What makes an indie game indie?

[Slayrix]

Indie means independent but I don't think that really fits for the meaning of indie when it comes to games, indies games can be published by someone and that instantly makes it not independent anymore, but many indie games are published by publishing companies such as Devolver Digital, Team17, Humble Games, and others as well. So what does make an indie game indie if it isn't just it being independently made?

[Heitor Villa-Lobos]

Originally posted by SMIFFY:

Indie games are from developers not owned by a publisher.

AAA is mainly to do with the marketing budget. If you see a game advertised everywhere, it's AAA, if you don't it isn't.

The first part makes sense.

Now, why do AAA and independent have to mean contrasting things? Maybe it was one rich woman programmer+artist over 10 years, or may a crowsourced project of 40 people.

So I don't think resources and graphics have much to do with it being indie, while people do associate AAA with major companies behind and 2D experimental games as independent.

[Abaddon the Despoiler]

Indie games come from India.

[Q-T_3.14.exe]

Originally posted by Abaddon the Despoiler:

Indie games come from India.

Or Indiana.

[Devsman]

If you ask someone who works for one of the big companies "AAA" is a quality term. Meaning it gets a grade of A in every category.

[Phénomènes Mystiques]

Low-budget, small studio, and/or limited knowledge.

[ʙᴜɴ.ᴇ]

Games made by Indiana Jones.

[Slayrix]

Originally posted by Devsman's Comet:

It means there's no publisher.

Which is a definition that kind of hits a snag with self-published games like you mentioned. But there's also the common sense aspect of it that says if it's made by Ubisoft it doesn't count.

It doesn't though, because clearly on steam you can go into its indie catagory and find countless titles in there with publishers that are not the devs, so this is not a determining factor.

[Devsman]

Originally posted by Slayrix:

Originally posted by Devsman's Comet:

It means there's no publisher.

Which is a definition that kind of hits a snag with self-published games like you mentioned. But there's also the common sense aspect of it that says if it's made by Ubisoft it doesn't count.

It doesn't though, because clearly on steam you can go into its indie catagory and find countless titles in there with publishers that are not the devs, so this is not a determining factor.

Or maybe Steam has a bunch of games tagged wrong.

It's the definition of the term, whether Steam uses it correctly or not.

Here's the definition per wikipedia:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indie_game

Here it is per dictionary.com:
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/indie

And here it is per Merriam-Webster:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indie

[Z i o ⚡]

Originally posted by Slayrix:

Originally posted by Z i o ⚡:

I think it means it's developed by an independent developer without needing a publisher.

But go into steams indie category, it's full of games that have publishers...

It always lists a publisher but sometimes it's the same as the developer.

[Slayrix]

Originally posted by Z i o ⚡:

Originally posted by Slayrix:

But go into steams indie category, it's full of games that have publishers...

It always lists a publisher but sometimes it's the same as the developer.

Well yeah, but if the publisher isn't the same as the developer than that means it was published by a publishing company, and there are a ton of those on the indie category

[Z i o ⚡]

Originally posted by Slayrix:

Originally posted by Z i o ⚡:

It always lists a publisher but sometimes it's the same as the developer.

Well yeah, but if the publisher isn't the same as the developer than that means it was published by a publishing company, and there are a ton of those on the indie category

I'm not sure about those. Maybe they aren't true indie games.

Developers like this are real indie: https://store.steampowered.com/developer/icepicklodge

[Slayrix]

Originally posted by Z i o ⚡:

Originally posted by Slayrix:

Well yeah, but if the publisher isn't the same as the developer than that means it was published by a publishing company, and there are a ton of those on the indie category

I'm not sure about those. Maybe they aren't true indie games.

Developers like this are real indie: https://store.steampowered.com/developer/icepicklodge

What do companies such as Devolver Digital release then? Cause most those games seem pretty indie to me but Devolver Digital is a publisher...

[Faster With Feeling]

How is cuphead an indie game when it's got money by MS?

[Slayrix]

Originally posted by I believe in God:

How is cuphead an indie game when it's got money by MS?

How is cuphead not an indie game???

[Faster With Feeling]

Originally posted by Slayrix:

Originally posted by I believe in God:

How is cuphead an indie game when it's got money by MS?

How is cuphead not an indie game???

Because Microsoft was involved so how is that indie?