![]() Ever since the indie game industry began we have started to see an exponential growth in terms of indie game creation. Now here is where we make this analogy work. Now here is an image to make sure you are clear on that geology spiel: Meanwhile Silt is larger, more dense in particle form, and will settle before clay. So, to be clear on how the two differ, and because you obviously didn’t pay any attention to your boring science teacher: Clay particles are smaller than silt, and when suspended in water, clay is usually the last to settle. The first question you must ask yourself as an indie game developer: “is my game clay or is it silt?”. Natural erosion and sedimentation is usually something you might recall from your high school science class lessons, but today we are going to use it as an analogy for the present situation of the indie game industry. There is no bubble bursting (yet), but instead it is matter of natural erosion. To really understand how the indie game development industry has come to this very important crossroads, it is imperative that you read Vogel’s article in its entirety, as he will provide you credible information and professional insight, all backed with thorough research.įor those of you who choose not to read Vogel’s piece from 2014, here is a great quote that properly summarizes his article: Just like any market, indie games aren’t immune to having their bubble popped.Ī very interesting and in-depth article, “The Indie Bubble Is Popping” by Jeff Vogel was published almost exactly two years ago. If you’re looking for a free, fun game that you can whip out at any time and play one level or fifty, Bubble Shooter Free is perfect.There is no “Indie Game Bubble” bursting or an #indiepocalypse, but there is constant natural erosion.īefore I explain what is meant with “natural erosion”, we should take a moment to recap on what spurred the topic of the indie game bubble: Back in 2014, a rumor began to really pick up steam with many questioning the longevity of indie game development success. Music can be turned off in settings, but that goes against the whole bubble game experience, doesn’t it? No bubble game would be complete without crazy, annoying, computery carnival muzak. Other options include a color-blind mode, where bubble color contains a corresponding geometric shape. This version also includes a whirl mode that is particularly interesting. The iPhone/iPod touch version is small enough that inaccuracy of touch makes for difficult aiming. Because the iOS games (the iPhone/iPod touch version, a newly-released version 2, and separate HD iPad version) are touch-based, the player can tap where he wants the bubble to land, and the shooter shoots immediately in that direction.Īt first, this could be considered cheating, but gameplay proves it brings its own challenges. On console versions, the game controller rotated the shooting arrow left or right, making aim an eyeballed calculation. The goal is to clear the screen before the mass of bubbles reaches the bottom. The object is to connect three or more bubbles of the same color, thus popping them. Colored bubbles are launched from a targeted shooter at the bottom of the screen toward a mass of slowly-descending colored bubbles. This type of game has cropped up over the years from several different companies on several different gaming platforms, all under different names and with some variations, but anyone that has played one of them will immediately attest to its addictive nature.Įxcept for being free (ad-supported, with optional paid upgrade), this iOS iteration is similar to its predecessors. I do, however, remember the night my buddy Will and I stayed up until 6 AM playing about 400 levels of the infamous “bubble game.” I could not tell you one thing I remember from any of those classes. In college, I took classes in art history, philosophy, and music performance, to name a few.
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