Thread: Greenlight/indie games on steam

Why do they all look like bad 8 bit games from 1986?

I'm not (intentionally) knocking the hard work it takes to make a game, but damn, how can I pay 15 dollars for a game that looks like a remake of a bad game of 30 years ago?

Am I expecting too much?
I don't think I am, as I would be happy with a super nintendo-level indie game like a zelda or metroid or such, but they all look like 4bit version of a failed atari jaguar port.

Is it so they can be played on tablets or smartphones?

The question is killing me, because I'm always disappointed when I see the game play footage trailer when I click on one.

Any insights?

The money that dev teams backed by larger studios has goes straight towards hiring technical artists and visual designers often times. The problem with indie games and thing is that the devs often have to pull double duty as coders and as artists. And more times than not, coders aren't the best artists. I've got some good friends/coworkers in the game industry and only 2 have hit major success as a career. One has a game that gross'd $1 million plus, and another landed a design job at RIOT. I have some current classmates who are an indie dev team (a few Computer Science Majors and one Visual Comm major). The comm major is a good artist, but it is an absolutely monumental task for a single artist to do an entire game without getting paid as a full-time job. The 8-bit look is sometimes for the nostalgic feel, but more often than not, it's out of necessity.

It can also be tough for indie teams because the big development kits like UDK come with outrageous licensing costs which can just be too much for a small indie team without any prior successes.

And if you are coding the engine from scratch instead of licensing something like Source, Crytek, UDK, etc. that is quite a monumental task as well. The caliber of software engineering needed to make a 3d game engine with modern effects is such that most individuals capable of that could be getting $75k + salary positions elsewhere.

Wow, good information and insight, thanks very much.

ALSO... retro is all the rage in the indie scene since minecraft came out with it's all blocky graphics.

hehe, slightly off topic, but speaking of Minecraft, did anyone see Notch's (Minecraft creator) submission for this year's Ludum Dare 48 hour game competition? Basically it's a contest where devs of all sorts enter and have 48 hours to make the best game possible.

This is Notch's submission. It's 8-bit and hilarious



I think you can play it here

Notch | Ludum Dare

Shit I usually watch the stream for ludum dare and forgot this time.

Take a closer look at Greenlight:

Steam Greenlight :: The Somme

That's been lit.

This as well:

Save 50% on Verdun on Steam

I got Verdun for $4.25...and even as a beta, it's very fun.

Another thing is, if you buy indie games in a bundle and they end up being greenlit...the devs will (in most cases) give you Steam key.

Examples:
Finding Teddy on Steam

Steam Greenlight :: Vanguard Princess

Steam Greenlight :: Uprising44: The Silent Shadows



I recieved this one simply by emailing the dev:
8BitMMO on Steam



This one is fantastic if you like shmups:
Save 50% on Syder Arcade on Steam

Originally Posted by Blah64

I think a problem with Greenlight is that mods & freely distributed games are not separated from the games you will have to buy, and there is no distinction. Prices are also not mentioned.
I think 'price' is a very important factor for whether or not I will play a game.

Almost everything on greenlight you're going to have to pay for. I think it costs an indie company $700-800 to have their game on Steam...not positive though.

If you buy the game on Desura, or some other site, and the game gets greenlit, you will (usually) get a Steam key.