Well, not a totally new kid on the block, but Electronic Arts announced they are forming a new business unit called EA Partners (formerly EA Distribution) that aims for close cooperation with independent developers:
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=2051

Now there is finally an alternative to those who didn't get published by Dexterity .. :)

Originally posted by Kai-Peter
Well, not a totally new kid on the block, but Electronic Arts announced they are forming a new business unit called EA Partners (formerly EA Distribution) that aims for close cooperation with independent developers:
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=2051

Now there is finally an alternative to those who didn't get published by Dexterity .. :)

Mostly the games they will publish are not the casual games like: puzzle games, casino games, 2D sidescrollers, arcade games, card games etc. I think you need to think about rts/strategy, adventures, rpg, FPS, 3D Platform for instance. And possible they are interested in the used technology. But there are indeed indie developers who develop that kind of games, so a new publishing opportunity is born :) Go for the publishing deal where you still can operate as shareware marketeer ;)

An independent developer is one not owned or predominantly funded by a publisher. Even a pro team of 20 developers working with cutting edge technology on the latest FPS can be classed as an indie if they are, by definition, independent. I think the kind of indies EA will be on the lookout for will be companies like croteam, not lone gun developers. But stranger things have happened I suppose. :)

Hmm... I guess they'll be quite strict about games they'll accept.
I mean, if you submit a half-decent game to a small publisher you're almost sure to get published.
That one maybe will HAVE to maintain certain standards... and that's when you are a indie no more :P
Being a indie for me mean: NO PUBLISHER CAN SAY TO ME "ADD FEATURE X OR I WON'T DISTRIBUTE YOUR GAME" :D

(sorry for the upcase...)

And this is gonna happen with those I think. Basically they're expanding their publishing also to other "kind" of games.

Interestingly, similar things are happening also here in Italy.

I think that in next years all the big publisher will move toward it, because they want also a share of the money we small indie dev make :P

Originally posted by Jack_Norton
Hmm... I guess they'll be quite strict about games they'll accept.
I mean, if you submit a half-decent game to a small publisher you're almost sure to get published.
That one maybe will HAVE to maintain certain standards... and that's when you are a indie no more :P
I believe that if you expect to succeed as an indie submitting half-decent games and you see maintaining certain standards as a problem, then you're already doomed to fail.
Being a indie for me mean: NO PUBLISHER CAN SAY TO ME "ADD FEATURE X OR I WON'T DISTRIBUTE YOUR GAME" :D
Yes, they can; you can ignore them and take the game somewhere else. But what if they are right?

For me, being an indie means that I set the deadlines, I decide what I want to make, and so on. Not "I can make whatever I want, and even if it is half decent, someone will publish it".

I believe that if you expect to succeed as an indie submitting half-decent games and you see maintaining certain standards as a problem, then you're already doomed to fail.
I think I expressed myself bad :)
"Certain standard" of graphics. I don't know how they will decide their strategy, but if they'll accept only 3D games, that's already a limitation.
An example: in theory I could make a game better than The Sims with isometric view (eheh it is only a theory!!!!), but they could complain because it is not D3D accelerated and refuse to publish?

I hope they won't be so closed minded: however I met in the past such ppl lot of times...!

Yes, they can; you can ignore them and take the game somewhere else. But what if they are right?
Well I prefer player suggestions than managers suggestions :P I may be wrong of course.

For me, being an indie means that I set the deadlines, I decide what I want to make, and so on.
That's the point!
"Decide what I want to make" - that is difficult with a publisher: in my experience, there's always something they want to change in your game :)

Well, maybe my bad feelings is referred only to italian publishers :P for example my last budget game (of 5 years ago) should have been a strategic TURN based game like the great SSI "Fantasy General".

I made a storyboard of about 20pages (each one with 2000 character) for it: then the publisher said "I want the game real-time and multiplayer".

I followed their instructions and made a game that was real-time and multiplayer, but was boring :P

Anyway, I didn't DECIDE WHAT TO DO, because I had to rethink the gameflow completely :(

But maybe with those publisher it is different, and in this case I really am willing to talk :)

Originally posted by Kai-Peter
Now there is finally an alternative to those who didn't get published by Dexterity .. :)

I saw the same article on Gamasutra and thought the same thing, but before you prepare your pitch to EA, you might want to make sure you're what EA considers an "indie":

EA currently has relationships with more than 12 developers and publishers including Digital Illusions, C.E., Buena Vista Games (Disney Interactive), Fox Interactive, Krome Studios, LEGO Interactive, IO Interactive, Warner Brothers Interactive, Sunflowers Interactive Entertainment Software, and Lionhead Studios, and regional publishing relationships with companies including LucasArts, Capcom, NovaLogic and NAMCO.


This was taken from EA's press release. So, for the time being anyway, the small indie developer is still off EA's radar. :)

LOL!!!!

Lucasarts a INDIE???? :D

That's the most funny thing I have ever heard.

Don't think that many of us got 100 P4 pc with 50 FULL LICENSE of 3DSMax 5... (that's only a supposition, don't know their equipment but I bet that isn't so distant!).

That's what I expected.
The big company want to flood the market with "small titles" pretending that they are shareware.

They are NOT. They are budget games: it change only the way to distribute them, that is digital distribution and no retail.

...the end is near...? :eek:

Here are the same news ("EA To Help Indie Game Developers") at IGN (doesn't need password to read it)

http://wire.ign.com/articles/438/438202p1.html?fromint=1

I think the complete title is:

"EA To Help Indie Game Developers ... Close Business"! :D

Just joking: reading the news, is clear that all those big companies (lucasarts, Lionhead Studios, NAMCO, etc.) are the partners of "EA", NOT "EA Partners" (the new division founded to help indie dev).

Hmm.. I think EA is aiming for big independent game developers. For instance, id Software and 3D Realms are "indie developers" since they are privately owned and funded.

Yes, but Id and 3D Realms are quite different from anyone here I believe...! :D

whut? i though we were all working on doom 10, arent we?

Originally posted by Smurftra
whut? i though we were all working on doom 10, arent we?

Ha, Ha, Ha !!! That is a good one :D

No, I think it is Tomb Raider "The Next Generation" :D

Don't forget Duke Nukem Forever!