Is Now a Good Time to Be an Independent Game Developer?

During our conversation with Jason Della Rocca at Megamigs, the gaming industry was still reeling from a series of grim financial headlines, marking one of the first major downturns since the pandemic began. Google had officially abandoned its Stadia project, and Microsoft had announced significant job cuts, prompting calls for calm amidst the industry's downward spiral. However, much of the concern was focused on the larger end of the industry, particularly the AAA market and its major players. We asked Della Rocca, former executive director of the International Game Developers Association and co-founder of Execution Labs, to share his perspective on the industry from an indie developer's standpoint and whether he remains optimistic or pessimistic about the current landscape. Della Rocca expressed his generally optimistic outlook, emphasizing the importance of making informed decisions, working diligently, and possessing talent in order to achieve success. Nevertheless, he acknowledged the high failure rate among indie developers, with many games failing to gain traction. Despite this, he noted that remarkable successes can still emerge from unexpected places, albeit with a lower probability of success due to market saturation. Della Rocca's current work involves helping developers approach their business as a legitimate enterprise, from selecting commercially viable genres to engaging with the community and influencers. He observed that many developers neglect to conduct competitive analysis, market research, and community outreach until it's too late or not at all. However, he believes that developers are beginning to realize the importance of professionalism and building a sustainable business. In recent years, numerous indie publishers have emerged to cater to the needs of these developers, offering services such as marketing, social media management, and platform relations. While Della Rocca refrained from criticizing these companies, he highlighted the shift in perceived value towards self-publishing and directly engaging with one's audience. He emphasized the importance of creators maintaining a direct relationship with their fans, managing their own Discord, newsletters, and social media presence, as well as engaging with influencers. Della Rocca noted that publisher intermediation can sometimes hinder this relationship, even with the best of intentions, as they may not fully understand the artist's vision or the game's design. He cited the example of fans wanting to interact with the designer, not a junior marketing associate from a publisher. To address this concern, Della Rocca pointed to the emergence of "publishing-as-a-service" businesses, which offer publisher-like services while allowing developers to remain the primary publisher and maintain a direct connection with their audience. While indie developers have found success on PC and consoles, the mobile market presents a different challenge. Della Rocca stated that the market for indies is "almost nil," with limited opportunities for success. The hypercasual market may offer some prospects for small teams, but it's akin to gambling, and the odds are against them. Della Rocca cautioned that building a successful game in this space is extremely difficult. The regular app store market is even more daunting, with complexities surrounding economy, design balancing, progression systems, and retention mechanics, making it nearly impossible for indie developers to succeed. One exception is the mobile premium market, particularly within walled gardens like Apple Arcade or Netflix. While these deals can be beneficial, they also limit the potential upside of a game's success, and developers are at the mercy of the platform holders. Della Rocca expressed concerns about the trend of developers relying on subscription services, which can lead to a loss of control and autonomy. He expects the deals offered to developers to become less generous as subscription programs establish themselves. Della Rocca also drew parallels with the Epic Game Store, which initially offered attractive deals to developers but has since become less generous. He emphasized the importance of developers engaging directly with their fanbase and "owning" that relationship, rather than relying on intermediaries. Ultimately, Della Rocca expressed his concerns about the sustainability of the current model, where developers are at the mercy of platform holders and may find themselves on a "treadmill" with limited control over their own success.