Spread the world - Idea of AAA indie game

gage_cz

<div class="IPBDescription">open letter to NS2 developers</div>Hi. I´m writing you from my country in the middle of Europe called Czech Republic. So, excuse my language, please.

I follow NS2 development for some time and I like the way you are doing the game with financial and symbolical support of your fans very much. I wrote some information about NS2 and your work on my blog to spread the idea of NS2 here in <b>Czech Republic</b>. Right now, new professional page <a href="http://fakeeverest.cz/" target="_blank">Fakeeverest</a> pointed on game industry is rising here in Czech Republic and I will be writing there about the NS2 a lot.

But what the point of my email is? Recently I discovered the game <b>Interstellar Marines</b> and I was pleased, that another game is forming up only with support of fans. They call it <u><b><!--coloro:#FF8C00--><span style="color:#FF8C00"><!--/coloro-->AAA Indie<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--></b></u> and I thought it is a brilliant idea. According to the statement written on <a href="http://www.interstellarmarines.com/indie/" target="_blank">their page</a> "<i><u>It breaks down barriers of entry, opening the games industry up to a new and independent generation of game developers</u></i>". I think it would be great to make some kind of contact or cooperation with Zero Point Software (developer of Interstellar Marines - located in Denmark).
NS2 "cooperation" with Wolfire Games was successful according to your words and another promotional events or just a statement of sharing same ideas would be contributing to both games. I think, that gamers (game community) love game developers, but not so much publishers.

I would be glad, if you could find a bit of time to answer me.

Have a nice time spending on making of NS2.

Your sincerely, Jan Lajer
Czech Republic

Renegade.

NS2 isn't a AAA Indie game, to meet those qualifications you need triple-A technology with triple-A staff and - most importantly - triple-A funding (Interstellar marines has a lot of funding behind it). The Spark engine itself is not-too-shabby for DX9, but it's by no means triple-A and staff and funding for NS2 are still very much Indie with spare dollars on the same order as spare time and spare developers.

gage_cz

R_e_n_e_g_a_d_e:

Hi. I´m not sure, but I think that AAA Indie mark is idea of the Zero Point Software (Interstellar Marines) and it means (according the statement on their page) "Well the short version is that AAA is the highest stamp of quality and Indie is independant".
So I think that Natural Selection 2 will be good (AAA) game and If I consider the only way of funding (preorders), small number of staff, it is kind of independant.

I am not sure about whole funding of Interstellar Marines, but they gets the money just from preorders like NS2 does. So I thought it is kind of nice approach from both sides (support from fans, work from developers; for me it is similar Natural Selection 2 and Interstellar Marines)

The main thing is, that they are doing it for us, for fans, with our support.

quote from IM page, AAA Indie :

So why should you care about AAA Indie?

1. Gamers get a say in what games get to the market
2. Gamers can get behind the scenes of the development of games they fancy. No more closed doors development
3. Games can be priced and distributed much more liberally
4. It adds to the diversity of games available
5. It breaks down barriers of entry, opening the games industry up to a new and independant generation of game developers

What is AAA Indie?

1. AAA Indie is AAA games done independently from publishers
2. AAA Indie is the gamer and the developer, no one else
3. AAA Indie is development with open doors, so gamers can track games in development
4. AAA Indie lets the gamers 'vote' for the games they want to play - simply by expressing their interest
5. AAA Indie is open for anyone with a dream a the will to deliver on that dream

MaestroMaus

<!--quoteo(post=1748888:date=Jan 24 2010, 01:51 PM:name=R_e_n_e_g_a_d_e)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (R_e_n_e_g_a_d_e @ Jan 24 2010, 01:51 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1748888"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->NS2 isn't a AAA Indie game, to meet those qualifications you need triple-A technology with triple-A staff and - most importantly - triple-A funding (Interstellar marines has a lot of funding behind it). The Spark engine itself is not-too-shabby for DX9, but it's by no means triple-A and staff and funding for NS2 are still very much Indie with spare dollars on the same order as spare time and spare developers.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I disagree. The latest visuals and the biggest budget are not neccesary in order to make a triple-A game. I do think some good staff is necessary though. And I can't know how good the staff over at UW is (neither can you). All I know is that I like their decisions and work they have done so far.

Popenator

'triple A title'

noun; A game released prior to completion, developed by people under the pressure of a corporation, and lacking of any replay value. Most of the money behind these games is spent towards marketing.