In the aftermath of Gamescom, some established designers commented on the “Indie” hype. Among them was Michel Ancel, whose presentation of the new PS4 MMO WiLD had caused quite a stir at Gamescom. Ancel is still working for Ubisoft but co-founded an indie studio called Wild Sheep.
According to the online site vg247, Ancel engaged in a conversation after the official Sony press conference, questioning what even constitutes Indie:
Can an indie studio have over 100 people? We shouldn’t say “indie” game anymore today, but rather talk about innovative games. It’s about more than just the price. An indie game is a game made by real people with passion and dedication. Indie means that developers have the freedom to pursue their artistic vision. That is indie.
Other established developers from big studios are reportedly supporting Ancel’s arguments, citing Nirvana from music as an example that “Indie” can also work with a big budget.
Mein MMO says: Apparently, every creative prefers to see themselves in the underdog role and insists on their creative freedom, regardless of how many people work on a project and how many marketing studies and authority opinions they must consider. Great commercial success, a big budget, innovation, and passionate fans are not mutually exclusive. However, they do not necessarily imply one another either. It is completely understandable if established designers feel that their creative contributions are not sufficiently appreciated when fans and the press rave about how innovative this 8-bit sandbox is. Surely, many indie developers would trade the applause and recognition of fewer fans for a regular paycheck.
For Michel Ancel, the topic is currently quite sensitive. In the past, he has created titles for a global audience with Rayman and Beyond Good & Evil for Ubisoft. For his new project WiLD, he co-founded a new indie studio called “Wild Sheep”. The graphics and production quality showcased in the trailer do not suggest a small team and budget. The trailer simply looked too good, and the dimensions of the title are too vast. In the coming months, we will surely learn more about the background of the game and Ancel’s situation.
MMOs are usually considered a death zone for indie developers due to their enormous production and ongoing costs. Therefore, the MMO sector remains relatively unaffected by the rampant indie movement. Some say that exactly these pushes and ideas from the indie scene are lacking in the rather sluggish MMO genre.
