Lemma Soft Forums

I keep forgetting to post this, but this is actually the question I wanted to ask creators/developers specifically, which I referred to in my other post in the general discussions forum, here: http://lemmasoft.renai.us/forums/viewto ... 13&t=23459

Basically, the question is simple: As someone who creates visual novels, do you think of yourself as an indie game developer? Or something else? (Please explain.)

That's it. I explained more in my other thread, but it's all related to what I'm doing in grad school...so that's why I'm asking, if you're wondering.

I definitely think of myself as an indie developer. My role includes many of the things indie developers do, like programming, design, art, etc, in addition to writing. I hang out with indie game developers and players to promote my visual novel. I think of visual novel makers as indie developers rather than simply a 'writer' (since the role of writer would be only to write a story). You can't expect most writers to be able to handle making a professional quality visual novel.

Heck, I would probably still think of myself as an indie developer if I only wrote/produced digital comics or kinetic novels (e.g. "non-games").

I'm going to treat myself as a visual novel writer and an indie developer. I will be using my Chinese name as a visual novel writer and English name as an indie developer.

I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a reference to something, but the dissonance in grammar between your thread title and post is hilarious.

I'm just some guy who has been working on a VN in his free time.

I think it would be a bit odd to add that label to myself, because it's certainly not a defining part of my character or lifestyle. If I wasn't working on a VN I'd probably just watch more youtube videos.

I have used this kind of title before those to refer to other people as a group, rather than applying it to any one person.

I am with @TrickWithAKnife.

I'm just some guy who haws been working on a VN in his free time.
I think after a complete a VN or two and have a website and some sort of presence might I think of myself as a developer.

But when I do think of myself as a developer, I won't use the label "indie." I'd probably call myself an "independent developer" but not an "indie developer."
In all the media genres that have started using the term "indie" as opposed to "independent" (indie music, indie RPG companies--table top--, indie sports), it always comes off hipster and elitist in ways I don't particularly like.

So...when I get that far, "independent developer" but not "indie developer."

I find the question baffling, as a career indie who has made games that aren't VNs. I also consider myself to be a mammal.

"Indie" game development is about freedom, so if I want to make games that involves lots of words, choices and static pictures then I'm free to do so.
besides, once upon a time computers were unable to draw those super realistic 3d models, well not even 32-bit pictures! once upon a time there
This!:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_House
and even this!!:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zork

and they were considered video games!

And... in this article here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_video_games
under "Genre innovation" you can see "Visual novels"

and in here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactive_fiction
under other it says:

Visual novels are interactive fiction featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art. As the name might suggest, they resemble mixed-media novels or tableau vivant stage plays. Visual novels are especially prevalent in Japan, where they make up nearly 70% of PC games released.[5] They are rarely produced for video game consoles, but the more popular games are sometimes ported to video game systems such as the PlayStation 2. The market for visual novels outside of East Asia, however, is limited.

So do I consider them games, yes, will I consider my self an Indie game developer making Visual Novels when developing them becomes my work, also yes, are others free to say the're not games?, well, I probably won't call an artillery strike on their home for saying that , so yeah, they're free to do so.

I make games. I'm not rich. Does that make me an indie? Does it matter?

Tsundere Lightning wrote:I make games. I'm not rich. Does that make me an indie? Does it matter?

"Indie" is not about being rich or not, it's about developing games without having to answer to a publisher.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independe ... evelopment
Minecraft made more than a $100 million dollars but is still an indie game.

Delta m.m wrote:

Tsundere Lightning wrote:I make games. I'm not rich. Does that make me an indie? Does it matter?

"Indie" is not about being rich or not, it's about developing games without having to answer to a publisher.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independe ... evelopment
Minecraft made more than a $100 million dollars but is still an indie game.

That is a somewhat contested definition. By that definition, Valve is an indie developer because they don't answer to a publisher...but they don't have much in common with the commonly accepted notion of an "indie"

But really in the end what does this matter? I figure it is more about self-definition, and I don't particularly care how others self-define.

trooper6 wrote:

Delta m.m wrote:

Tsundere Lightning wrote:I make games. I'm not rich. Does that make me an indie? Does it matter?

"Indie" is not about being rich or not, it's about developing games without having to answer to a publisher.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independe ... evelopment
Minecraft made more than a $100 million dollars but is still an indie game.

That is a somewhat contested definition. By that definition, Valve is an indie developer because they don't answer to a publisher...but they don't have much in common with the commonly accepted notion of an "indie"

But really in the end what does this matter? I figure it is more about self-definition, and I don't particularly care how others self-define.

um... there are actually people who consider valve an indie developer, and it's used some times like:
http://www.gamefront.com/valve-still-st ... ie-studio/
and:
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/game ... 2uypk.html

but valve is not just a developer anymore, with steam and now steam machines etc. it's becoming something else.
maybe the "commonly accepted notion of an indie" includes "small", but indie it self is from independence, and that is independence from a publisher.

trooper6 wrote:But really in the end what does this matter?

it's kinda similar to the question of whether VNs are games or not, it's a different world, if they're games you submit them in games websites, advertise them to the gamer audience etc., if they are just novels, then you should submit them to literature sites and advertise them to reader audience, so being indie means you can crowd fund it at indiegogo means you can submit it to indie data base etc., so it matters, but more on the marketing side.

anyway, I think the OP's question is meant to discuss the "game developer" part not the "indie" part.

Delta m.m wrote: anyway, I think the OP's question is meant to discuss the "game developer" part not the "indie" part.

Really? oh. Huh.

Well, in that case, since VNs are games, then yes I would think of myself as a game developer for making them. Of course I wouldn't consider myself one yet, because I feel like I'd need 1-2 Games under my belt before I'd feel comfortable with the title.

I think I'd probably go with amateur game developer....but certainly game developer.

I consider myself more of an unbound media make-happener.

ImmaDeker wrote:I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a reference to something, but the dissonance in grammar between your thread title and post is hilarious.

It was because of character limitations ^_^;;