Some people seem to think the term indie is a term that describes quality.

Just because you have encountered indie games of varying quality does not mean that all indie games are off that quality such is a genetic fallacy.

The term "Indie" only describes the budget of the game.

So when I see comments like "Mainstream doesn't care about indie games" this only applies to the actual meaning of indie, which means a low budget. Quality wise, as long as a game is good and or people enjoy it then it will sell, and if it is good enough it will sell systems ala Minecraft. Whether the game is Indie or not only has bearing on how much the game is advertised, which has more to do with the publisher. If the game has a big budget, then the publisher will spend money to advertise the game in which it will reach mass markets. If the game is self-published, it will be much harder to get the game marketted, which is the major problem surronding Indie Developers especially those who self-publish, Marketting. However, it can be done, regardless of whether the game is "Indie" or not.

/rant

I agree, I happen to enjoy indie games very much. Though, I won't deny there are some stinkers out there. But that goes for AAA games too, a higher budget doesn't automatically make a game better.

I thought the term indie was used to talk about videogames that where developed by small teams without the financial support of a videogame publisher. (Taken straight from Wikipedia)

But yeah I agree with your whole point. Indies need to be treated with respect. Heck Minecraft is one of the best selling games of all time and it's an indie game.

I will never understand why some "real gamers" seem to have it out for indies games and developers. Not everything needs to cost "destiny money" for it to be a good time.

I used to just call games you can only get from PSN/XBL via download only... as downloadable games. I had no mind set of what was and is 'indie'. Mainly because many 'Indie' games on these services are made by larger studios or published by them. To me indie means as it should be Independent, so made and published by themselves.

It's another modern term I don't like as it doesn't make sense in reality.

A game with a big budget won't necessarily sell much. Look at Shenmue, it almost made Sega bankrupt.

I really don't understand the hate for indie games.. I mean, since when does a game need to have a GTAV budget in order to be good?? :S

I have a X360, Wii, Wii U, DS, 3DS, PS3 and PSP and I don't think I saw nearly as much as discussions from combined users of these systems - let alone from fellow PC gamers (which is my main platform) - as we have since the PS4 launched.

If we take X360 owners - the platform which made indies popular on consoles, labeled as Live Arcade - for example: Did anyone of them ever them call Minecraft, Castle Crashers, Trials/Fuision, Defense Grid, Toy Soldiers, Limbo, Bastion, Braid, Shadow Complex, Super Meat Boy, Splosion Man etc. "not real games" or games that don't count or uninteresting by default because they are small budget games? Don't think so.

It seems to me that occasional threads with discussions about indie games being "real" games or being games that "suck by default" (or someting along the lines) became a thing only with the release of PS4.

Which is strange as the PS3 already had indie games.

Semantics.

:P

Actually, the term indie doesn't even describe the budget of the game.

It just says that the developer self-publishes.