too"
sort of thing. it's easy to dismiss them as trash when you see a single pixel on the screen

 

[AV]

We didn't need those specific games to prove that.

Anyone who thinks indies are "depressing walking sim pixel shit" deserves to keep playing Ubisoft titles and wondering why they think gaming is terrible.

 

[Kagey K]

We didn't need those specific games to prove that.

Anyone who thinks indies are "depressing walking sim pixel shit" deserves to keep playing Ubisoft titles and wondering why they think gaming is terrible.

This is facts.

I couldn't understand all the gaming is more terrible then ever posts, but you summed it up quite succinctly.

 

[MidGenRefresh]

We didn't need those specific games to prove that.

Anyone who thinks indies are "depressing walking sim pixel shit" deserves to keep playing Ubisoft titles and wondering why they think gaming is terrible.

There are endless quality indie games out there. Every time I log to Steam I find something new that's interesting and my wish list is growing and growing.

I think the problem is that it's impossible to discover games using console e-shops. They suck. So most console players are only aware of these few indie games that get the marketing. It's sad really.

 

[64bitmodels]

Every time I log to Steam I find something new that's interesting and my wish list is growing and growing.

found this obscure indie games called Analynn no one seems to be talking about- it got recommended to me randomly and i picked it up since it was 5 dollars. it was a surprisingly fun arcade throwback while still feeling more modern in gameplay than games of the time. I only know about it because Steam decided to be based for some reason.

 

[Kagey K]

There are endless quality indie games out there. Every time I log to Steam I find something new that's interesting and my wish list is growing and growing.

I think the problem is that it's impossible to discover games using console e-shops. They suck. So most console players are only aware of these few indie games that get the marketing. It's sad really.

I don't think that's true on the Xbox (MS store) if you look at the new releases they are all there (of varying quality)

But there's no fleshlight jumper or hamburger helper jumper on the store.

Seems like the race to the bottom that was supposed to happen because of Xbox, only happened on the other consoles.

 

[ArtHands]

Why do you care so much? If these guys feels upset over formulaic AAA open world Ubisoft game or AAA sad dad adventure games and insist to ignore the plethora of great indie gems on Steam, let them be.

 

[Kagey K]

Why do you care so much? If these guys feels upset over formulaic AAA open world Ubisoft game or AAA sad dad adventure games and insist to ignore the plethora of great indie gems on Steam, let them be.

I don't know if you were talking to me, but I'll answer.

I care because they shit up the place I like to cone and talk about video games, without having played most of the games they are shitting on.

It distracts from the conversation and turns threads into fights, instead of something we can enjoy.

It's fine to not like something, but to jump in, make a foolhardy post and then fight for 3 pages ruins everybody's experience.

Most people here seem to play alone (sad) so this is where they come to talk when they are done

 

[K2D]

Marketing.

Somebody has a jobb to do marketing these games, and the more meme-able, the better for exposure..

 

[Shifty]

I don't think I've seen that opinion in the wild for about half a decade at this point.

 

[MidGenRefresh]

I don't think that's true on the Xbox (MS store) if you look at the new releases they are all there (of varying quality)

MS store is probably the best out of 3 available but it's still a broken mess.

Filters straight up don't work. My criteria are: puzzle & trivia + RPG and it's recommending me games like FIFA 22, Fall Out Guys, GTA V etc... There's also not enough filters for different types of games (~ 20). You can't filter out shitty "virtual currency" DLCs out of full game releases and they clutter the results. Game recommendations based on what you've played are broken. Then there are just straight up visual bugs where text is overlapping making the whole thing look amateurish. As a software developer I can't really say I'm impressed with this shit. They're going in the right direction but it's clear that it needs loads more work.

 

[Wildebeest]

There is a lot of variety out there. Thanks to steam loosening their rules, it is a great time for boobs in gaming. The production values are going up from competently drawn hentai to much better quality 3D melons.

 

[hemo memo]

Marketing.

Somebody has a jobb to do marketing these games, and the more meme-able, the better for exposure..

True. Large studios with big budgets still mess up marketing big time. Not just marketing but marketing done right.

 

[Lucifers Beard]

Who has been saying that? Most indies I’ve played aren’t 8 bit at all. There are fucking loads of amazing indie games out there that aren’t depression simulators too.

I’d much rather play an indie title than anything AAA. I know I’ll at least be playing something that has some heart and soul in it.

