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Games are unique as a medium for a lot of reasons, one of them being that there is no 'art' section to the output. Kids in garages can make music or films or comics, but it's very hard to make a game by yourself, and distribution is so tightly locked up by the companies that it makes it almost impossible to get a game out there. You might be able to get your self-published comic into your local comic shop, or your CD at the music shop, but try asking EB to put your game on the shelf.
All due respect, but most of that isn't true.
You *can* make a game by yourself, and if it's even slightly interesting you'll likely get it to more people than an indy CD or comic. The 'net makes distribution very, very, easy.
I'm not sure what you mean by "no 'art' section to the output" but I think you mean no arthouse movement, yeah? Which is, again, not the case. What doesn't exist, at least not much, is a commerical arthouse movement. While there are exceptions to this (I'd be tempted to argue that Ico, Katamari Damacy, and others are 'studio arthouse') for the most part the independant movement is flourishing in online communities.
Getting a game out there (if, as I said, it's at all interesting) is dead easy. Making money of it, well, that's an entirely new kettle of fish.
And comparing small independant comic/music shops w/ EB is silly. HMV won't carry your zine either, but that doesn't mean the distribution channel is locked up. In fact, there's nothing stopping you from getting your game into comic shops and music stores, either - in fact, that's the ideal if that's your sort of thing.
Making a game by yourself IS hard. But so is making a comic or music, so I don't buy the "kids in garages aren't doing this" - making movies is harder, but people make indy films all the time. |
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