Video: Back to the Garage: The Return of Indie Development

This time around, independent developers from the past and from the present come together to discuss the independent resurgence happening thanks to emerging digital platforms and the rapidly declining cost-of-entry for making games.

Courtesy of the GDC Vaultis another free video from GDC 2012.



Session Name: Back to the Garage: The Return of Indie Development (From Those Who Were There and Some Who've Just Arrived)

Speaker(s): Markus Persson, Jordan Mechner, Tim Sweeney, Adam Saltsman, Jane Pinckard, John Romero

Company Name(s): Mojang, Mechner, Epic, Semi Secret Games, UC Santa Cruz, Loot Drop

Track / Format: Business and Marketing and Management

Overview: The game industry is witnessing an indie renaissance. After years of big publisher domination and cold war spending that escalated AAA budgets to hit $40 million+ , development is returning to the garage. The emergence of digital distribution and proliferation of new platforms, combined with an evolution in tools and technology, has made game making as much fun as game playing, attracting new players but also familiar faces. But as many learned the first time around, not all roads are paved with gold. In the panel the speakers explore real-world examples of successes and failures in their own careers to distill lessons of critical relevance to indie game makers today.
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