What makes a video game independent?
Funding, creative freedom and publishing: the three dimensions of independence in game development, according to academic research.
Related project: Independent Games
“Independent” is one of the most used words in video games, and one of the least clear. The most common definition is making games without a publisher’s support, but not every case fits that sentence.
Three kinds of independence
In a 2016 article in the journal Game Studies (summary from Tampere University), Maria B. Garda and Paweł Grabarczyk propose looking at independence in three dimensions:
- Financial: the game is funded by its creators, which tends to limit its scope.
- Creative: the developers do not answer to a publisher’s demands.
- Publishing: the game is published independently.
A game can be independent in one of these dimensions and not the others. The authors also note that these qualities do not, on their own, determine how a game plays or looks.
Why this matters
Talking about independence means talking about choices: who pays, who decides and who publishes. Each answer brings advantages and limits. More creative freedom can mean fewer resources, and fewer resources force you to choose carefully what to build.
That is why tools play an important role. Good tools that support creation can simplify technical processes and leave more time for what sets a game apart.
ETUNIM’s approach
ETUNIM’s independent games area is at the concept stage. We want to create original interactive experiences and tools that support game development.
We have not announced any titles, engines or dates. When there is concrete news, it will be published here.
Source
- Maria B. Garda and Paweł Grabarczyk, Is Every Indie Game Independent? Towards the Concept of Independent Game, Game Studies, vol. 16, no. 1, 2016 (summary).