padib said:
Experimental42 said:
The fact that people are confusing indie games and games from a studio that primarily works in AAA titles can only be seen as a good thing for the new wave of indie fans. |
If you're referring to Child of Light, there is no formal definition of an indie game.
CoL fits almost all the known criteria for being an indie game:
- developed by individuals, small teams, or small independent companies; (pretty sure it's not the Watch Dogs team working on it)
- such companies are often specifically formed for the development of one specific game. (again pretty sure this is the case)
- Typically smaller than mainstream titles. (check)
- developers do not have controlling interests or creative limitations and do not require publisher approval as mainstream game developers usually do. Design decisions are thus also not limited by the allocated budget. (Seems like the game exudes of creative freedom)
- Furthermore, smaller team sizes increase individual involvement. Small teams, scope, and no creative restrictions have made indie games known for innovation, creativity, and artistic experimentation. (again, seems like creative freedom abounded)
- Developers limited in ability to create graphics can rely on gameplay innovation. (smaller scope of game makes this true in a sense)
- Both classic game genres and new gameplay innovation have been seen. However, being "indie" does not imply that the game focuses on innovation.
- In fact, many games attributed the "indie" label can be of poor quality and may not be made for profit. (not a perfect game but still great)
and is missing one:
- developers are generally not financially backed by video game publishers (as these are risk averse and prefer big budget games)[10] and usually have little to no budget available.
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I agree with pretty much everything you've written. Of course CoL's not the WDs team. If nothing else it was a small team told to do something with the engine they made for Rayman, who's dead for the foreseeable future I'd wager.
