A question about indie budgets.

[Captain Shrek]

I am not into Indie game development AT ALL. I recently asked a question somewhere on the codex about how much does it take to license a game engine. It seems that development is free (or cheap) but post sales you have to pay licensing fess. Since indie games look like shite compared to mainstream games, i am guessing the reason must the cost of the license. If this is true, I doubt whether indie devs can EVER easily evolve into mainstream even if they have good ideas; they will be killed by the graphics whore market that is the obvious dominant faction of the consumers.

Is this right?

 

[MetalCraze]

They look like shite because they are being made by random nerds in their mother's basement just like it was in '80s.

Except games from '80s are shit compared to what we had since then and indies somehow miss this bit.

There is Ogre3D you know. Just as advanced as your UE3.

 

[MMXI]

You can get free/open source engines. I, however, am creating my own engine for isometric, turn-based RPGs due to very specific requirements. However, the issue I'm having (or will have in the very near future) is art and sound assets. For me, they are the killer.

 

[SCO]

I've said it and will say it again. Indie game devs could benefit vastly from creating some kind of GPL licensed repository of game art, if they could have a good standardized categorization system. You know, "human ragdoll, composable, vectorial, compatible with art assets type 500000-1000005, level of detail: XXX, style : colorful, baroque, perspective (angle to x-z), pallete: (programmable description of palette).

 

[Captain Shrek]

You can get free/open source engines. I, however, am creating my own engine for isometric, turn-based RPGs due to very specific requirements. However, the issue I'm having (or will have in the very near future) is art and sound assets. For me, they are the killer.

Yu. True. On giving it a thought I can see that.

@skyway:

Hmm. Looks nice. Just had a look at the youtube video of garshaps. I will look forward to it. So they DID develop their own engine. I guess the cost of that is high in terms of man-hours. I seriously wish them luck.

EDIT: i guess marketing is another issue.

 

[MetalCraze]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPzsuYz7yRI

I'd say MotorM4X is also a good example of Ogre3D.

At times it looks just as good as what's called "AAA" and iirc it was a debut project of a small devteam.

 

[Destroid]

High quality artwork takes time and talent to produce, something not overly abundant among indie developers. Which is why it is best to stick to styles of game that don't need so much, hence the 8-bit pixelart style resurrection and a lot of 2d games.

 

[Captain Shrek]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPzsuYz7yRI

I'd say MotorM4X is also a good example of Ogre3D.

At times it looks just as good as what's called "AAA" and iirc it was a debut project of a small devteam.

How did it do financially? Any idea?

 

[MetalCraze]

The studio is not around anymore. So most likely the game flopped hard financially

They weren't newbs though

The core development team at The Easy Company previously held lead-positions at Illusion Softworks where they made significant contributions to a number of record-breaking hit titles including Hidden & Dangerous 1 and 2 and MAFIA.

That kinda explains why Mafia 2 sucked too.

 

[Captain Shrek]

The studio is not around anymore. So most likely the game flopped hard financially

They weren't newbs though

The core development team at The Easy Company previously held lead-positions at Illusion Softworks where they made significant contributions to a number of record-breaking hit titles including Hidden & Dangerous 1 and 2 and MAFIA.

That kinda explains why Mafia 2 sucked too.

I don't know if I should laugh or cry. Since its confusing I choose to laugh.

 

[Destroid]

Pretty moronic to make an arcade racing game with no marketing budget to compete with the other zillian arcade racing games with huge marketing budgets.

 

[MetalCraze]

It isn't really an arcade. And not a generic one either.

 

[Captain Shrek]

It isn't really an arcade. And not a generic one either.

I know its nice to have original concepts but going bankrupt is not a great idea.