The trials of Indie game publishing. (Indie Ana Jones)

Indie Game publishing is rather scary. Indie game development can be fun and creative but getting people to play it can be hell. The problem is that the gaming industry is like open water and big publishers and developers are big sharks. Indie developers are like small fish in a sea of small fish. From what I understand there are two methods of getting a game out to gamers.

1. You could go through a third party. To get your game on a console such as PS3 or Xbox 360 you have to go through the experience of working with Microsoft and Sony. Usually those companies see indie games as a quick buck and they understand how desperate Indie devs are so they try to get as much as they can. Microsoft often makes outrageous demands like exclusive content, half of the profit, and the rights.

If you don't want to go through that joyous experience of working with bloodsucking industry-giants then there is always the option of turning to Steam. With an emphasis on simplicity, Valve understands that you need to be compassionate with Indie Developers. They are entrusting their work to someone who will give it the chance it needs to grow. They walk you through every step of the way so that you are clear about pricing, marketing and integration with Steam-Works. They give you full creative control. First, there needs to be demand so they allow Steam users to vote on games to be "green-lit" on Steam. The games are then published quickly on the store's front page. It is quick and painless. It is highly recommend by indie vets. I guess Good old Games is a upcoming alternative to indie games but they don't offer the same security and audience as Steam. SONY  says that it will be easier to publish games on the PS4 but I think its all for the sake of getting them exclusive to their system. Indie games thrive on the internet because they can snowball into mega-popularity.

2. You could try to manage everything yourself which would be extremely difficult. Many first time indie game developers don't understand how hard this is. It isn't just the creation of the game, that is half the work. There is publishing, marketing, copyright, PR, and a whole bunch of things that are not too fun. Honestly it's safer to go through valve but you can make more money self publishing. Frankly, marketing for games is a popularity contest. I suppose you could make a flash version of your game for Newgrounds or something and then expand into a bigger game to gain an audience. Just having your game on Steam is good publicity even if it's not green-lit. One can try to gain attention by participating in an indie jam or other events. You could then start a website and sell your game. I can think of a couple games that pulled this off, most notably Minecraft.

The best thing to get a game out to an audience is to make the game creative and fun. It will get the attention it deserves if it is worthy at some point. "Be persistent and unique:" Edmund Mcmillen.
To see more about this topic watch "Indie Game: The Movie". Recently Gamespot rated their game of the year as Journey, an indie game. Maybe gamers appreciate new and creative things after all.

PS-The indie game movie is now on Netflix.

-Nicholas

source: Indie Game the movie
Ana Todor