PHOS: They can afford to be fun.
RC: The aroma. Heady, spicy and deliciously different.
Indie games are made by individuals with their own ideas about fun and gameplay
who have the freedom to experiment and do whatever they want. Unlike commercial
designers, indie game creators don't have to force themselves to think outside
the box. They already exist outside of the box, in fact, to them the box isn't
even there. Is it any wonder that so many indie games are so distinctive and
original?
IK: The way indie game developers are able to resist
today's rampant antidisestablishmentarianism.
How did your studio get your start in working with
independent games?
IK: Digital Eel hatched from an electric egg in Boston in
late 1999, but it wasn't until it had slithered across the continent and
absorbed the luminous Phosphorous in 2001 that it began to spawn offspring of
its own, starting with the enigmatic Plasmaworm.
PHOS: Mutual entertainment, and the fact that we all went
to different high schools together.
RC: Iikka and I were playing and designing games during
our free time and we actually got a few of them finished. Then, when we met
Phosphorous here in Washington, we were off!
What is the most innovative feature of Weird Worlds: Return
to Infinite Space and how is it innovative in your mind?
RC: Maybe the way starship combat works. Maybe its
boardgame-like guts and the way roguelike-inspired elements are applied to a
game that only takes a few minutes to play. Maybe some of the music.
IK: The fact you can make a contra-positronic neutrino
ray in five minutes, drop it in the game and have it look just like the real
thing!
PHOS: Robust downloadable pleasures with no strings
attached.
What do gamers appreciate most about Weird Worlds: Return to
Infinite Space?
IK: That the game doesn't waste their time.
PHOS: It's a toy that is enjoyable on many different
levels --the mods will be incredible.
RC: Well, Weird Worlds is still a bun in the oven, so
it's not in gamers' hands. To venture a guess, I think they'll appreciate the
little details and TLC we've put into it. I think they'll appreciate that Weird
Worlds looks good, that it feels tight and that it's bug free. I also think, no,
I KNOW, that folks will have a blast with all the ships, weapons and gadgets.
What was the single most difficult part of Weird Worlds:
Return to Infinite Space to program?
PHOS: Don't even talk to me about letters and numbers.
IK: Hard to say, perhaps the sound system based on the
sheer volume of curses uttered in the process. Also, placement of enemy ships,
items and events is a tricky balancing act.
Other than your own game did any one of the IGF finalists or
Student Showcase games stand out to you? Why?
RC: We all like Mutton Mayhem because it's a great name.
PHOS: I love all of them. How can you choose?
How do you think Independent Games will evolve in the
future?
PHOS: More and more people are going to become
dissatisfied with what they find on the shelves. It's overpriced and overhyped.
They'll be able to go online and try any number of excellent indie games and
never have to go back to the shelves again.
RC: With the patient assistance of visionaries and
benefactors who do not exist at this time, indie games could be big business,
like indie films. As it is, the indie game scene will continue to be a creative
hotbed, it will continue to be a possible way to break into the game industry
(which unfortunately means giving up independence) and it will continue to be
the perfect opportunity to create unique games that befuddle commercial
developers and delight gamers.
What is the biggest challenge facing Independent games?
PHOS: They are so fun to play and make that it's hard to
get any work done at all.
RC: Publisher-imposed distribution limitations.
Currently, the typical business model online publishers adhere to can't support
games that don't fit neatly into established "casual game" categories. So, if
you're selling a puzzle game, no problem, but if you're trying to market an rpg
or a strategy game, for example, online publishers cannot help you. I think this
limits designers too much, and the worst part is that gamers will never know
about the variety of cool indie games that are actually being made.
As one of the leaders of Independent Games, what is next for
you?
PHOS: Even further adventures in infinite space.
RC: After we release Weird Worlds, we'll take a breather
for a couple of months and then get back to some ideas that we had to put off
for a while. There's always something cooking in the Mystery Kitchen.
