Indie developers really seem to be the only innovaters in the game industry.

I am almost done Crackdown, a great game, with some minor innovation over other sand box games (super powers). But when you really look at the game, there are a few moments when you say to your self "Why dont they have ,,,,, ?"

For me it is certainly two things, motor cycles and water based missions. It is a crime that there is no some sort of super cycle with limited flight and weapons. It seems like a glaring omission that an obvious vehicle choice would be left out. I can see why they do not have helicopters, because it would allow access to agility points, but why not have blimps roaming the city?

The developers did a great job on the water and it really feels like they should have had some sort of water craft and water based missions, even go through the actual sewers to go up a building, or stop one of the criminal organizations from doing something.

But all in all Crackdown is a great game and perhaps with Crackdown 2 they can push it further. It just really seems that the game does not push innovation, it rides innovations coat tails before falling safely off to the side.

When you look at the games coming out for the consoles and PC's from the big named developers, they do not scream innovation, some yell innovation and appear to be slightly more innovative then most, namely Assassins Creed with their wall climbing, crowd AI system, but until we play it, the innovation might just be out the door.

Innovation does not need to be in controls, such as the Wii-mote or SIXAXIS but how they are used and so far not one game is really innovative, most feel gimmicky. Such as Red Steel, Call of Duty 3 (Wii), fl0w, Motorstorm and more.

So where do you look? I have to say the only place to find innovative games is in the realm of the independent development houses. These developers make great games some of the time, but because you need to look for the games, get lucky reading a news site or magazine that will cover the game, you probably wont ever find them.

Darwinia is a perfect example, they were lucky enough to be a Steam launched game via Valve's service so people did know about it, but as Steam was a pariah among many game players they probably never saw it. Most game reviewers gave it a perfect or near perfect score. The game is innovative, unique and fun.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig_GYvmBHDQ[/youtube]

I could list fifty good to great indie-developed games but the point is the gaming public may never see them because the simple fact we are all hooked on the big name developers such as iD, Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Valve, etc. Game reporters are almost always forced to cover the big name games due to marketing and financial concerns.

XNA is a major boost to the indie-developer because if Microsoft can pull off their promise, we will see a great push of games, some will down right suck, some will be just clones of popular titles, but some will really go forward and be innovative.

I guess I will move my blog to more game-centric and stay away from the non-gaming news and trite.

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Indi-Game Spotlight


Developer - Introversion
Web Site - http://www.introversion.co.uk/

Do you remember the movie War Games? Starring Matthew Broderick? Where Matthew instructs the computer to play Global Thermal-Nuclear War? This is similar where you get to play Global Thermal-Nuclear War. With some retro innovative graphics, fun but also disturbing game play and a really fun, but at the same time challenging game.

You play the role of a military Commander hidden deep within an Underground bunker. Your mission - to successfully exterminate your enemy's civilian population whilst disabling their ability to attack your own. Start by launching your battleships, subs and bombers in order to decimate your opponent's defences. Scramble together your alliances but remember only one can stand victorious.

Prepare your pre-emptive strike before one of your supposed allies gets the same idea. Choose the perfect moment for betrayal, obliterating your opponents with an apocalyptic thermonuclear barrage, but get it wrong and their devastating counter attack will bring you to your knees!

It's Global Thermonuclear War, and nobody wins. But maybe - just maybe - you can lose the least.





[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuLILwDRV1M&mode=related&search=[/youtube]

You should check this game out, there is a demo on the site and it is worth playing.