How Indie is Not So Indie

Lindsay D. GraceAssociate ProfessorGames and Playable MediaPersuasive Play Studio Director

American University- School of Communications@mindtoggle

9/14/13

Lindsay Grace | American University

“In celebration of our 10th Anniversary, selected 5 games, that reflect the very best games for social impact in the last decade”

12 Games / 1 Week Development Cycle

Lindsay Grace | American University

2009-2013 Exhibits and Contests

New York, Paris, Rio, Sao Paulo, Taipei, and others

Lindsay Grace | American University Gaming Initiative

I’ve been teaching games for 10 years

I’ve written 25+ papers, articles and book

chapters about games

I was wrong

I was wrong (sort of)

You need people - you need the community

2009-2010

Lesson 1: Learn to listen to others

If I worked with others, they would have told me not to make this steaming pile of poop

Support comes from people, not technology

Communities make and break

engines and environments

Environments need communities

Even when developer’s stop supporting . . .

There are community oriented solutions

Lesson 2:

community makes

or breaks game and environment success

You don’t and can’t

solve every problem by yourself

Community solutions are essential

when independent

Community Resources Centers

You are always working (asynchronously) with others

You are always responding

to someone else’s design

You are always building on

someone else’s ideas

Did you invent the sprite sheets and tiles?

Lesson 3:

Don’t forget you’re part of something larger

“a high tide raises all ships”

Every game has A-team

Your marketing and Advertising team

Your ideation team

If you don’t know about this . . .

Your community is your audience

Lesson 4: You need your community

And your community needs you

And your community needs you

(so we can stop reusing the same old IP)

It’s time for an amendment . . .

Go make games by yourself,

butdon’t expect to succeed by working alone

This is a community enterprise

Our community should be welcomingto everyone

Indie is about freedom . . .

not serfdom

Suggestion:

Why not give credit where credit is due?

-Consider citing (more) people in your games?

Thank You.

Lindsay D. GraceAssociate Professor Director- Gaming Initiative

American University

School of Communication

Film and Media Art

Grace@American.edu

http://www.ProfessorGrace.comLindsay Grace | American University Gaming Initiative