In the past few months and years, we’ve seen a golden age of independently developed games, there are more than I could list in a single article. From the wildly successful titles (such as Minecraft and Papers Please) to the secret gems that may have passed you by (like Lifeless Planet and Proteus) there is no denying that indie devs are getting their fair share of the market on all the major platforms… okay we’re not really counting Nintendo in this.
But with the recent Obsession with a new Indie title that’s set to be released, I’ve come to wonder, should Indie Developers really be putting in the effort for the audience when mindless and aimless content seems to work even better.
You may be wondering which game I’m referring to, well recently I’ve seen a string of reports on the newest ground breaking game “Rock Simulator 2014”, a game where you have all the excitement of playing as a rock… I can’t help but feel sorry for all those indie devs who put actual time and thought into their game when they have to battle against such ludicrous offerings.
And unfortunately, it’s not the first time we’ve seen this, everyone remembers Goat Simulator, having its commercial release just recently, and all that game involved was throwing a goat into objects to get points.
Now I could never fault the developers of these games for what they’re doing, they’re giving the public what they want, they’re giving the public a cheap laugh for a slightly more expensive price tag. But unfortunately this is the way to make an easy buck in this market and with games like this getting all the attention, even if it only lasts a week or so, it hides what might be a truly innovative developer and may even deny them getting their dream career for want of the publicity that they deserved.
So can we blame developers if they’re getting tired of putting in all the effort for none of the reward? I agree that there are a lot of good successful indie titles out there, but I’ve never seen a viral sensation take off as much as these jokes.
I know the developers aren’t going to change tact if this is what’s making them their money, but I would ask of you all, have a think before you pick up a copy of “Clock Simulator 2015” or whatever the next big joke product will be, instead look for an indie game with something new and clever to bring to the table. I know I’d sooner see more games like the newly released Shovel Knight than another piece of comedy shovel wear.
