Indie games are struggling to get attention more than ever these days. You have the PlayStation store completely full to the brim with quick cash grabs and shovelware, while events specifically designed to promote indie games — like Steam Next Fest — are being flooded with AI-generated artwork and titles. True indie gems are getting buried, and nobody really has an answer for it.
However, one company out there figured they’d found a way to make sure indie games were seen, and that was Indie Pass. This company recently announced a subscription-based service designed for indie games only, as subscribers would pay a small monthly fee to access a catalog of indie games included by willing developers. It sounds like a good idea on the surface, but unfortunately, everyone hates it.
Everyone Hates Indie Game Pass, And I Can See Why
First reported by PC Gamer, the initial reaction to Indie Pass was one of disgust at worst, and ambivalence at the very best. Across social media, you can find both potential customers and developers angry about a few of the things that Indie Pass is doing, and having taken a quick glance at the complaints, I can see why.
For starters, developers are upset at the service due to how Indie Pass will compensate those that offer their game on the service. Instead of a flat fee, Indie Pass will reward developers with cash based on how much a person interacts with their games. It essentially punishes developers out there that want to have short experiences, while rewarding those that make games purely for engagement.
You then have gamers that are upset about the service for a variety of reasons, one of them being that they’d actually rather buy indie games (which are usually quite cheap anyway) to support a developer, rather than pay money for yet another subscription service. You also have the video game preservation side of things, as most people probably like to keep the games they pay for.
All in all, this is a pretty unpopular service right from the get-go, and you even have high-profile developers out there, like 3D Realms co-founder George Broussard, calling it “poison for game developers and a net negative for gaming.”
Indie Pass director of growth Jess Mitchell came out after the service’s announcement and claimed that Indie Pass “will not damage games’ sales performance” in an interview with Gamesindustry.biz, but I struggle to see how they could even guarantee such a thing while also offering literal pennies to some developers and paying based on playtime.
We’ll have to see if Indie Pass can make some changes to how it operates and try to shake off its initial negative reception, as it will need to if it wants to stay alive. Almost everyone is still down on the idea, and while it could potentially save a handful of indie gems from the pits of the Steam store, it won’t be around for very long if it can’t get people on board.
Xbox Game Pass Is Still The Best Place To Play Indies
This week’s ID@Xbox Showcase was filling with upcoming independent bangers.
