Games developers go solo for glory - 28th October 2022

Video games are growing increasingly sophisticated and extortionately expensive to produce, being the work of hundreds of developers, collaborating across several studios. Nevertheless, an increasing proportion of game developers are striking out on their own- their goal being, finding fortune and glory.

Stardew Valley was produced by independent creator Eric Barone and has generated over $20 million in profits globally, an achievement which helps keep the indie developers going in their isolation. Geraud Zucchini successfully developed Larceny Lazer on his own.

Géraud Zucchini: "Yes, you can make money. It's very difficult, and the majority of people who go into indie games, with their first game anyway, generally they're going to make very little or no money at all."

Canadian Dan Beckerton, used crowdfunding to help him achieve his solo project developing Spirittea.

Dan Beckerton:"I think my goal is, like, if I could pay back all my funding, and then maybe make, like, $100,000 on top of that, which would give me a runway to work on my next game. That would be, I mean that's, that's an infinitely larger goal than my, my first game which made, like, 2,000 bucks total."

With the lack of stable funding from a massive studio and the sociable side of working in a team, it can be tough on indie creators. However, they're convinced this can inspire more innovation. Both Mike Rose, the founder of No More Robots and Dan Beckerton believe that indie developers are able to bring something unique to the party.

Mike Rose: "Whenever you move into relying on other people, it can go very different ways. And so yes, there's definitely that personal touch when you've got just a single developer making a game."

Dan Beckerton: "I don't have to like, OK that with anyone. I can just go ahead with any kind of creative idea I have."

Whilst the craze to develop the next trendy "must have'' game to hit the games market globally is on Alizee Veauvy Guilliams Janin, vice president of Indie Game Nation is of the belief that indie developers' success ought to be recognised.

Alizee Veauvy Guilliams Janin: "All in all, we have to differentiate between success stories and indie games, which are very good and profitable for the creators. Indeed, when they manage to reach their target, to be inspiring, or simply fun for their public, and to be profitable, I think that's just brilliant."