The idea of the average joe going gung hoe and simply making a creative piece without much in the way of official support from major entities is one which has long been a part of most entertainment scenes. Profitable underground scenes exist for the movie and music industries which have their own devoted followings willing to expose various underdogs to the world. It’s only been in recent years that video games have had something similarly viable in the form of indie games. Essentially able to buck the potentially arduous process of becoming a licensed developer and finding a decent publisher, indie games have the ability to reach their audience in a more direct manner, albeit on a smaller scaller. What then matters more is what platform the development team chooses to create its games on, for the most popular ones in recent years each have their own inherent strengths and weaknesses. These in turn not only affect the creative process, but also how the game can be released. For simplicity’ s and conciseness’ sake, each system will be analyzed in a bullet-point format outlining the pros and cons.
Dreamcast
Pros
-Extremely easy to load unlicensed software on most systems, thanks to the inner workings of the system’s disc drive
-Multiple possible development environments, including a modified version of Windows CE to make the system work like a quasi-PC
-For arcade ports based on NAOMI hardware (ie: recent Guilty Gear games), the hardware is almost the same except for a few minor differences
-Solid fan base for console, as well as prominent online coverage of modern developments
-It’s still possible to publish and sell games for it to the public without interference from Sega
Cons
-Underpowered hardware compared to its other console brethren from the same period
-No easy way to use official Dreamcast discs (GD-ROMs); finding blank discs is a relatively easy task, but finding a disc writer is a costly proposition
-Hence, reliance is entirely on CD-ROMs, which have approximately 300 megabytes less space
-Previously-mentioned alternative Windows CE environment isn’t exactly the most intuitive thing in the world
PlayStation 2
Pros
-Incredibly large fan base
-System is easy to mod in a number of ways to load unauthorized software
-Using Linux to run the game is theoretically possible
-Accepts regular burned DVD-Rs
-Emulation is a decent testing option for those with powerful computers
-Can use CDs or DVDs as the game-carrying medium
Cons
-Notoriously difficult development environment
-No legal ways to develop games, as using the SDK without a license is illegal
-Hardware isn’t as powerful as GameCube’s and Xbox’s
-Emulation support is either good, spotty, or not present on the PS3, depending on which model is used for testing
-Have fun with the vast piracy scene if the game goes commercial somehow
-Linux on the PS2 is incredibly obscure and getting the right equipment for it is quite an endeavor
Xbox
Pros
-Easily modifiable hardware, especially the hard drive
-Powerful specifications
-Legal development kit alternatives are available online
-Can accept CDs or DVDs
-Hard drive can be used for file caches
-Large underground following
-Linux (or even Mac) can be installed and used, should developing for the Xbox variations of those sound appealing
-Games can be run directly from the hard drive
Cons
-Might as well be developing for a circa Windows 2000 PC
-Xbox is used more often for applications (ie: emulators, music players, etc.) rather than outright games
-Hardware is more finnicky about accepting burned DVDs due to the different available drives
-Almost certainly no way to make it backwards compatible on the Xbox360 due to the system’s emulation method (software)
-Emulation on a computer is virtually non-existent
GameCube
Pros
-Relatively easy development environment
-Powerful hardware if harnessed properly on all fronts
-Designed for low load times
-Linux, yet again, is possible
-Wii is backwards compatible, thanks to including the same hardware specifications (assuming a firmware update doesn’t change what can load in the future)
Cons
-Hardest system to get unauthorized software loaded
-Only viable way to run full-scale games is to do a major disc drive mod
-Hence, system cannot run conventional mini-DVDs out of the box
-Incredibly tiny development scene compared to the others
-Emulation is still in relatively early stages
-It’s much easier to want legitimate development hardware than to actually find some
Xbox360
Pros
-XBLA development environment is universal (code can be run on a PC and 360) and easily acquirable
-Very low entry fee to be “authorized” by Microsoft
-Good-sized user base a few years into the generation
-Community is rather supportive of indie games on the platform
Cons
-Arcade games have a 150-megabyte limit
-No legal way to make larger-scale games
-No current method to run unauthorized code
-Again, good luck finding legitimate development kit hardware
PlayStation 3
Pros
-Linux is actually more or less legitimate, as Yellow Dog Linux appears to be full-fledged.
