The proudest moment in your history as an Indie

[Anlino]

Well, you read the title: What is the proudest moment in your history as an Indie?

[vjvj]

Well I only have one "indie" project under my belt, so my proudest moment was shipping the damn thing. I really surprised myself being able to see a project from start to finish solely on my own initiative with no producers or marketing people hounding me :)

The funny thing is that that coincidentally was the most enjoyable project of my career.

[PoV]

So far, indie moments:
- being a finalist in an odd category at Slamdance (with PuffBOMB)
- leaving the industry to go indie again
- getting on coverdisks (with PuffBOMB)
- getting the 3rd place prize and being one of the few to actually do a Neo Geo Pocket game in Bung Compo #4 (Syko*War)
- getting a job in the industry with the mentioned gameboy games as part of my portfolio
- getting runner up prizes for doing 2 gameboy color mini games for Bung Compo #2 (Poke Da Mon and Combat Soccer)
- releasing my cheesy final fantasy wannabe rpg's on to the net some 9 years ago (MurMur's Dungeon, Islandgates)

[Anlino]

Since i don't have a long history yet, i have a limited list of proud moments to choose from:p

My proudest moment.. must be when i settled for a name for my Indie studio, just a few days ago. The name felt just right when i thought of it, and i was flowing over with joy when a check told me that the .com adress for it was free :o

[Mr.Blaub]

I'm green too. I can also relate to your joy of finding an original company name.

I think though, that whenever I'm reminded that I'm not working for anyone else (pretty constant), I feel terrific!

[Anlino]

whenever I'm reminded that I'm not working for anyone else (pretty constant), I feel terrific!

That Indie feeling... A shame i can't say that, since it feels like i am working for my teachers, who wants me to develop stuff for their classes (and i can't really turn them down, in fear of getting low grades;) )

[Artinum]

I'm also fairly new to the indie development arena - or at least, I am as my own company. I've got a lot of little moments of joy:

* That domain name being available is a definite thrill. I brainstormed loads and then chose one - then ordered another one on my list by mistake! Not to worry - www.indieproofing.co.uk is better anyway.
* The strange mix of excitement and panic when uploading my website - then asking people on this very forum to critique it.
* Having articles published on Bytten - and better yet, getting emails about them.
* And of course, the delight of getting my first customer.

I've been involved with Bytten since it started - really over two years ago now? Goodness. Now I feel old.

[Sillysoft]

Hmm... probably when I quit my day job working for the man. :p

[jankoM]

uh, chance for some undercover bragging ;) ... The proudest moments haven't come yet for me, but I have some semi-proud I can tell (in order of apperance):
- Kubi featured on Apple.com and revieved in printed Japanese Mac magazine
- selling the 10. Kubi
- Kubi in PC Magazine's games for kids roundup for 2005 article (next to Prof. Fizwizle, some Disney game...)
- Getting the fifth game on the CD of one of the biggest magazines for kids in Slovenia and earning few bucks doing it (yesterday - this time with a lot of help from midoritech)

What (I think) will make me full-proud in future?
- improving Kubi to the state where I am satisfied with it
- selling 100. Kubi
- reaching >1000 visitors / day on bravekidgames

[joe]

I had some moments in the past where I was very proud of myself. It always feels like heaven when I get the first orders of a new game we just released.

One proud moment for me was just yesterday, when I got the new SharePlay (a german casual/shareware games magazine) with an interview with myself on two whole pages. Man, it looks like I'm famous now (okay, not really, but who cares).

[easydoesit]

I was nervous. I was scared to go indie. I didn't realise the community was so strong and friendly and was actually a serious business. I guess sitting in my comfy, less rewarding, big company job made me blind to the great life of frelance and indipendent work.

My proudest moment was when I got the first serious email about working on a game from my own home studio. Really Really great day for me.

[Anthony Flack]

I guess it was when I got a copy of the book that had a section in it on me. I also got asked to be a guest lecturer at a university recently. I can't go, but it was still nice to be asked.

