Indie | A Star and a Salesman

Justin feels that conducting business in this way (if “business” is the right word) is a method to incentivise donations, “The only reason that the charityware model isn’t just ‘pay for the game and it all goes to Starlight’ is because I feel that the structure creates a goal and motivation for players to make payments. They’re working to ‘defeat’ my income.” Overall, the structure can be seen as something like a more benevolent Radiohead; as Leingang said, “I’m not looking to make a dime”. That the art is arguably of an equally high calibre is almost secondary to the unselfish and unique distribution model.

//Different distribution
Nobody in the indie sphere has attempted anything as kind-hearted or thought-through as this before, though others have made their attempt at an innovative distribution model. We’re all familiar with the “free trial, paid full fat” system, but Tale of Tales took this one step further with last year’s The Graveyard, which I wrote about at some length a few weeks ago. The “full” version was identical to the free, but with one added feature that arguably completed the experience: death. It was entirely random, so there was always the chance that one could pay their $5 and never see the character’s heart stop. We had seen death in games infinite times before, but this time it carried a different

emotional impact – even if the experience was far from flawless – and Tale of Tales must be commended for their approach. Edmund McMillen has also made a go of something divergent in his compilation CD ‘This is a Cry for Help’, burning a decade’s worth of his work onto one mail order disc. It’s an almost hilariously indie ethic, but again is an attempt to escape the norm.

For all his altruism, Leingang isn’t one to excoriate those developers who choose to make some money from their work. “I feel anybody should try to profit from anything that they create or offer if they honestly feel that the consumer will benefit and that their own effort and intentions justify the cost.” Would it be prudent for aspiring young independents to release a trial version of their product? “You’re always going to sell more copies of anything that’s ‘advertised’ – which is what offering a free version of some capacity is. If consumers don’t know about your game, then the odds are definitely not in your favor.”

Justin has to be praised for what he’s doing. On top of being a courteous chap and a pleasure to interact with, he’s a masterful game designer and is doing his bit for a remarkable cause. He’s optimistic about the project’s continued success. “I’m confident that, in the long run, distributing Glum Buster as charityware will have a much greater impact than if I were to just donate some of my own money to Starlight,” he says. And he has a right to  be. After all, he’s earned it.

Thanks to Justin for his time, his inspiring responses and his fantastic game. Go and get Glum Buster immediately, and be sure to pledge some money.

Pages: 1 2