Indie Games Are Once Again Taking Over
Indie games have always had some sort of passion behind them. A project that developers hold dear. Something they believe others can have fun with. Games like Sons of the Forest, Lethal Company, and Palworld are all recent indie games that have dominated the sales charts. Some outperform the major AAA quadrillion-dollar budgets. They can even start from a passion project in someone’s basement, on a budget of lint and mom’s spaghetti. Indie games have always been here, they’ve had their moments and big releases. Now it’s time for AAA to learn something from them.
Like Among Us’s rise in popularity, Lethal Company gained popularity through streamers. It blew up, and suddenly Lethal Comapny’s one-man team of a furry named Zeekers became a multi-millionaire. Zeekers previously made smaller indie games on Steam and got his start making Roblox games. This one just got discovered and took off. His first big release with a passion for games as a whole.
Indie Games Drive the Market Forward in a Sea of Carbon Copy AAA Slop
Palworld, is possibly the greatest example of indie overtaking AAA. A grassroots game taking over the status quo. The developers originally didn’t know much about making shooters or how to properly model anything. But once they met this guy at a convenience store who was self-taught, they were able to do the work. They got the game going starting on a small $10k budget. Palworld has now sold over 8 million copies on Steam alone. Multiply that from the $27 price point, and take Steam’s 30% cut. That’s at least $150 million from one indie game.
Anyway, all I’m saying is indie games are the trendsetters. The passion in a sea of bland AAA carbon copies. These aren’t the first to do it, and they won’t be the last. They are the diamonds in the rough. Indie games are at their strongest point in history. Honestly, it kinda makes me want to make one too.
Enjoy this video of what I think are comparable in terms of indie vs AAA success. Probably not the best games to compare, but you get the gist. Enjoy your weekend folks.
