The independent game scene has changed dramatically over the last several years. New platforms have arisen, while some mainstay sales avenues have drastically evolved.
It's now easier than ever to self-publish a game on a variety of platforms - but it's also arguably more difficult to get players to actually pick your game out from the crowd too.
At GDC 2015 TinyBuild staffer and one-time Gamasutra editor Mike Rose ran down publicly-available sales data for indie games across various platforms to try and shed light on the state of the market.
In an updated version of Simon Carless' Game Sales 101 talk from GDC 2009, Rose explored the state of indie game sales today and discussed what these figures mean for both new and veteran indie studios, contrasting the modern indie scene with that of 2009. His presentation is worth your time to watch, and you can do so for free over on the official GDC YouTube channel.
About the GDC Vault
In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.
Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.
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