• Grimy@lemmy.world
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    22 hours ago

    Indie games came about because of multiple factors, steam only being one of them but they did help a lot. That being said, they are currently having a detrimental effect and I think Gaben has been more than properly rewarded.

    It’s not the early 2000s, steam is bringing in massive amounts of cash and I’m tired of seeing an other indie company go under because Gaben wants another boat in the 9 figure range.

    The government will never do anything if we aren’t vocal about it and the community is doing the opposite.

      • Grimy@lemmy.world
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        22 hours ago

        This is an article that was floating on lemmy a few months ago.

        https://www.wired.com/story/death-occurs-in-the-dark-indie-video-game-devs-are-struggling-to-stay-afloat/

        25% more of the profit can go a long way, if Steam were to only take 5% for example. And it’s not only about bankruptcy, it’s budget for more features, dealing with bugs and potential sequels. The quality is affected as well and Steam, Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony don’t deserve all that money instead of the devs, just for being the middle men.

        • wia@lemmy.ca
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          7 hours ago

          I’ll bite. I hate billionaires. Let’s check this out.

          Things that hurt indie devs in this article:

          • Lack of available talent
          • Burnout
          • Lack of upfront funding (before a game is ever released)
          • Generally bad economy post COVID
          • Actual predatory exclusive tactics from epic or gamepad
          • The nebulous idea that the entire industry and fans need a culture change

          Things not cited in this article as a problem:

          • Steam in any capacity. Directly or implied
          • Grimy@lemmy.world
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            7 hours ago

            Lack of funding is mentioned every paragraph?

            belt-tightening can often mean simply shutting down.

            Sheffield says it’s hard not to feel guilty when other studios go under, even as his own struggles. “We’re all kind of fighting for a tiny slice of the same pie,”

            “When an indie doesn’t get funding for its game, you just quietly never see their work again,”

            The industry is struggling because steam and the other stores keep them on the brink, they have no leeway. I don’t know how steams greed could be seen as unrelated.