IGF 2005 Student Showcase Winners

[Gnatinator]

Did you guys check out the student IGF finalists this year?

Like WTF... Where is Gate 88? Where is Glace?

Seriously im not so pissed that my game didnt get in but shit.... There are some REAL quality games that didnt get it this year.

[queasy]

Where is Gate 88?

Thanks!

Which one was your game mate?

Anyway, I've always had the feeling that IGF likes to promote teams that look like they can hit it with the AAA market. And so if they promote games that don't have flashy production values, they may lose credibility amongst their AAA peers.

Obviously, I don't agree with that (and it's far from my definition of "indie" for that matter) but that's just what I've seen. And having said that, a lot of the games that made it do have insane production in terms of graphics and what not.

-j

[Gnatinator]

Woah, hey queasy!

My game was Outer-Rim Pod Digger.
Heres some screenies: 1 2 3 4

You can get the version I entered here

My entry was a (now very old) beta demo. Im currently finishing it and the full version should be released sometime within the next few weeks.

Anyway, I've always had the feeling that IGF likes to promote teams that look like they can hit it with the AAA market. And so if they promote games that don't have flashy production values, they may lose credibility amongst their AAA peers.

And having said that, a lot of the games that made it do have insane production in terms of graphics and what not.

Yeah im noticing that too. The type of finalists chosen for the student showcase this year has been changed from previous years. Like seriously, how many 2D finalists did you see this year? (Compared to the 50/50 ratio last year)

Obviously, I don't agree with that (and it's far from my definition of "indie" for that matter) but that's just what I've seen.

I totally agree with you.

[DavidRM]

I got a bit depressed when I talked to some of the IGF Student Showcase winners last year.

These were small teams who had achieved some very significant results in a relatively short timeframe. In several cases they were scant distance away from a completed game.

And they were prepared to ditch it all to get a job doing the industry-equivalent of swabbing the decks and peeling potatoes.

Ah, well, not everyone *wants* to be an indie...

-David

[queasy]

That's the thing though... The festival attracts these types of people, and so it should be of no surprise that you were met with such non-indie/conformist attitudes.

The thing is, I have no problems with folks wanting to work AAA games. It's valid. I also have no problems with festivals recognizing people who would be suitable for AAA work. And certainly, this is what IGF does.

The problem is that, for me, IGF gives a bad name to what it really means to be indie. For me, "independance" is independance from mainstream thinking. The indie developer is motivated to express him/herself in the medium and adds things to the game independent of whether it is required for "success" in a market.

For an outsider seeing IGF, I fear that the take-home-message will be "independant games are just like AAA games but worse."

That depresses me.

-j
ps: gnatinator, i'm definately gonna give your game a shot... don't 2d games just look so much more fun

[PoV]

Heh, it's all a matter of wording. When people walk in to our game studio, I don't say "we make cellphone game", I instead say "we make video games", and when they ask about games they'd know, I stress we're small and still establishing ourselves. Phone games cause far too many double takes. .

Indie angle is the same thing. If you don't want people to look at you funny, stress the business part of it more. Starting your own business, making games. The indie mindset is too complicated for most people to understand.

And finally, I still want to recommend 'doing time' in the regular game industry. There's much experience, confidence, business know how, and money (versus full time newbie indie life) to be gained there. Especially if conditions are awful, and you survive them.

[queasy]

The indie mindset is too complicated for most people to understand.

It's things like this that really strikes a chord in me. It IS too "complicated" (I would use the word "different") for people to understand, but you're *independent* and thus your audience should also be thinking on more indie lines (and thus receptive). The problem is there isn't really any awareness about the potential for innovation in the indie scene.

I mean, yes, it's true: If you make indie games (the way I've defined it), you most likely won't be able to make enough money. It won't have mass-appeal. But then if that's your primary concern (ie. "I want to make money by making games" versus "I want to make games."), then aren't you conforming to another main stream?

It's hard for me to express what I really want to say... I'm not good with words. I don't mean to cheapify AAA game makers, casual game makers, etc. It's all valid! It's just that I get really depressed when indies are so misrepresented.

To me it's like indie music. Most people don't give a damn about the music they listen to... but there are those that have indepedent thinking and seek out other music. And they can find it because the indie-music-scene is much more well-defined (relatively speaking). There is no misrepresentation. Music lovers find innovative music. Innovative music makers innovate.

The indie-games scene is so infant and fragile right now... to me it's like nurturing a 1 month old. It needs all the care it can get to grow. But then seeing things like IGF promote indies for what they're not---... how can you let someone announce to the world that your baby is something that it's not?

Doesn't this depress you to the point where you can't just accept that "that's the way it is?"

I mean things like:

stress the business part of it more.

NO!!! I don't want to stress the business part--it's not what defines indie-games. I want to stress innovation and non-mainstream thinking/ideas. After all, don't you consider yourself an artist?

-j

[Abscissa]

I'd never misrepresent or put any spin on the truth just because the person I'm talking to is too ignorant and closed-minded to accept the way something really is. I've come across SO many unbeleivably ignorant, "group-think" people (in general, not just relating to indie), that I've taken the stance of: I'll tell it like it is, and if they're not receptive they can just piss off. No way would I ever stoop so low as to conform to their ass-backwards standards, or even so much as pretend to just to make them happy.

[bentlegen]

My question is, this IGF student showcase only includes entries from [groups of] students in "game design" curriculums? That gives me the impression that some fellow making games in his spare time while he's in school is already disqualified. What a bummer.

Is this just to give media exposure to those programs?

- ben

[Abscissa]

My question is, this IGF student showcase only includes entries from [groups of] students in "game design" curriculums?
Is this just to give media exposure to those programs?

I don't think so. I think a lot of the entries are from those schools just because the schools are probably really pushing their students to enter.

[queasy]

Yea, I dont' think it is either. And it seems only 4 came from game design schools. Frankly, I guess I don't really care where it comes from, so long as it's innovative.

-j