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Valve runs its massive PC gaming ecosystem with only about 350 employees (arstechnica.com)

submitted 4 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

https://www.wired.com/story/death-occurs-in-the-dark-indie-video-game-devs-are-struggling-to-stay-afloat/

The indie industry is seriously struggling. I'm pretty sure they would rather survive than donate to Gabens coke and prostitute fund.

There's also a huge difference between a physical store and a digital soft monopoly.

Stop defending billionaires.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I can't read the link but if we just gauge the health of the indie game portion of the industry by how many games are released, I think the only conclusion you can make is that it's quite healthy. In no small part due to steam which provides discoverability for smaller titles and handles a lot of the technical stuff (downloads, multi-player, even drm) so indie devs don't have to.

You just seem to have a chip on your shoulder in this department and it's not clear why other than "billionaires are bad".

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

I'm gauging the health of the industry by the amount of studios that are struggling and closing their doors. The amount of games is meaningless since a lot of those games are that studios last one as well as the amount including all the shovel ware garbage. Anyone can make a game these days with AI, the amount is not a good metric.

Someone being a billionaire is a valid reason for saying they shouldn't be a billionaire. Yes, all billionaires are bad and leeching off society. Though I do have a chip on my shoulder and that's because of seeing people actually defend Gaben as if he was any different than all the other ones. Stop defending billionaires, they actively hate you and probably giggle seeing what they consider peasants coming to their defense.

You can go in incognito mode to avoid the paywall. In any case, here's a gpt summary:

The article discusses the significant challenges faced by indie video game developers amidst widespread industry layoffs and financial troubles. Indie studios, often small and dependent on project-to-project funding, are increasingly forced to shut down due to a lack of financial support. This trend is emphasized by the closure of multiple indie developers and the ominous "survive till ’25" outlook, which captures the desperation and dwindling hope within the indie game development community.

As these smaller studios struggle to secure funding and continue operations, the impact on the gaming landscape is profound. Indie developers are known for their creativity and innovation, often exploring unique, experimental game ideas that larger companies might avoid. The decline of such studios not only reduces the variety and innovation in games available to players but also signifies a potential loss of talent and originality in the industry. This not only diminishes the richness of the gaming world but also impacts the professional growth and development of game creators who lose opportunities to experiment and hone their craft. The broader consequence is a gaming industry less vibrant and diverse, potentially stifling the evolution of video games as a form of artistic and interactive media.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Thing is, even if Steam charged them 0%, they would be struggling all the same. They're struggling because they don't have enough sales.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Steam is taking 30% of their sales, so they are struggling more because steam is greedy. At the end, it's the profit that matter. Selling more copies or selling the same amount but with a better profit margin is the same thing for the bottomline. I'm not trying to be harsh but your point is a bit silly.

Its also not like the whole industry is together and it's one big pass or fail. Some studios that were walking the line and would have survived with a bit more profits don't because of Steam.

Steam cuts into the profit of every sale and forces them to need more than they should to survive.