Innovation is cool ... but so is money. Initially, I THINK the independent movement was started because people missed the days when you worked on a game with maybe 2 - 15 people and you actually felt like you had a hand in its development. I don't think people particularly like being a cog in a 100 or so person development team or being shafted by going to work for the big game company and having the locks changed on you.
There are a lot of other reasons ... but the innovation factor came into play because it's true ... if your independent you can do whatever the hell you want. Of course if you want to make money you've also got to cater to an audience. I think that Nintendo does a good job of walking the line between innovation and serving it's niche. Also, Nintendo is non-offensive which is why you see the majority of the so called independent publishing labels following suit.
Pop-Cap for all intents and purposes isn't like a real indie developer anymore. They've got way too much riding to do anything that's not marketable anyway ... they wouldn't want to tarnish their branding. Garage Games is the best example I think of an independent publisher ... they won't publish any match 3 or bubble popping games. Everything they've published is pretty different ... or a lot of it is. Some of it isn't ... and by some of it I mean Marble Blast and Think Tanks which also happen to be their most successful games. However, they definitely looked out for good innovative titles like Orbz, Bridge Construction Set, Gish, and even with Aerial Antics etc, etc...
Of course ... the truth is people over the past few years haven't supported innovation too much. However, I think there's going to be a change. It just kind of stinks though that it's going to be Nintendo reaping the big benefits of people getting bored with the same games every year ... and not necessarily the independents.
Of course ... one thing I've got to point out about your match 3 example. A lot of the 'independents' making those games are really just shareware developers. Garage Games is the company that really started pushing the independent label ... and they are still trying to stick to their guns by publishing mostly innovative titles. Those match 3's aren't a good example of what being independent is all about. They are essentially just want the old shareware developer has always been doing.
There are a lot of other reasons ... but the innovation factor came into play because it's true ... if your independent you can do whatever the hell you want. Of course if you want to make money you've also got to cater to an audience. I think that Nintendo does a good job of walking the line between innovation and serving it's niche. Also, Nintendo is non-offensive which is why you see the majority of the so called independent publishing labels following suit.
Pop-Cap for all intents and purposes isn't like a real indie developer anymore. They've got way too much riding to do anything that's not marketable anyway ... they wouldn't want to tarnish their branding. Garage Games is the best example I think of an independent publisher ... they won't publish any match 3 or bubble popping games. Everything they've published is pretty different ... or a lot of it is. Some of it isn't ... and by some of it I mean Marble Blast and Think Tanks which also happen to be their most successful games. However, they definitely looked out for good innovative titles like Orbz, Bridge Construction Set, Gish, and even with Aerial Antics etc, etc...
Of course ... the truth is people over the past few years haven't supported innovation too much. However, I think there's going to be a change. It just kind of stinks though that it's going to be Nintendo reaping the big benefits of people getting bored with the same games every year ... and not necessarily the independents.
Of course ... one thing I've got to point out about your match 3 example. A lot of the 'independents' making those games are really just shareware developers. Garage Games is the company that really started pushing the independent label ... and they are still trying to stick to their guns by publishing mostly innovative titles. Those match 3's aren't a good example of what being independent is all about. They are essentially just want the old shareware developer has always been doing.