-Plenty of horsepower to work with, especially regarding the Cell processor
-Sony actually keeps an eye on the scene to see what would work best with its system
-No known download size limitations
Cons
-Development on the system is notoriously hard
-Reception to indie games on the system has been mixed
-Sony appears to be more selective about which games are officially made for download
-Hacking the system, while present, still needs to make more progress
-Who uses Yellow Dog Linux?
-Not surprisingly, finding a legal way to develop games without Sony’s endorsement is currently oxymoronic
-Optimizing graphics to prevent frame rate drops is easier said than done
Wii
Pros
-Opera browser in tandem with third-party stuff can be used to make Flash games compatible
-A good chunk of the hardware is the same as the GameCube’s with just some upgrades here and there on top of the motion-sensing capabilities
Cons
-Hacking the system has just barely become possible and still needs time for refinement
-Although it can take burned DVDs, encrypting homebrew games into Wii format is probably much easier said than done
-The facilities for Nintendo-sanctioned indie games is, as of this writing, not currently up and running
-Not every game can involve hitting the other players with the wiimote and nunchuck attachment
-Firmware updates could mean keeping unauthorized games playable on updated Wiis will be an uphill battle
DS
Pros
-A number of ways to go about getting indie games to run on the system
-Besides the touch screen, hardware such as the graphics cards can be used creatively (ie: boost the graphical power of one screen)
-Huge user base
-A decent amount of coverage for unofficial games on the Internet
-Tools exist to help make such endeavors legal
Cons
-Indie games have to be run off of SD cards or something similar, instead of being put onto a legitimate DS card
-Space limitations could arise due to above issue
PlayStation Portable
Pros
-Best portable system for rendering polygons
-Thriving hacking scene
-PSP Slim models come with more RAM
Cons
-Sony isn’t nearly as supportive of its PSP as it is with the PS3 in regards to indie games
-Firmware updates have the potential to render work null and void at least temporarily on updated systems
-Getting unauthorized code to run on it (read: modding the system) can be a bit more complex than on the DS
-A lot of sanity could be lost due to loading times if it’s a full-fledged game, especially on non-Slim models
-Creating decent controls may be a headache-inducing task
PC
-No need to worry about Microsoft, Apple, etc. making the game null and void via an update
-Constant access to the latest hardware, meaning fewer possible constraints
-Plenty of programming languages, modelling tools, engines, rendering standards, etc. to choose from
-Much more common to be able to have large-scale beta tests
-Storage space is not an issue anymore
-Many more experts on the Internet for working with PCs than there are for consoles and handhelds
Cons
-Not every user has the same hardware and that absolutely needs to be taken into consideration during development, lest the game is completely broken for some people
-Getting attention without using the popular outlets could limit awareness
-Nothing is really constant/stays the same, especially in terms of hardware and OS updates
The world of indie games may not be especially profitable, but it is vast. The ideals behind it are far less prohibiting than the standard developer/publisher model, enabling incredibly abstracts games to still get their fair shake. Additionally, events such as the Independent Games Festival get a decent amount of press and last year’s E3 had added a similar section to their convention. Just a few years ago, the indie scene wasn’t nearly as prominent as it is today. But because of things such as Xbox Live Arcade and the rise of the Internet, a lot more attention is now present. Regardless of which platform is used and what challenges must be overcome, the idea of being able to turn the imaginary into reality is the very core of the indie scene. Plus, just about any gamer can apply. All that’s needed is a little bit of commitment, a willingness to stand up for imaginary ideas, and a hunger to make things the best which they can be.
