Company News Russian indie madness!

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Tags: 1C Company

<a href=http://int.games.1c.ru/>1C Company</a>, one of the largest indie software developers and publishers in the Motherland, is set to publich games in the US. Here's the press release:<blockquote>1C Company is happy to announce that it will begin publishing its titles in the United States. Between a new distribution and co-publishing partnership with Atari, Inc. and new offices in the West, consumers will soon be able to buy 1C’s game in most retailers across the US.
<br>
<br>
“1C has secured the position of the biggest publisher and distributor in Eastern and Central Europe. Our goal is to keep this leading role in the region and to expand our business into the Far East and Western worlds,” said Nikolay Baryshnikov, International Sales Director, 1C Company. “We have already opened several new offices including 1C UK and 1C Asia-Pacific and look forward to strengthening our position in the US. Together with our distribution partner Atari we would like to introduce our games to the American audience and offer an innovative approach to all the existing genres.”
<br>
<br>
“Atari is thrilled to partner with 1C and offer our retail partners a wider-array of products to appeal to the broad and fast-growing demographic of gamers in North America,” added Robert Stevenson, VP Business Development and Third Party at Atari.</blockquote>While good news for the indie developer and its fans, <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Yeltsin#Death>Boris Yelstin was considerably heartbroken</a> with Atari's involvement.
<br>
<br>
<br>
Spotted at: <A HREF="http://int.games.1c.ru/">1C Company</A>

 

[Texas Red]

So I assume the next game 1C will announce will be some lame action RPG for consoles?

 

[Deacdo]

1C has 3 TBS games coming out that I'm interested in...though don't necessarily expect to be particularly good. Here's hoping, though ('cause it ain't like many N. American devs are making TBed games).

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

Madness?
THIS IS RUSS...
No, nevermind.

 

[Jason]

How is 1C an "indie developer"?

 

[Fez]

I thought 1C was a major name in the CIS.

 

[Texas Red]

And I thought that 1C was actually a publisher!

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

1C Company is both a developer and a publisher.

 

[Roqua]

I'm a little lost. Is it that they publish indie like games? How are they indie?

What's the rules about indie? When is the line crossed from independant to dependant? And who do you become dependant on? You could say shareholders, but there are huge chains that are not incorporated, such as Subway as well as some other huge examples. Does it mean independant of major professional help?

this answers yes to all: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/indie

But, it has to be subjective. 1C can't be the biggest in eastern and central asia and be an indie themselves. When compared with Atari, maybe.

 

[dagorkan]

John Carpenter and Terry Gillam made awesome indie movies. But they still had $millions at their disposal.

So I think what it means is still having the freedom to go against the axioms of the industry, to make decisions no large company would dare to. And I think that's what appeals to people, whether the overall quality of the final product matches that of big established corporations or not.

If you have a small budget but do a completely mainstream project you're 'indie in name only'.

Not saying that's the right definition but that's how I think of it.

 

[denizsi]

If you have a small budget but do a completely mainstream project you're 'indie in name only'.

Nonsense. Don't be a romantic about it, attributing "higher" values to it. Indie games can be just as dull, boring and streamlined as the rest of the industry. Indie = developers not having anyone above them who have a say about what to do and what not to do. If Beth go out of business today but the core team sticks together and keep making shitty games through their own free will, they are indie too.

 

[dagorkan]

I'm not glorifying them. I'm just saying that indies who do a safe mainstream project are wasting the one advantage they have - ie that they can be creative and try different new (or 'outdated') approaches.

I can't blame them for playing it safe but the really good (who'll be talked about, copied, remembered) indies are the ones who take risks.