Indie Links Round-Up: This Old House
Today’s Indie Links include articles on certification requirements, software patents, and modding. But if you’re just interested in articles about new games, don’t worry; we’ve got those too.
Modding Ideal For Aspiring Devs, Says DayZ Creator (Develop)
“Speaking in an interview with Develop, Dean Hall said Modding allowed devs to learn about how seasoned professionals had created their game, and also how data structures and engines work. He said that developing over an existing title could be better for aspiring industry professionals than diving straight into C++ programming, as it could teach you various techniques to implement when creating your own engine, or using another vendor’s tech from scratch.”
The Games Of Arab Game-Jam Game Zanga (IndieGames)
“GameTako is a gaming portal for Arab gamers and developers that holds a bi-annual Arab region-wide game jam entitled Game Zanga. As the latest Game Zanga resulted in 43 games under the community-selected theme “Freedom” and we really hadn’t covered any Arab games lately we thought we (well, I) should guide you through some of the jam’s more interesting and less text-heavy games. You can of course find and play all 43 of them here.”
Life After Dyad: Are Indie Games All Grown Up Now? (Gamasutra)
“After weeks of positive preview buzz, Right Square Bracket Left Square Bracket’s hallucinogenic racer Dyad has just released on the PlayStation Network to a widely warm critical reception in the consumer press. There’s something funny about the reviews, though. I’ve read the reaction from several prominent sites, and most of them have something in common: The writer hastening to inform readers that Dyad, which uses bright colors and abstract imagery, is not, in fact, the kind of liquidy visual experiment players might expect from an indie game.”
Data Jack (PixelProspector)
“Data Jack is an isometric mission based stealth action game that reminds a bit of the SNES version of Shadowrun.”
Driving Discussion: Jordan Hemenway On Nitronic Rush (IndieGames)
“The DigiPen-developed Nitronic Rush actually has no racing opponents. Instead, this free game offers an experiment in survival driving on Windows that has become widely acclaimed, earning the 11-person team recognition from IGF, Indie Game Challenge and Independent Propeller Awards and more. Nudged by continual fan interest, Nitronic Rush has already received four major updates since it released last year. In this discussion, Jordan Hemenway of Team Nitronic shares his thoughts on what makes the game so special. He explores the hurdles developers have to overcome in creating a driving game, while presenting a vast area ripe for indies to tap into.”
Wot I Think: Anna (Rock, Paper, Shotgun)
“Anna, with its single location, reactive horror elements and folklore-based story, seemed like it could be the game to scratch a lot of my itches. After playing through twice, to see how different the scares and the conclusions might be, I’m ready to share wot I think. Am I itch-free or have I got sixteen layers of my own skin sloughed up under my fingernails?”
How Certification Requirements Are Holding Back Console Gaming (Ars Technica)
“Independent game developers face a lot of obstacles, from limited funding and AAA competition to marketing challenges and getting attention from an easily distracted press. But those hurdles can multiply when an indie developer decides to release a game on a console. Fez developer Phil Fish highlighted this fact last week, with a highly publicized complaint about being asked to pay tens of thousands of dollars in recertification fees to Microsoft in order to patch a known issue with the game”
DRM Firm Uniloc Files Infringement Suit Against Mojang’s ‘Mindcraft’ (Gamasutra)
“The firm previously filed a patent infringement suit against Activision Blizzard and Mac game specialist Aspyr back in 2010, also naming Sony, Borland Software, McAfee and Quark in the same suit, alleging that the defendants infringed on a patented anti-piracy product activation method for software. Now Uniloc has filed a patent infringement suit against Swedish studio Mojang, claiming that the company is infringing on its patent ‘System and Method for Preventing Unauthorized Access to Electronic Data.’ It has also filed similar suits against numerous other companies, including Electronic Arts, Square Enix, Madfinger Games, Gameloft and Halfbrick Studios.”
