While there’s a significant amount of games released each month, not all of them are AAA big-budget titles; some are smaller, more intimate affairs made by small studios, which are most commonly referred to as “indie games.”
For some reason or another, some gamers don’t see indie games as “real” games. When people complain that there’s “nothing to play,” that usually means there’s no AAA game out, even if there’s a multitude of indie games out in the same time frame. Why do some gamers not consider indie games as real games? Check out what the staff thinks in this week’s edition of Now Loading.
Do you see indie games as real games? Why do you think some people don’t and what can developers do to remedy this way of thinking? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Now Loading is a recurring staff-driven feature where PlayStation LifeStyle discusses anything video game-related under the sun (yes, even non-Sony platforms).
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- Buying Games Day One Is No Longer the Tempting Proposition It Once Was
Now Loading...Why Do Some People Not Consider Indie Games Real Games?
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Now Loading...Why Do Some People Not Consider Indie Games Real Games?
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Zarmena Khan
I'm not really sure why. Probably the same reason they don't consider mobile games real games? This is a vast medium so it's not really possible to define what a video game is anymore.
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Louis Edwards
I think we can thank the Wii and the mobile platform for having sooooo many titles that can be considered shovelware. So many games are out there that are just too short, awful to look at, or just downright terrible to play. It's obvious someone was just out to make a quick buck and it seems like folks think that's what indie developers are. They don't want to invest in a huge studio, but want to make that quick buck off of a trending subject.
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Martin Patiño
I didn't realize there was a sect in the gaming community that didn't consider indie games as games. It could be rooted from either a bad experience with an indie game or an underlying insecurity that leads to a forced elitism.
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Paulmichael Contreras
This could also just be a case of following what's popular. Same as there are people who only go to the theater to experience just the massive, AAA-budget blockbusters, there are a lot of gamers who are only interested in massive, AAA-budget franchises. It's a shame, because much like some of the best movies ever created are smaller-budget indie flicks, some of the best video games ever crafted were done so with small budgets by indie teams.
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Stephen Bitto
At this point, if someone won't give indie games a chance simply because they're indie games then that's their own loss. I'm not going to try to convince them why the dungeon crawling of Severed is unique or how Oxenfree and Inside successfully craft compelling, original stories or that Journey is a truly emotional experience. The people who want to play indie games are playing them and that's good enough for me.
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Michael Briers
Shovelware is a big problem, yeah.I think the term "indie" has been tossed around so much over the past decade or so that it's almost lost its meaning, and the fact that many immediately associate "indie" with "niche" or "experimental" can be a disservice to the likes of Journey or Severed. Rocket League is also a good example of an indie game that blew past everyone's expectations, proving that you don't need a mega-budget to reach a huge audience etc. -
Chandler Wood
What does indie really mean? Is it studio size? Budget? Is it just something people feel like calling a game if it looks cheap? The term literally comes from the word independent, which means that they don't have a publisher, so if we go by that definition there are actually a whole lot of indies that aren't really indies.
Indie games are games like any other. They may not be good games, but plenty of massive AAA titles haven't been good games either. It's extremely unfair to judge games based on this designation. Every game is a game. That doesn't mean it's good, but guess what? Your hobby has some bad titles in it, and that's okay. -
Tyler Treese
If people want to ignore some of the best experiences that gaming has to offer due to some arbitrary reason then they are idiots that don't actually love the medium.
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Alex Co
This is an unfortunate reality of games and people consuming it. While I don't necessarily keep an eye out for the next big indie game, I don't abhor it, either.
I embrace these smaller games since they usually drive innovation forward, and have some unique gameplay elements that AAA games won't even dare to try.
I guess some people just think that all games must have cinematics, and be big-budget affairs, which is erroneous. Open your eyes and you'll see a whole new way of playing games.
Not every game needs to have the shiniest graphics and allow you to kill your enemies 1,294,830 different ways.
Why don't some gamers treat indie games as real games? I honestly have no clue, and they're missing out on some great gaming experiences if so.
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Mack Ashworth
With most indie games being made by smaller teams, generally being less complex endeavors, which ultimately sell for a lower price, I can see how many gamers would consider them as "not real games."
I, however, love indie titles. I think it's great that, even with a (usually) minimal budget and workforce, a unique idea can be crafted into a wonderful gaming experience.
