1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites

The rise of indie games

November 2, 2015

Independent game developers are taking an ever greater share of the games market at the expense of the major studios. The growth is in part due to the increasing profitability of independent games.

https://p.dw.com/p/1GyL2
DW Shift Gamecom
Image: herstorygame.com

One example is the crime fiction game "Her Story."

Independent games are growing ever more successful and are now competing with the major producers. Sam Barlow from Britain developed “Her Story” on a tiny budget, working alone in his kitchen. But on the gamer scene, it’s one of the hits of this year. It’s already sold 100,000 copies since it went onto the market in late June. Indie games are also benefiting from mobile gaming distribution platforms like Steam and the app stores where games can be sold without much overhead. And popular games get quick publicity via social media.