m7600
Habitué
- Messages
- 664
I don't think that a small team size is enough. It's a necessary condition, but not a sufficient one. The lack of corporate ties is, I think, just as important. Recall DnD Beyond's 10 minute introductory adventure. That game was probably made by a much smaller team than Larian, or the team that made Alan Wake 2. It was probably made by two or three people at most. And with a far smaller budget, I would imagine. Still, that introductory adventure is not an indie game. Not by a long shot. The reason is that it was made by Wizards of the Coast, a big corporation. It doesn't matter how small the team is or how little money they spent on it. As long as it was produced by a big corporation, it cannot be an independent game, by definition.
The real question is if Larian and Remedy Entertainment are big corporations or not. I would say no, they aren't. Not yet, at least. Are they indie studios? Not quite. They're in a gray area. To use an analogy, Warcraft 1 was an indie game when it was released, because Blizzard Entertainment was arguably an indie studio at the time. Warcraft 3 is definitely not an indie game, because by that time Blizzard was a big corporation. Warcraft 2, by contrast, was in a grayish area. Blizzard was no longer indie at that time, but it hadn't become a big corporation yet. Larian and Remedy Entertainment are in the same gray area that Blizzard was when they published Warcraft 2.
Or at least that's my take on it, for now. I might change my mind, though.
EDIT: I forgot to mention Owlcat. I don't think they're an indie studio, but they're not a big corporation either. They're in the same gray area that Larian and Remedy Entertainment are.
The real question is if Larian and Remedy Entertainment are big corporations or not. I would say no, they aren't. Not yet, at least. Are they indie studios? Not quite. They're in a gray area. To use an analogy, Warcraft 1 was an indie game when it was released, because Blizzard Entertainment was arguably an indie studio at the time. Warcraft 3 is definitely not an indie game, because by that time Blizzard was a big corporation. Warcraft 2, by contrast, was in a grayish area. Blizzard was no longer indie at that time, but it hadn't become a big corporation yet. Larian and Remedy Entertainment are in the same gray area that Blizzard was when they published Warcraft 2.
Or at least that's my take on it, for now. I might change my mind, though.
EDIT: I forgot to mention Owlcat. I don't think they're an indie studio, but they're not a big corporation either. They're in the same gray area that Larian and Remedy Entertainment are.
Last edited: