Digital Distribution: Changing the world of games
In recent years the popularity of indie games has risen dramatically. A showcase example is Minecraft; a creative game released in 2009, selling a total of 3.6 million copies to date. Initially starting as a simple building game, it has now earned its creator Markus Persson over $720 million. The key to the success of indie games can be directly attributed to the internet, in particular digital distribution. Digital distribution provides the tool for companies or individuals to sell their product with minimal cost, drastically lowering the cost of making a video game.
Indie games have existed since the beginning of the video games industry, where independent developers created the first games. These game developers founded some of the video game production companies of today, such as Activision. These studios became the norm, as independent developers joined these larger companies. The cost of producing a game on one’s own was simply too much, due to the limitations of physical distribution, with no guarantee that it would make money.
This all changed with the onset of the internet. Now game developers didn’t have to sell millions of copies to break even, there became no need for physical distribution or advertising. All a developer had to do was purchase a web site or upload a game to a server, and people would inevitably find it. This lead to a focus on quality or ingenuity, where a game’s mechanics and uniqueness would become its primary selling points. Then, in 2002 indie games were revolutionised by Valve’s release of Steam, a digital distribution network.
Becoming prevalent in 2005 with the release of Half Life 2, Steam is now one of the leading online distributers of video games, offering over 1000 games. Steam allows users to purchase and download games without having to leave their home, and it allows indie producers to sell their products without having to manufacture and distribute physical copies. This means it is easier for individuals to create games and supply them to a mass market, encouraging the production of indie games. But Steam was only the beginning, with many more games distribution websites operating, with companies such as Microsoft providing online purchasing of games through Xbox Live — further increasing the market beyond that of PC’s. This prevalence of online distribution is key to the success of indie games, such as Minecraft, which would not have been possible using physical distribution.
Minecraft initially started as a simple block construction game, and quickly developed into much more. Markus Persson created the game to test his skills after working as a programmer for Jalbum, and after the success of the free version, he decided to sell an upgraded version. The goal of selling the game was to allow Markus to devote more of his time to improving it. He ended up earning so much that he founded a company, Mojang AB, around Minecraft so it could be continually improved. The key to its success is the internet. Markus first released Minecraft on forums to showcase his work, word of mouth spread and more people wanted to play. To this day Mojang AB has not spent any money on advertising. The success of Minecraft can be largely attributed forums and blogs, where people discuss the game and share stories about their experiences with it. Minecraft is an example of how indie games become successful; the game forms around an interesting idea or mechanic, and via word of mouth, gains popularity.
The best thing about indie games is their focus on originality. While major video game production companies prefer to produce games, often sequels or remakes, that are a guaranteed success to cover costs, indie game producers have minimal costs, and so can take risks. Minecraft, for example, is a simple creative game, something that would not normally be profitable. Because of this, it is something a bigger company wouldn’t have run the risk of producing. In saying this, many indie games do remain under the radar and never become popular. They do, however, showcase the skills of the producer, who in many cases will be hired by a larger company (such as Portal). This is the primary benefit of indie games; they provide the industry with new ideas, which in other circumstances would never have been considered.
Digital distribution has revolutionised the video game industry. It is now possible for games to become successful simply by being original, and not based on known successes repeated. Bypassing the costs of distribution has allowed video games producers to focus on the mechanics and story, without the pressure of having to cover massive costs. This can also contribute to the success of these games as the trial of new ideas refreshes a stagnated industry.
Photo Courtesy of Pixel Resort.
