First! (in awhile)

I've been busy.  Hm, no, that's not right.  Apathetic.  No one reads this and I didn't feel like keeping up with this when I'm the only one that will ever see it.  I've played a few new games since last post, but nothing awesome enough that really impels me to write something.

I recently participated in a Corona Blitz where the task was to try to create a game in 4 hours.  My entry wasn't fancy but it was fun all the same.  Doing that inspired me to do some more experimentation. I dug up an old proof of concept I made last year and decided to push forward and make it into a game.  Perhaps I'll post some tidbits here as I make progress.

I've also embarked on learning JavaScript - not the "look at some tutorials, hack together code, and pretend I know JS" type of learning.  I got me a 3" thick book, blew through the courses on Code Academy, and I'm learning the nuts and bolts.  This endeavor serves two purposes for me: 1) build some nifty apps in nodeJS that will facilitate my sysadmin duties at work, and 2) be able to jump right into scripting in Unity.

Indie Games Are My Bag, Baby

I find myself playing far more indie games these days than big-budget "AAA" titles.  Some people complain to the effect that indie games are "stupid" and are money-grabbing attempts to cash in on retro games.  They're supposedly too short and aren't worth the money.

Well here's where I disagree.  I don't get much time to play games.  I manage to sample a wide variety of them, but when it comes down to it, I'm not spending 30 hours a week playing games.  If I get an hour or two every couple of nights that's a good week.  This is why I dig a lot of indie games.  Rather than spend $60 on a huge game that I know I'll NEVER complete, I can drop $5-$10 on a pretty decent indie game that gives me just as much (or more) enjoyment.  I like a game that I can play for a short time, drop, and come back later for another 20 minute session.  Many indie games also run on multiple platforms.  So when I'm dabbling in linux I still have some things to keep me entertained without having to reboot Windows.

I've put a game out there.  I've seen Indie Game.  There are some REALLY great indie games out there.  I know that many of the little guys need (and deserve) the support far more than MegaPublishers who put out DRM-infested garbage.  There are still a few "mainstream" games that get me excited, and I'm not an indie fanboy for the sake of being one.  I just find myself connecting to indie games more easily and more frequently than the EA/Activision/Cryware shooter of the month.