Indie Game Development is Here to Stay, says Karthik Subramaniam

Game development is heavily bound by huge capital investments by the game publisher. The term 'Indie' is commonly used in the game industry to represent a small team or an individual who independently develops a commercial-quality video game. Few young and energetic developers choose the indie route rather than join a professional game studio to unleash their creative freedom. This is mainly because indie developers cannot match the resources or might of the large producers. Indies have challenges in all aspects of game development such as funding, developing, publishing, marketing and selling their games. It becomes increasingly difficult to have access to expensive state-of-the-art tooling for creating game content. So where does that leave a developers who is solely relying on his programming skills and self-determination to create games outside this restrictive relationship?

Karthik Subramaniam spoke to Saltmarch Media about how independent game developers succeed in the competitive game industry. He explained the distinct channels of capital investment generation, how high-quality open source content creation tools could be used as a viable alternative to their commercial counterparts, and the main skills Indian game developers should equip themselves with to gain a sizable share of the global game development work. He also touched upon the level of interdependence between large publishers and indie game developers, the various marketing channels an indie game developer leverage to his benefit, and developments in the global and Indian game industry.

Q. Please introduce yourself to our viewers and talk in a bit about your assosciation with game development.

I started programming games at the age of 15. I started with BASIC and developed my own games during college. Ever since I have been interested in independently developing games. Even though I work for a software services company, I spend time on my own to research trends and understand the market and continuously try and improve my skills in game development.

Q. You develop games as a hobby. Have you considered getting into full-time game development, either as an independent or join a large game development studio?

Yes I have. Even though I work for a company I have future plans to start my own venture as an independent game developer, either as a part time activity or take it up full time. I plan to enter the gaming industry in the next couple years.

Q. Your talk at India Game Developer Summit revolved around the various aspects of independent game development. Can you explain a bit about the distinct channels of capital investment generation because that seems to be one of the biggest challenges faced by an independent developer?

Absolutely right! For independent game developers, huge capital investment is always a challenge. It’s very difficult to sell your idea to potential investors. That is why you need to explore smaller channels such as the Web and mobile platforms and fund yourself for game development. The revenue you generate from this can be used as investment to develop larger games.

Q. Is there a higher level of interaction between large publishers and indie game developers in this day and age? And, what is the level of interdependence between these two families of game developers?

Absolutely yes. Large game publishers such as Microsoft welcome independent game developers. A classic example for this is Microsoft’s XNA which openly welcomes independent game developers. Digital distribution is seen as the most feasible distribution channel for independent game developers to reach large publishers.

Q. The open source community is an indie game developer’s best friend. What are your thoughts on this?

I just can’t agree more with this statement. The focus of my talk at India Game Developer Summit was on open source software as well. Today the open source software community has matured to a level where it is giving serious competition to major commercial players. There have been instances where major players from larger companies have approached open source teams to align their products so that they get mutual benefits.

Q. Can you shed some light on the various marketing channels an indie game developer leverage to his benefit?

Learning and networking opporutinites such as India Game Developer Summit and game developer institutes are platforms where one can showcase his/her products and talents. Reaching out with social media offerings, volunteering to give interviews to media and promoting a unique concept will get more media attention than just publicising the game.

Q. Have there been any developments in the global game industry recently that has piqued your interest?

Digital distribution has doubled. Many big companies are also having their products distributed under larger distribution channels. Social gaming has increased. Also larger publishers who generally released AAA titles are now developing smaller titles for social platforms.

Q. Have there been any developments in the Indian gaming industry recently that has got you excited?

Game development in India has moved from the typical Flash-based mobile games to console games. There have been recent examples like Hanuman – The Boy Warrior and Desi Adda which have been released on PS2, so I see the Indian gaming industry moving towards consoles.

Q. What, in your opinion, are the main skills Indian game developers should equip themselves with to gain a sizable share of the global game development work?

Indians are very good in programming but the pattern I see is that they don’t focus much on the art side of things. I think Indians should focus more on art direction and the entire creative process. Thinking about game design than just delivering a product with mediocre art is of utmost importance. If Indians can concentrate a little more on art then we should be in a good position to compete with the global gaming industry.

Q. Do you have any words of wisdom for startup game developers?

Aim high. Think big. Take your time to come out with a good product and when you debut in the industry do not compromise on quality.

Q. Where do you see the Indian gaming industry heading in the next decade?

India has a large pool of talent to compete with larger game providers especially since India is seen as a destination where high quality skills come at a very low cost. It is a good market for Indian studios to launch professional products that can compete with the larger players on the global level.