These kinds of things are really gratifying; when every so often you get a sign that people are paying attention to your work, and that they think what you do is actually a bit special. Compared to actually making the games, which is humbling and cruel.

[JoKa]

Proudest moment: right now!
http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/3828777880.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Just got my first game on the shelfs in Germany :)

@joe: great interview!
Btw, did you compose the music for "Space Station 3000" and "Gunbee F-99"? Just bought the Amiga Immortal CD and one of the artists is also called Jochen Heizmann

[joe]

Congrats JoKa for getting your game on the shelfs!

Btw, did you compose the music for "Space Station 3000" and "Gunbee F-99"? Just bought the Amiga Immortal CD and one of the artists is also called Jochen Heizmann

Yes, that's me. NOW I'm feeling really proud - I didn't thought that anyone still listens to this cd.

[cliffski]

possibly the day I realised I was making more from Positech than Lionhead, and it was viable to go it alone.
Or when Maxis asked me to do work for them. That was very cool.

[moco]

I'm just starting out too, so at the risk of repeating other people, I just want to underline how good it felt to quit my bog-standard games dev job and go indie. I'm more productive, more relaxed, and happier :)

[Grey Alien]

Can't make up my mind if it was a) seeing my first game for sale or b) making the actual first sale. Then there were pleny of other cool milestones like 10 sales, 100 sales, getting it on BFG and Reflexive etc. I must have opened a lot of wine over the course of several weeks :-)

[Sharpfish]

1992 - Scrambled Thought Software (my old "company name") releasing a game for Amiga and being paid (not much) by another company so they could distribute it (licenceware). Having previously given them away as freeware in Public Domain libraries. In hindsight the game was below average (but with good intentions) and the scheme was a rip off but... I was still VERY proud at that age to see my game(s) written about in Magazines.

While this doesn't strictly fit into the modern version of "independent games" and while I still haven't got that first modern title out of the door, I certainly feel proud knowing I was doing this stuff back before a lot of the customers of modern indie games even had computers and when shareware truly was independent and not about "business plans" and "exit strategies". ;)

Now, if only I had stuck at it for the ten years in between instead of (wrongly) assuming there was no viable market for "Home made" games.

The only other vaguely proud moment was when It sank in I was leaving Codemasters (for logistical reasons) and was going to be doing my own thing for a couple of years instead.

I haven't had another "proud moment" since those days. Websites and names don't count for much without a game. A finished product is something to be proud of no matter how good or bad it does.So, put me down for a portion of proudness when my first "modern era" baby pops out into the world. :)

[Nexic]

The first of mine would be getting my first 5/5 award on a shareware site... although I soon realised getting 5/5 was painfully easy. The next best was getting my first sale, I phoned up just about everyone in my family and told them the news.

But the very best was when I reached my first 1000 sales :) When I imagine how many people that is, it makes me feel incredibly proud, not even the coolest guy back in school had 1000 groupies.

[soniCron]

I haven't accompished much, as of yet, but releasing my first game for sale and being able to say, "STOP TELLING ME I NEED TO MAKE A GAME BEFORE I CAN DISPENSE ADVICE," feels good. :)

[berserker]

I guess the first sale is truly wonderful feeling. I even managed to got it twice :)
First time with publisher and second one on my own.
Everything else looks bland comparing to this.

[Sharkbait]

The proudest moment was when I made my very first sale right after the 20th download.. although it turned out to be fraudulent!
I was also happy to make it on some known portals.

[Escapee]

The proudest moment ?
Received my first sales last year , and i remembered myself posting here in indie forum bragging about my first sales :D

second proudest moment ?
reached my 10 sales , but the feeling was definitely less intensive than the first one .

I'm aiming for 100 Sales this year, and also hope to fufill my wish to donate a portion of my hard earned Indie cash to the needy . The sense of accomplishment of doing this should supercede the first 2 proudest moment.