Games are mine

Hi friends!

I've been on a documentary kick lately thanks to Netflix, and I wanted to talk about a film that I watched recently - Indie Game: The Movie. This Canadian documentary chronicles three different indie games through past, present and future development. So, some of you might be thinking - what is an indie game anyway?

According to Kill Screen Editor Chris Dahlen:

"Independent games are any game that a small team or an individual creator worked on to their own vision, something that they just felt like making and coding and finishing."

 Directed by James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot

Well... that's pretty simple. One huge difference between indie games and major releases, such as Call of Duty or Mass Effect, is that blockbuster titles are made with the intention that they will make tons of money and get millions of people playing. I'm certainly not saying that this is all these games are good for, but indie games are often just the direct result of one person's big idea.

The documentary provides fantastic insight into this industry for those who may be unfamiliar with it. I got a small taste of this during my college internship at Trendy Entertainment, the independent studio that created Dungeon Defenders. During my time at Trendy, I learned about press relations, digital distribution (Steam, Xbox Live, PSN) and how a team works together from all different fronts - design, programming, communications - to produce a game.

Yet, I don't think I ever really had the chance to learn the personal stories of the creative minds behind the studio. That might be my biggest regret coming out of my internship, because this documentary really opened my eyes to just how much indie developers rely on personal expression and fulfilling a vision. The people behind each game is what made the film so interesting.

It was clear from the film that all of the featured developers and designers are individuals who grew up with games, just like you and me. According to Kill Screen Founder Jamin Warren:

 "The generation that indie game developers are coming from, and I'm part of this generation also, we're the first generation that grew up with video games but not as an active purchasing choice. For anyone that grew up basically after 1975, 1980 or so we were the first generation to grow up with our parents giving us games and for us to grow up with games as a natural and relevant part of our everyday existence."

I really clicked with Warren when he referred to games as a "natural and relevant part of our everyday existence." I could not agree with him more. I find it so funny when I encounter people that are so perplexed by my gaming hobby. To me, it's all I know. Ever since my father set me up with a Playstation and Final Fantasy VII, I've been playing games. As Revision3 Host Anthony Carboni says:

"Since I was a part of that generation that grew up with it, I feel an ownership of it. Games are mine, so this is not a weird kid activity for me, this is not like some strange, nerdy past time - this has been a part of my life."

The concept of time is central to Braid

Since I found myself connecting with the developers on this level, it was easy to celebrate their triumphs and agonize over their tribulations. First, let's talk about Jonathan Blow, the creator of Braid. The puzzle/platformer received immense praise and went on to be the highest critically-rated title on Xbox Live. Despite his success, Blow found that many people didn't really understand his vision. He believed that he wasn't able to create a true connection with his audience. As an artist, this must be incredibly frustrating. I wonder if he was too insular in expressing himself, and that's where he faltered. While Blow felt that he was very vulnerable in making the game, others got the impression that he was too pretentious. Probably not what he was going for.

Next up, we have Team Meat. I gotta say, these guys were just so damn likeable. In the film, we follow Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes as their platformer, Super Meat Boy, is on the verge of release. There was something about these two that just made me happy to be a gamer. They reminded me that games are meant to communicate a larger message, and we are meant to feel something for them. It was also nice to see that both designers had supporitve family members, which can be pretty refreshing in an industry that isn't always easily understood.

"My whole career has been me trying to find new ways to communicate with people, because I desperately want to communicate with people, but I don't want the messy interaction of having to make friends and talk to people, because I probably don't like them."

top: Edmund | bottom: Tommy

"It's why a writer writes I guess, it's because they can, it's the most effective way they can express themselves. A video game is the most effective way I can express myself."

Fez features gorgeous artwork and level design

Lastly, I turn to the most divisive man in the film - Phil Fish. We meet Fish as he is struggling through development hell for his first title, Fez. In 2008, Fish announced the game and turned into an indie rockstar. However, as the game took longer and longer to release, gamers got angry. Fish is personally attacked online by this "army of assholes" and vents quite a bit about it on screen. Honestly though, you've got to give the guy a break. As he says himself, major games with 1000 different collaborators took just as long as Fez. His team only has two!

I also found Fish to be incredibly relateable. In the process of making the game, his life went to shit. He suffered the loss of a loved one and his funding, was left by his girlfriend, and had a falling out with his business partner. I think it shows that the individuals who make the games we love are real human beings that deal with just as many problems as we do. While you do not get to see the release of Fez in the film, I can tell you now that it was a major success. Fish mentions in the film that Fez "...[became his] identity" and although the man is still bombarded with plenty of criticism, this "identity" has received nothing but praise.

Fish playing Cyber Vision

Looking at the group as a whole, the developers in Indie Game: The Movie had a lot in common. Each title seemed to honor or pay tribute to games of the past in some form. In a way, I think it goes back to the concept of games as ownership. When you grow up with games, you want to protect them and ensure that the industry thrives. The film helped me realize that this is why I want to work in the industry. In fact, Fish hits the nail on the head in this quote:

"I don't know, to me games are like the ultimate art form, it's just the ultimate media. I mean, it's the sum total of every expressive medium of all times, made interactive. Like, how is that not... it's awesome! I want to be part of it. I want to have a say of what becomes of video games."

If you haven't checked out the movie yet, you can catch it on Netflix. It is a great documentary that isn't just about games - it's about people. You don't even have to be a gamer to enjoy it, although you may not understand all of the references. Either way, it's a refreshing look at a new generation of artists.

Until next time :)
-The Girl Informer