AAA to Indie – is the flow of talent going only one way?

Posted by Rampant Coyote on February 9, 2015

Many years ago, I wrote an article for the Escapist called, “Going Rogue,” which was about mainstream – often AAA developers – leaving their big-studio jobs for indie development. A few months ago, Jeffrey Grubb wrote “Why Triple-A Developers Are Going Indie (and Why Indies Aren’t Going Triple-A.” I’ve definitely been noticing the trend lately. […]

Filed Under: Biz, Indie Evangelism - Comments: 2 Comments to Read

The Indie Gold Rush: Ending with a Bang or a Whimper?

Posted by Rampant Coyote on January 20, 2015

There have been a few articles recently about the demise of the small indie game developer. Jeff Wofford’s “The Rise and Fall of the Lone Game Developer” probably made the most rounds last week, but “How Do You Make Money Making Games Again?” is another excellent post on the subject.  At Gamasutra.com, Kris Graft notes in “As […]

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The Indie RPGs of 2014, Part 2

Posted by Rampant Coyote on January 8, 2015

Here’s the rest of the list of indie RPGs released for the PC in 2014. If you missed part 1, you can read it here: The Indie RPGs of 2014, Part 1. Do I have a favorite indie RPG of 2014? Honestly, I haven’t been able to play these games enough to really make an informed decision, […]

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The Indie RPGs of 2014 – Part 1

Posted by Rampant Coyote on January 7, 2015

Now that 2014 has officially come to a close, I thought I’d take a very brief look at many the indie role-playing games that were released this year for the PC. I’ve given up all hope of this being an exhaustive list, so please feel free to chime in with other titles that were released […]

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The Game Biz is the Same All Over

Posted by Rampant Coyote on December 23, 2014

I am happily back from Japan. I had enough time to wash my clothes and turn in an expense report, and now I’m heading off to Cedar City, Utah to spend Christmas with the in-laws. It is in months like these when my laptop becomes my primary development platform. Le sigh… But hey, this was […]

Filed Under: Biz, Indie Evangelism, Retro - Comments: 4 Comments to Read

Ludum Dare October Challenge returns: Sell a game! Turn pro!

Posted by Rampant Coyote on September 30, 2014

The Ludum Dare October Challenge, started 4 years ago, has kicked off again. Your mission, instead of making a game, is (deceptively) simple: Sell a game. Make at least $1  (Or equivalent in other currencies) And thereby become a pro. The cool thing about this one is that there are very few rules. You don’t […]

Filed Under: Biz, Indie Evangelism - Comments: 4 Comments to Read

Big Indie-an vs. Little Indie-an

Posted by Rampant Coyote on September 25, 2014

“Indie” has been a purposefully inclusive title. It designated those games or game developers that worked outside the standard gatekeepers, the big game publishing industry that dominated the scene only a few years ago. It was really a catch-all to cover everybody excluded from that system. Even then, there wasn’t a great hard-and-fast rule to […]

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Procedural Generation Jam 2014!

Posted by Rampant Coyote on September 22, 2014

Okay, I don’t know if there’s any way I can NOT participate in this one: Procedural Generation Jam 2014 As I was told in one tweet, “We’re going to be a really laid-back jam – nine days, generous time limits, very casual and happy.” The theme is optional. I haven’t seen anything about prizes. It’s […]

Filed Under: Game Development, Indie Evangelism - Comments: 2 Comments to Read

The Indie World, Post-Minecraft

Posted by Rampant Coyote on September 15, 2014

Unless we’re all victims of the most epic troll of gaming history – or the deal suddenly turns sour before the contracts are all signed (and it may be too late for that), it’s official – Minecraft and its studio Mojang are being sold to Microsoft for $2.5 billion. Which – is mind boggling. Utterly […]

Filed Under: Biz, Indie Evangelism - Comments: 7 Comments to Read

Notch – Cashing Out of Indie-dom (for a while)?

Posted by Rampant Coyote on September 10, 2014

Markus “Notch” Persson is an incredibly lucky person. And with that, I don’t mean that at all as a slight against his skills. The guy paid his dues. He made craploads of games for previous employers. He co-created an MMO. He participated in Ludum Dare competitions. He’s got mad skills. He’s easily in the top […]

Filed Under: Indie Evangelism - Comments: 12 Comments to Read

Category / Genre Doesn’t Mean Squat: Tell Me a Story About Your Game

Posted by Rampant Coyote on September 9, 2014

I remember as a kid, getting one of the first Commodore 64s off the assembly line, and the absolute dearth of games available. I remember really wanting to get one game – Turmoil – even though it was a clone of an only somewhat entertaining game because it was one of the only ones out […]

Filed Under: Indie Evangelism - Comments: Comments are off for this article

More Indie Bubble Popping Goodness

Posted by Rampant Coyote on August 29, 2014

This one from Cliffski, and I find his opinion is pretty much the same as mine: Will the indie games market crash and burn? Short answer: Yes, depending on your definition. Longer answer (my interpretation):  It’ll be the game developers crashing and burning, not so much the market. Solution: Go for your dreams, but don’t […]

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Maybe the dream job isn’t really dreamy… or even a job…

Posted by Rampant Coyote on August 22, 2014

I always want to post some things without commentary, but I can’t help but comment. In this case, an article by my friend Lars Doucet, developer for Defender’s Quest. And the guy who did Tourette’s Quest. Warning, this is another one of those, “back to reality” pieces. Follow Your Dreams!… Or Maybe Don’t… This could […]

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Passion and the part-time indie: Why the candle gets burned at both ends

Posted by Rampant Coyote on August 13, 2014

When one is a part-time indie game developer, one comes to expect certain things. Like the inevitability that crunch mode at the Day Job will coincide with crunch mode for indie dev. If you are a serious, “professional” indie, this may also mean that you find yourself coming face-to-face with some very real deadline issues […]

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Computer RPGS: The Wallflowers of the Steam Age? Part 2

Posted by Rampant Coyote on June 11, 2014

In light of Computer RPGS: The Wallflowers of the Steam Age Part 1, are computer role-playing games worse off in the age of cheap, plentiful games than other genres, and if so, why? What inhibits people from starting them, and once they start, what makes them give up long before the game is complete? From the […]

Filed Under: Biz, Design, Indie Evangelism - Comments: 8 Comments to Read

Computer RPGS: The Wallflowers of the Steam Age? Part 1

Posted by Rampant Coyote on June 10, 2014

I’ve been a fan of computer role-playing games since the days when they were not known by that name, and weren’t much more than a mid-week substitute for a weekend Dungeons & Dragons game with friends. Some of my fondest gaming memories involve me sinking my teeth into a massive, meaty RPG, getting lost for […]

Filed Under: Biz, Indie Evangelism - Comments: 12 Comments to Read



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