A) Choose one of the indie designers / developers and outline why there work and approach is of interest to you.

Jonathan Blow is a massive inspiration for me not just as an indie developer but also as a person. Blow is honest about the video game industry and makes great points about the society we live in today. Jonathan Blow is an American indie developer and programmer who is best known as the creator of the independent video games Braid (2008) and The Witness (2016), both of which released to critical acclaim. Being an indie developer is an increasingly difficult task especially when you are competing with large companies producing AAA titles. Blow has spoken many times about his views on independent video games both in interviews and in public speeches, although he has said on his blog that he has got what he wanted out of conferences from speaking at them. For his sometimes-controversial views, he has received praise, notably being called “the kind of righteous rebel video games need” and “a spiritual seeker, questing after truth in an as-yet-uncharted realm. Jonathan often speaks of the potential for games to be more. He has said that he tries to make games that are more adult for people with longer attention spans and noted that games could have a “much bigger role” in culture in the future but current game development does not address this potential, instead aiming for low-risk, high-profit titles Blow has spoken out against some games for immoral game design. On Farmville, he has said that the design of the game reveals the developers’ goal to degrade the quality of players’ lives, ultimately calling it “inherently evil.” He approaches his games using critical thinking and he is always trying to innovate to bring games to the next level. This kind of think resonates with me and works as inspiration towards my work.

B) What do you think could be the most exciting indie projects that are in development

One of the most exiting indie games currently in development is called Praey for the Gods. After an initial name change due to a clash with Bethesda’s Prey this looks to be a very promising project. It’s an action-adventure survival game being developed by No Matter Studios. Heavily influenced by eth latest Zelda title it gives players a realistic survival experience. Survive the harsh winter, slay some giant gods. It has a new climbing system that lets you grappling-hook to any rock surface and climb. The story seems very similar to that of Horizon Zero Dawn. The character will start off her journey on a frozen island without any equipment whatsoever, wherein she must find items, to survive dynamically generated weather, and climb onto massive bosses to defeat them. Players will track giants on the island and look to climb to defeat them, and use weapons they find on the island to approach these giants howsoever they choose. The game has an exhaustion system. Everything the player does will affect the level of exhaustion. To illustrate, the player will walk slower in deep snow, and to spend too long or to run too fast will affect those levels. Said element will likewise slow down the player to the point where it is easier for the in-game giants can catch up. Furthermore, dodging and sprinting can help to avoid attacks but will also wear on the exhaustion system. One such way that a player can resolve this quandary of exhaustion is by resting. When the player is exhausted their hunger, cold, and stamina states will lower. Locating campfires can help to refill their health, and exhaustion.

Sources

http://time.com/4355763/the-witness-jonathan-blow-interview/

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/27/jonathan-blow-designer-video-games-braid-the-witness

http://www.pcgamer.com/jonathan-blow-interview-social-game-designers-goal-is-to-degrade-the-players-quality-of-life/

http://www.pcgamer.com/action-survival-game-praey-for-the-gods-adds-breath-of-the-wild-style-climbing/

References

Lebowitz, J. (2011). Interactive Storytelling for Video Games.