Indie Mobile, Next Big Thing

Easy to pick up, easy to play, the mobile casual game is the perfect distraction to entertain us while waiting for the next train or a late friend. Likened to a "game snack," the casual game requires little commitment and minimum investment-meaning players should never have to resort to reviewing a tutorial or have to free up hours in their schedule to get through a game.

At the console level, everyone from Nintendo to Ubisoft and Electronic Arts has put increased interest in the casual, pick-up-and-play game as a way to reach a wider base beyond the core gaming demographic. The personal and virtually ubiquitous qualities of the mobile phone make it an ideal platform for the casual game, letting us fill up small slices of time-both at home and away from home-with little commitment.

More and more, we're seeing that mobile casual games are indeed for everyone. Women outnumber men in terms of numbers and revenue for mobile gaming. And mobile gamers encompass a broader age range than the typical console gamer.

The next logical stage is the democratization of game design-where just as anyone can play games, anyone can now create games. User-generated games tap into the seemingly universal human desire for creative self-expression-as well as sharing those creations within a wider community. Whether it's in the form of video, music, or text, social networking and self-content sites have become a mainstay in today's Internet, as the consumer becomes content-provider.

Source: http://www.gamesondeck.com/feature/3533/editorial_user_generated_mobile_.php

Intel-Sponsored Amateur Tilt

Intel Technology Philippines, in partnership with the Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP) and the Creative Media and Film Society of the Philippines (CreaM), recently organized the Pinoy Indie Games Competition, the country’s first on-the-spot, non-stop, three-day game development challenge.

First scheduled on 1-3 February, 2008, the event drew 15 amateur teams, each looking to make history by winning the first Pinoy Indie Games Championship.

"We are very thrilled with the outcome of the event, which gave the 15 participating teams an opportunity to showcase their expertise in the field of game development," says Intel Philippines Country Manager Ricky Banaag. "The local game development scene will definitely be on the upswing with these new talents soon coming in."

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/INFO20080415121842.html

Gimmie Indie Games

Gaming may be a multi-bazillion dollar biz based on ever-advancing technology, but the definitive moment at the recent Game Developer’s Conference came courtesy of brightly coloured balloons. Real ones.

During February’s annual gather in San Francisco, a number of game gurus participated in a public rant session. Most offered the expected gripes — one challenged peers to add emotion to their programs; another complained about internet-fuelled fan overreactions; a third demanded intellectual titles for adult gamers. But what will be remembered was Jonathan Mak’s “rant.” The 25-year-old Torontonian — and CEO of one-man company Queasy Games — simply handed out balloons covered in slogans like “1point” and “I am a misunderstood robot." Instead of nodding in agreement or shaking heads in communal disgust, the crowd just started playing. With no instruction, little money and staggeringly simplistic gameplay, Mak had created instant joy.

The unspoken lesson was equally simple — you don’t need a big budget triple-A title to give gamers the fun they crave. He should know; after all Mak’s trigger-happy music game Everyday Shooter, a homemade interactive rock album where each shot essentially adds a song element, has become a hit download for Sony’s PS3 and one of the flagships of the indie gaming scene, a DIY movement that has unexpectedly exploded with the arrival of the now-gen consoles.

Source: http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/csid1=120&csid2=807&fid1=30380

LA's Vision For Indie Titles

Interesting news in the gaming world this week. The Hollywood Reporter's Paul Hyman notes that video game power house publisher 3D Realms Entertainment has announced the inception of two subsidiary companies called Radar Group and Depth Entertainment, both focusing on publishing titles that will ultimately become specs for TV and film. CEO Scott Miller uses the concept of the "storyverse" as a logical reason to homogenize the two markets based on the success of other franchises such as Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.

Miller describes his vision for the companies by explaining that "It will all start at Radar with what I call the 'storyverse' -- or story universe -- which is a big bubble of story, character, and game play ideas...from that central hub, one spoke will go to game development, another will go to movie or TV production, and so forth."

The plan ultimately comes down to a vision for independent titles. Miller notes that "the plan is to find existing independent game developers that haven't had their big break yet and, utilizing the storyverse, work with them to create original IP in which they have some measure of ownership." Creating the two sister companies would provide the financial backup for the ideas to be taken further, resulting in a successful independent franchise.

Full Article: http://laist.com/2008/04/03/new_labased_gam.php

Team Fuchikoma win compo

Team Fuchikoma bagged the win at the awards night of the first Pinoy Indie Games Competition held recently at Temple Bar in Greenbelt 2 with their game Teddy’s Happy FuN TiEm Wonderland garnering the top scores.

“It was a solid game,” said Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP) president Gabby Dizon. “When I tried it out, I had a feeling this was going to be one of the top contenders.”

The gameplay of Teddy’s Happy FuN TiEm Wonderland consists of a giant zombie-like monster teddy bear rampaging through the city collecting power-ups while crazy hang-gliding ninjas try and stop him. Members Joseph Cunanan, Carlos Nazareno and John Tiangco took home their Intel Core 2 Quad machines as their prizes. They beat out 13 other competitors from various colleges for the win.

Full Article: http://blogs.inquirer.net/hackenslash/2008/03/13/fuchikoma-bags-win/