FAQ: Indie Author badge

[DrWilloughby]

NOTE: I AM NOT A MODERATOR, DONT PM ME FOR THE BADGE, PM A MODERATOR INSTEAD

Q: Some members have an *indie author* badge underneath their name. What does this mean and how can I get one?

A: People with that moniker are people who belong to the "indie author" group. Basically it means they've published at least 1 game. (commercially either online or retail etc..) It also means they can access the private forum. Anyone meeting the above criteria can ask to be added to that group by private messaging a moderator.

[Sharpfish]

Hey this is like an achievement on the xbox 360... it's motivational, makes me want to finish one of the games i've been working on for the past 3 years instead of trying to do everything 'perfectly' ;)

I will release 'shatty clone with rough gfx' tommorow night and get me my badge! :)

[Bad Sector]

I will release 'shatty clone with rough gfx' tommorow night and get me my badge! :)

Argh! The badge destroys the indie scene!

:-P

[barrygamer]

Hmm, in the other thread it says this can be any game, freeware or not. That would give me a badge for a pretty lame freeware game I made. As someone said, "I don't care to belong to any club that would accept me as a member." It should be for established indies, I think... anyway.

Perhaps it should be a requirement of the badge to put the relevant games/projects in your sig/profile (many people do that anyway). Also, a full public profile? All I mean is, in return for claiming that status, provide the info for people to see.

Hmm, can't believe I'm talking about a badge.

PS I'm working toward my badge :-)

[Artinum]

Yes, the awarding of this badge seems a little open to abuse! I haven't programmed in years - back then, coding graphics meant an advanced chapter at the end of the programming guide book rather than several books in their own right. Gosh, I feel old now...

Anyway - in my youth I wrote a multiple choice text adventure entitled "The Rather Silly War", which eventually migrated from RM Basic to Turbo Pascal and thus became playable by anyone with DOS. If I set up a website geared to promote this - either freeware or in a doomed effort to sell it (!) - I would technically qualify for an Author badge.

I think the intention is for the badge to signify that the, er, wearer is an experienced and professional developer. This has two problems - first, that defining such a term is almost as difficult as defining what makes a developer "indie"; and second, that new developers will be excluded from the "club" until they have managed the task they are probably asking for advice on.

[Dan MacDonald]

Tom Cain was nice enough to dig up the origional post stating the requirements for access to the private forum. I think they parallel nicely what we are intending for the Indie Author badge.

http://forums.indiegamer.com/showthread.php?t=285

Quoted here for quick reference

The basic criteria for entry is..

1) you have your own site and domain name
2) You have a game either self published or published and selling already
3) The main focus of your business and site is game development/sales of your own title/titles

[cyodine]

*sucks in his gut and tries to squeeze into the author forum* Being a starving indie I won't take up much room ;)

[tubberb]

Great work Hyr This shouldve been done much sooner

EDIT: Hmm, the info topics about the games are not stickified, and AFAICT theyre not linked to in the main topics in this forum. Wouldnt those topics be interested to keep in sight? They contain useful information.

[peacemaker]

Ok... I know I'm new around here but the badge looks shiny and I've got several commercially released games credited to my name :)

Do they have to be "indie" games for this badge though?

I've worked for a few big games companies and released games on the PS2, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Nothing for myself yet but I'm working on it!

[Reactor]

Do they have to be "indie" games for this badge though?

Yes, the idea of the badge is to show who has independently developed (and sold) a game. Obviously there's some fuzziness to the details, but that's the main idea. The problem at the moment is, there are a few forum quirks that are preventing most worthy of the badge from receiving it. So for now, it's best to ignore it :)

Nothing for myself yet but I'm working on it!

Sounds good.

[meds]

Does it count if you've sold one game for $2.50 and quite possibly your mum bought the only copy you sold?


*Also what is the definition of indie game? Are we talking a game made without the help of a publisher?

[Reactor]

Does it count if you've sold one game for $2.50 and quite possibly your mum bought the only copy you sold?

Possibly not :) But, I think that'd be one of those things looked at on a case by case basis.

*Also what is the definition of indie game? Are we talking a game made without the help of a publisher?

That would be my interpretation, but it is somewhat open to debate.

[rvlgames]

oh.. I didn't noticed this thread until now.

It seems I should have a badge too :P