The Evolution of the Term «Indie Game»: From Class to Genre
Abstract
This work is devoted to the analysis of stages of formation and transformation of term «indie game». The aim of the work is an attempt to systematize the term «indie game» in the context of historical changes in its perception in the industrial field. Based on the analysis of information from open sources, periodization of the development of the indie segment and its characteristics at different stages is presented. Results of the study showed that at different stages of the development of gaming industry, the term «indie game» had different meanings. At the time of the industry's inception, all games were independent, as they were created by small groups of people as an experiment. The concept of «indie» arose around the mid-1990s during the console wars between Sony and Microsoft, as these and similar giant companies began to put production of video games on mass production in pursuit of increased sales, while attaching less importance to meanings. At the same time, concepts such as «AAA-level projects» and «indie projects» began to appear in the media field, which made «indie» synonymous with independent development and opposed it to the mainstream. The noughties were the heyday of indie games, when such landmark projects as Braid (2008) and Gish (2005) came out, which defined the main external characteristics of indie games. After 2010, major studios started using this term, calling their projects «indie» because of their visual style. This is how the concept of «indie-like» games arose, which had the characteristic features of the indie segment, but were not inherently independent. Later, the concept of «indie» became even more multifaceted, such categories as true indie, «indie-AAA», «indie bubble», etc. appeared. Thus, indie games today are not just synonymous with independent development. They include many different directions related to the historical development of this segment.
Downloads
References
Бахтин, Г. В. (2023). Особенности развития индустрии видеоигр: от истоков к современности. В И. Г. Дудко, Н. В. Дородонова, Е. А. Казьмина, С. В. Нарутто, И. А. Пибаев (ред.), Приоритеты Конституционного развития России и стран содружества независимых государств: сборник научных трудов, к 30-летию Конституции Российской Федерации (сс. 291–297). Саратовский источник. EDN: VQEPZL
Ветушинский, А. С. (2018). Краткая история игровой индустрии. В Е. В. Галанина (ред.), Видеоигры: введение в исследования (сс. 32–74). Издательский Дом Томского государственного университета. EDN: ELXBUX
Ветушинский, А. С. (2021). Игродром. Что нужно знать о видеоиграх и видеоигровой культуре. Эксмо. EDN: JCDXJL
Донован, Т. (2014). Играй! История видеоигр (И. Е. Воронин, пер.). Белое яблоко.
Каманкина, М. В. (2018). Инди-игры: творчество студии Tale of Tales. Художественная культура, 3, 184–231. EDN: YLXOCD
Лыгин, И. А., и Ткаченко, А. Л. (2022). Основные достоинства и недостатки разработки инди-игр. Дневник науки, (6). EDN: CRWOVQ
Островская, А. С. (2018). Взаимосвязь трудностей перевода и ключевых характеристик инди-игр как уникального жанра компьютерных игр. В А. Н. Владимирова, М. В. Ершов, А. М. Оганьян, А. С. Рыбакова, Н. Ю. Степанова (ред.), Язык: категории, функции, речевое действие. Материалы XI юбилейной международной научной конференции (сс. 119–123). Московский педагогический государственный университет. EDN: YZWTMT
Харламова, К. А., и Киргизов, Ю. В. (2017). Инди-игры как экономико-культурное явление. В А. Н. Кислицына, Н. И. Дворко, М. Р. Кузнецова (ред.), Графический дизайн: традиции и инновации. Материалы международной научно-практической конференции (сс. 148–151). Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет промышленных технологий и дизайна. EDN: ZBWDHB
Шрейер, Д. (2024). Кровь, пот и пиксели. Обратная сторона индустрии видеоигр (2-е изд.) (А. Д. Голубева, пер.). Бомбора.
Юмашев, К. А. (2022). Анализ рынка видеоигр: исследование жанровых предпочтений потребителей. Вестник Удмуртского университета. Серия «Экономика и право», 32(6), 1048–1055. EDN: TKATZW
Adams, E. (2013). Fundamentals of Game Design (3rd ed.). New Riders.
Garda, M. B., & Grabarczyk, P. (2016). Is every game Independent? Towards the Concept of Independent Game. Game Studies, (16)1.
https://gamestudies.org/1601/articles/gardagrabarczyk
Juul, J. (2014). High-tech Low-tech Authenticity: The Creation of Independent Style at the Independent Games Festival. International Conference on Foundations of Digital Games. Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games (expanded paper). Society for the Advancement of the Science of Digital Games. http://www.jesperjuul.net/text/independentstyle/
Kemppainen, J. (2008). Independent Games. What they are and are they different [MA thesis, Jyväskylä University]. Jux. Jui. https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/18922
Lipkin, N. (2013). Examining Indie’s Independence: The Meaning of «Indie» Games, The Politics of Production, and Mainstream Cooptation. Loading…, 7, 8–24. https://journals.sfu.ca/loading/index.php/loading/article/view/122
Lipkin, N. (2019). The Indiepocalypse: The Political-Economy of Independent Game Development Labor in Contemporary Indie Markets. Game Studies, 19(2). https://gamestudies.org/1902/articles/lipkin
Malek, D. R. (2021). Defining Indie Game as Process: Aesthetic, Production and Community [Thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Canterbury Christ Church University]. Repository Canterbury.
Perez, O. (2016). Indie or Mainstream? Tensions and Nuances between the Alternative and the Mainstream in Indie Games. Anàlisi, 54, 15–30.
https://doi.org/10.7238/a.v0i54.2818
Salen, K. & Zimmerman, E. (2004). Rules of Play. Game design fundamentals. MIT Press.
Simon, B. (2013). Indie, eh? Some kind of Game Studies. Loading…, 7, 1–7. https://journals.sfu.ca/loading/index.php/loading/article/view/129
Westecott, E. (2013). Independent Game Development as Craft. Loading…, 7, 78–91. https://journals.sfu.ca/loading/index.php/loading/article/view/124
