Indie Interviews - Designers of Games and of Handbags

There is a real sweet little interview about the why’s and hard’s of going indie from an ex-mainstream gamer developer’s perspective over on Tales of the Rampant Coyote today; and an interview with indie accessories designer Kate Garey on Style Dash that will point you towards some real sweet consumables, if that’s what you’re craving today. May these sustain you in their different ways:

Rampant Coyote: Were there any aspects of indie game development took you by surprise?

Andy Schatz: Perhaps it’s naïve to say, but three years ago I thought that with the rise of digital distribution, developers were going to grab some of the power back from publishers. But we’ve seen pretty clearly in both the casual game market and digital distribution on consoles that the publishing/distribution racket wasn’t going to let us get away with that. The future does not look as bright for developers as it did three years ago, and the blame lies squarely with BigFish, Microsoft, and other major digital distributors. These giants have found ways to corral the audience, squeeze developers, and rip off our most creative pioneers.

Rampant Coyote: So what lessons did you have to learn once you became a career indie?

Andy Schatz: Interacting with the community is an essential piece of being an indie developer. As an indie, you require the help of business contacts, advisors, contractors, and press. I had to learn to interact constructively with everyone. The lesson I learned is to always put things in context of “what can I do for you?” rather than “what can you do for me?”

(…)

Rampant Coyote: What are the biggest differences between indie game development and mainstream game development?

Andy Schatz: The obvious one is that as a professional indie, you’ve got to all the business side of things yourself. You can’t just bring home the bacon, you’ve got to raise the pig and kill it yourself.

The less obvious one is that it’s much harder to stay organized and motivated at times. Sometimes it’s incredibly easy, but at others, you can slip into the doldrums and let a week go by without much to show for it.

by Kate Garey

StyleDash: Tell us a little about yourself and your work.
Kate Garey: I’m fun, free and frisky! I like to take my inspirations from quirky, odd objects and notions. I love Japanese Kawaii cuteness, Kitsch prints like polka dots and gingham, childhood fairytales and food, then mix them all together to create adorable fun designs. I want my work to put a smile on peoples faces and brighten up their day.