Indie developers thrilled with online distribution

Independent game developers are thrilled with the prospect of games being distributed via online means, but the doors to a possible revolution aren’t open just yet, as Microsoft isn’t ready to open the floodgates for now.

According to veteran indie developers, the will, passion and technical know-how is there, but the conservative atmosphere through possible conduits like Xbox Live still stands as the biggest roadblock to the growth of the indie community.

Ste Pickford of Zee-3 games explains that online distribution isn’t just the best way to get independent console software in the hands of end-users, it’s actually “the only way” to get their product across the market dominated by multinational giants. Obviously, independent developers do not have the capacity to mass-produce copies of their craft, so they really have to get their wares hosted in legitimate avenues and have them downloaded by interested parties.

“I think it’s a great thing and I think it’ll replace retail… Most of the arguments against are really from people lacking in imagination – that’s the way it is because that’s the way it is.” says Pickford.

The vision of indie developers, he says, is to be able to put up low-cost virtual game publishing studious which need minimal manpower and other resources. He says that the whole concept can mean a lot of changes for the game community but it has to get over the Microsoft gatekeeping gridlock first.

Via Game industry

Independent game developers are thrilled with the prospect of games being distributed via online means, but the doors to a possible revolution aren’t open just yet, as Microsoft isn’t ready to open the floodgates for now.

According to veteran indie developers, the will, passion and technical know-how is there, but the conservative atmosphere through possible conduits like Xbox Live still stands as the biggest roadblock to the growth of the indie community.

Ste Pickford of Zee-3 games explains that online distribution isn’t just the best way to get independent console software in the hands of end-users, it’s actually “the only way” to get their product across the market dominated by multinational giants. Obviously, independent developers do not have the capacity to mass-produce copies of their craft, so they really have to get their wares hosted in legitimate avenues and have them downloaded by interested parties.

“I think it’s a great thing and I think it’ll replace retail… Most of the arguments against are really from people lacking in imagination – that’s the way it is because that’s the way it is.” says Pickford.

The vision of indie developers, he says, is to be able to put up low-cost virtual game publishing studious which need minimal manpower and other resources. He says that the whole concept can mean a lot of changes for the game community but it has to get over the Microsoft gatekeeping gridlock first.

Via Game industry