| Once the economic analysts and social pundits got | | | | provides a sales mechanism for the various |
| over the shockwaves from the assault of video | | | | producers, provides a "top ten" list of current indie |
| gaming on our culture, they began to look at the | | | | games and has a Soapbox forum for comments, |
| nuances of the industry. For several years, there | | | | recommendations, gripes, etc. from active gamers. |
| wasn't much product variation to see outside of | | | | Manifesto's game review categories include some |
| shooters, fantasy role playing, and sports games. The | | | | standards such as Adventure, Role Playing Games |
| Sims brought some variety and expanded the player | | | | and Sim/Tycoon games. But there are also categories |
| base to more mature "casual gamers," but for the | | | | such as Schmup and Turn-based Strategy, categories |
| most part gaming has been for the young. That's | | | | the major producers don't promote - and in the case |
| beginning to change. Independent game developers | | | | of Schmup, probably don't understand. It's a term |
| who cater to a more dedicated gaming community | | | | that seems to refer generally to games that |
| have functioned under the radar, for the most part. | | | | recreate the early space-ship shoot-em-ups but with |
| They are beginning to get the recognition they | | | | far cooler graphics and actual plots to them. Many of |
| deserve and that, in turn, is expanding the number | | | | the games found on Manifesto follow mainstream |
| and complexity of game genres that are finding their | | | | game profiles such as war games and role playing |
| way to the marketplace. The big game companies | | | | wizardry, but they interject some element of reality |
| such as Electronic Arts and Nintendo continue to turn | | | | or human complexity that isn't readily found in |
| out sequels to their big money-makers such as | | | | standard game fare. There's a sim game available on |
| Madden's NFL Football and Zelda. Their sales remain | | | | the site called Democracy. Not a concept that |
| huge, but as their audiences mature, the market is | | | | matches the testosterone-based video game |
| finding room for games that go beyond sports, war | | | | standard. By virtue of distribution channels such as |
| and wizards. "Indie" games are developing their own | | | | Manifesto and Steam, indie developers have a shot |
| distribution channels. Valve, the company that had a | | | | at commercial exposure and hopefully, some |
| huge mainstream hit with Half Life, now distributes its | | | | commercial success. This foot in the door of an |
| games over its own online service, Steam. It sells | | | | enormous commercial monolith has generated some |
| directly to the gamer, and provides the servers for | | | | outrageous creativity in expanding game genres into |
| their game users to play either singly or in multiplayer | | | | more original and complex formats. It's like good new |
| format via the Internet. Their games come from an | | | | bands that blow past the record companies, |
| assortment of developers and range from | | | | introduce themselves through YouTube and MySpace |
| cartoon-noir mysteries to empire building to more | | | | and sell their CDs online. The indie game producers |
| standard fare. Steam provides an outlet for some | | | | have created a market that allows for creativity and |
| independent games to reach a wider audience. | | | | product honesty. |
| Manifesto Games is a website dedicated to the | | | | Madison Lockwood is a customer relations associate, |
| support, promotion and distribution of independently | | | | specializing in small business development, for Apollo |
| produced video games. The site has game reviews, | | | | Hosting. |