 

[GymWolf]

Anyone who regularly play indie/AA games knew that well before these 3 games were released.

 

[UnNamed]

I would not call these games indies, they cost millions and they have big studios behind them.

I remember the develoment of Cuphead before Microsoft, the founder had to do a mortgage over his house to fund the game and he take a really huge risk.

Another one said indie games now can cost more than 3M dollars.

The guy behind Bright Memory has take 3 years before being funded by Epic and in the meanwhile he stole assets for his games.

You can't simply have a complex title when you're a true indie. Here's your 2pixel game.

 

[Ezquimacore]

Are you 12? This has been proven since system shock.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

Are those indies though? (especially Kena lol)

 

[Shut0wen]

Like someone mentioned theres 100s of indie games that arnt 8 bit or 16bit that have been going on for years

 

[DenchDeckard]

Like someone mentioned theres 100s of indie games that arnt 8 bit or 16bit that have been going on for years

But we're they curated by playstation?

 

[TintoConCasera]

Hey OP wtf is that about indies being mostly depression simulators? I don't get that meme.

 

[Shut0wen]

But we're they curated by playstation?

After reading ops headline again i guess not lmao, think the earliest indie game which wasnt 8bit was serious sam 1

 

[Skifi28]

Hey OP wtf is that about indies being mostly depression simulators? I don't get that meme.

Perhaps you're depressed by playing too many indies. I probably wouldn't get it either if I were you.

 

[Nezzeroth]

There was nothing to be proved, people are just ignorant. Indie games have been killing it for like a decade now.

 

[Xeaker]

I don't see how people can say that they're awful in comparison to AAA games and then proceed to ignore the sizeable amount of really good looking indies.

Still waiting for Indie games like SMT Nocturne, Digital Devil Saga, Breath of Fire 3-5, Suikoden 2-5, FF 7-12, Resident Evil 1-3, Metal Gear Solid 1-3, Saga Frontier 1-2, Onimusha 1-3, Skies of Arcadia, Silent Hill 1-4, Mass Effect 1-3 etc

 

[lyan]

Pixel sidescroller doesn't mean 8-bit depression simulator. The vast majority of indies don't focus on tech glitz, so it's fair to see it as a common theme, albeit like many themes, there are plenty of exceptions.

The problem here is that if we enlarge the definition too much, it easily loses its meaning and it simply becomes a marketing term (which some "indie-minded" publishers absolutely love to use). By some people's definitions anything done by CD Projekt, the Plague Tale series, the new Star Ocean, and many many more AA and even AAA games are "indies" because they're made by independently owned studios.

The truth is that "indie" started as a term of identity, and now it's has simply become marketing, basically losing its identity.

In other words, the dark souls of games.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Perhaps you're depressed by playing too many indies. I probably wouldn't get it either if I were you.

Dunno man, I think I'd get more depressed if I only played AAA titles.

 

[OZ9000]

None of those games look interesting to me and Stray sounds fucking dumb.

Who the hell wants to play street cat simulator?

I'd rather 4 months for GOW:R than to waste my time playing indie games.

 

[Bojanglez]

None of those games look interesting to me and Stray sounds fucking dumb.

Who the hell wants to play street cat simulator?

I'd rather 4 months for GOW:R than to waste my time playing indie games.

 

[Sentenza]

I never thought of Mount & Blade, Solasta or Songs of Conquest as a depression simulators, but thanks anyway, I guess?

 

[OmegaSupreme]

No because they are associated with Microsoft and Xbox more than playstation and that goes against OP’s narrative.

Make a thread about those games? Good lord.

 

[Chronicle]

You list a lot of games there. Sure support those studios but I own absolutely none of those and most likely will never play any of those. Just not my cup of tea. I like specific game types generally. Massive AAA games with great graphics and gameplay. Love gore and action. Love military and fps shooters. Love explosions, level destruction and once again amazing graphics! I buy my games day one at full price and rarely regret it. My next game will be GOW. They're few and far between these days

 

[SmokedMeat]

It seems like a lot of people play games for the graphics. Gameplay takes a backseat.

Hence the disdain for indie games.

 

[Bonfires Down]

Most people here might not shit on indie games per se but let's be real, they don't care about indies in general either. The fact that all Steam or PC gaming threads are dead says it all. Obviously I can't make anyone care, but if I do want to talk about indies I go to Era and other forums.

 

[Punished Miku]

Most people here might not shit on indie games per se but let's be real, they don't care about indies in general either. The fact that all Steam or PC gaming threads are dead says it all. Obviously I can't make anyone care, but if I do want to talk about indies I go to Era and other forums.

I just don't play on PC. But I play a ton of indies on Switch and Xbox. I play them less so on PS, but they have a few major ones. Pre-ordered Inscryption already on PS5.

 

[Ev1L AuRoN]

I'm glad I get to enjoy everything, I love my pixel art, metroidvania or throwback indie titles and also greatly enjoy games like Stray, Kena and Ori...

The only thing that matters to me is if the game is good or not.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Arguing about what indies are now based on buttfeels.

There aren't depths too low that we will go.

 

[SF Kosmo]

I think it's important to recognize that indie is an incredibly broad and increasingly blurry category. When XBLA launched it kicked off a new market for smaller scale indie games, but there was a big delineation between a $5-10 XBLA game and a $60 retail game.

Now there's a much bigger spectrum. There are games, like Stray, or Hellblade, that are indie, but where that still means like a $5-10 million budget and a lot of marketing. These are what they sometimes call "Triple-I" indies. In fact it's debatable to what sense these games are meaningfully "independent" because they almost all have publisher funding and marketing.

It's vastly different than, say, your Hollow Knight or Stardew Valley tier, the truly independent indies. And of course there are plenty of games that are in between those two as well.

And even AAA has tiers too. Games like Control are AAA with a $25 million budget and so are games like RDR2 or God of War with 10-20 times that budget.

 

[Dream-Knife]

If you only play on console then I guess I can see how people would think that.

 

[PhaseJump]

I don't see how people can say that they're awful in comparison to AAA games and then proceed to ignore the sizeable amount of really good looking indies. There is a sizeable number of people on this forum who constantly complain about how bad AAA is but won't accept indies because they 'look bad' or 'are all derivative of 8 bit games' or 'are all depression simulators' (ignoring the fact that 99% of indies are trying to help people get OVER depression, not encourage it)
Well guess what, Stray's out, it looks amazing, people like it, and if that's not enough for you, we've got Ravenlok, (which is coming out soon) Sifu, Kena, Cuphead, Ori, Skullgirls, A Hat in Time, Scorn (coming out soon as well), High on Life, (also coming out soon) and a whole lot more from where that came from.
These indies will become the AAA of the future (as evidenced by Returnal, which was the first AAA game from a primarily indie studio), the only way we can see newer, more interesting, less greedy developers is if we give them the support that they need.

Who is saying this?

It's hard for "indies" to be the "AAA of the future", when the costs to even be considered running a AAA game development budget in the first place are beyond any reasonable threshold for a small studio to have while remaining independent. Studios have to take a huge risk and it's make or break on their next title. Big AAA publishers have the financial security they need.

Big budget, small budget; it doesn't guarantee success. Depression doesn't even factor into anything. Depressed people play videogames to escape their shitty lives and use it as a mental crutch or addiction all the time. Being low budget indie or AAA is irrelevant to that point. It's borderline absurd hubris, and ostentatious to attribute depression as a factor one way or another. It's like implying that all small indie devs have more "arthouse" credibility. Reality is, they are more in a starving/broke position, where one is more willing to take risks. That's all. AAA has the security to chase trends and success, keeping the lights on while also feeding new ideas. The only thing preventing AAA studios from making great games is a strong development team or leader with a vision. There are plenty of visonaries in the industry, they are always coming up with ideas and prototypes that generally don't work out and don't get produced.

Based on this bullshit "less greedy developers" narrative, and your other thread about going private, you seem to not have any grasp of basic economics or how business, or generally any industry seems to operate. For every 1 indie dev that puts out a high quality game worthy of this wish-fulfilling feel-good support argument, we probably have 100 that are failures and going bankrupt because they produced and published crap.

 

[Fbh]

And Outer Wilds, and Ori, and Hades and Death's Door, and Subnautica, and Valheim and The Riftbreaker, Void Bastards and so many more.

Those who say indies are just 8 bit stuff strike me as people that saw Shovel Knight once, decided it wasn't for them and permanently went back to just eagerly awaiting "AAA sequel and/or Reboot N°847"

 

[AV]

Out of curiosity I went through the last 5 years of my top 10s and found that 20 were indies - 14 AAA and 16 what I'd class as AA although that's debatable. Interesting how it shakes out somewhat evenly for me but indie has been the lead. Ori 2 was so good it was my 2020 GOTY.