Home Gaming Ken Levine takes a swipe at indie developer attitudes

Ken Levine takes a swipe at indie developer attitudes

1 min read
82

How bad is someone when I can call them a douchebag?

The current trend in the gaming industry is Indie development. After the explosive success of Minecraft, Braid, Flower and others all the industry leaders are looking to the indies to find the next big thing.

The problem is that this is causing a certain subsection of the indie scene to starting feeling a little more important than they really are.

Granted that may be my own personal opinion, but it seems that some indie developers are becoming over-entitled douche bags who sip mochaccinos while white-knighting their latest beliefs. Others appear to want to improve themselves and move up in the industry by creating bigger and better games.

But it does make me feel a little vindicated in this belief when I see one of the top videogame developers of our time tweet out the following:

In my humble opinion until you’ve made a game that has been a mass-market or real commercial success then you should stay humble. Even though you are the most famous and successful developer in your group it doesn’t make you better than others and even when you break the mass-market you can still keep your ego in check.

Just look at the creator of Minecraft, Notch, as an example.

He’s now one of the wealthiest people in Sweden and has made one of the most successful games of all time. Yet a few days ago he tweeted the following.

That’s what I want to see. Always willing to learn and openly complimenting a veteran developer.

Last Updated: March 17, 2014

82 Comments

  1. Admiral Chief of comments

    March 17, 2014 at 09:20

    Stay humble dudes. I mean Lazygamer is very famous and…..oh, wait….

    😛

    JK, you guys are awesome

    Reply

    • RinceIsIngwer

      March 17, 2014 at 09:29

      Hahaha!

      Reply

    • General JJ the Fett

      March 17, 2014 at 09:34

      And you are the humblest of all. 😉

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief of comments

        March 17, 2014 at 09:40

        Of course, how else?

        Reply

    • Gavin Mannion

      March 17, 2014 at 09:49

      Hey Geoff is very humble… I just have an attitude problem

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        March 17, 2014 at 09:50

        According to a recent poll, you’re an asshole ;P

        Reply

        • General JJ the Fett

          March 17, 2014 at 09:54

          If it can possibly be genetic, it’s fine. Haven’t you learned anything from the newer generations?

          Reply

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            March 17, 2014 at 09:58

            The only thing I’m interested in learning from the cockroaches is how to survive a nuclear bomb blast.

          • General JJ the Fett

            March 17, 2014 at 09:59

            Oh snap

      • Admiral Chief of comments

        March 17, 2014 at 09:50

        Seconded 😉
        (to both your statements)

        Reply

    • General JJ the Fett

      March 17, 2014 at 10:00

      My humble bundle purchase record tells the story of a very humble man.

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief of comments

        March 17, 2014 at 10:04

        Humble people don’t wear eye-liner

        😛

        Reply

        • General JJ the Fett

          March 17, 2014 at 10:07

          I don’t know how I could’ve been so naive to think that this wouldn’t come up. 😉

          Reply

  2. Alien Emperor Trevor

    March 17, 2014 at 09:27

    How DARE he? This bourgeois capitalist fool does not know the meaning of true art & independence from the shackles of corporate tyranny. This literally makes me want to choke myself with my own scarf. To the coffee shop, where we will engage in ironic repartee!

    Reply

    • RinceIsIngwer

      March 17, 2014 at 09:28

      0-O

      Reply

    • Admiral Chief of comments

      March 17, 2014 at 09:34

      Don’t forget your man-bag of i-devices

      Reply

    • frikkenator

      March 17, 2014 at 09:34

      Comment of the week and it’s only Monday!

      Reply

      • Weanerdog

        March 17, 2014 at 09:42

        OVG is going to be pissed

        Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        March 17, 2014 at 09:45

        Oh dear, it’s all downhill from here.

        Reply

      • General JJ the Fett

        March 17, 2014 at 09:51

        The Emperor should not be allowed such power.

        Reply

    • General JJ the Fett

      March 17, 2014 at 09:39

      Forgot to attach a pic of your breakfast.

      Reply

      • RinceIsIngwer

        March 17, 2014 at 09:39

        BWAHAHAHAHA!

        Reply

      • Weanerdog

        March 17, 2014 at 09:42

        How long have you been in Cape Town John? We don’t do breakfast in Cape Town, John, we do Brunch!

        Reply

        • TiMsTeR1033

          March 17, 2014 at 09:43

          says the hipster.

          Reply

          • Weanerdog

            March 17, 2014 at 10:54

            I am so trendy, hipsters will only get to be this trendy in like two years time.

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          March 17, 2014 at 09:47

          What’s wrong with him? Who wakes up before 11am… poor people? Euw.

          Reply

          • Admiral Chief of comments

            March 17, 2014 at 09:51

            Since you are up, that makes you….poor?

          • General JJ the Fett

            March 17, 2014 at 09:52

            We’re all poor in the Western Cape.

          • GalacticLordCaptainAwesomeness

            March 17, 2014 at 09:53

            Republic of Cape Town, with Emperor Zille , Hipsters paradise

          • General JJ the Fett

            March 17, 2014 at 09:53

            Fo shizzle.

          • TiMsTeR1033

            March 17, 2014 at 09:55

            sure…

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            March 17, 2014 at 09:52

            According to Cape Town time it’s still Sunday 😛

          • General JJ the Fett

            March 17, 2014 at 09:53

            Seeing as this Friday is a public holiday, we’re probably only working until 12 on Thursday then, right? Don’t want to strain myself.

          • Admiral Chief of comments

            March 17, 2014 at 09:54

            Well since my ADSL is coming Wednesday, I might take extended “personal gaming time” off

          • General JJ the Fett

            March 17, 2014 at 09:56

            I first read that as ADHD. Wasn’t sure why you’d have to wait until Wednesday for it.
            Personal gaming time is very important.

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            March 17, 2014 at 09:57

            Working on Thursday? tee hee. I’m on leave…

          • General JJ the Fett

            March 17, 2014 at 09:59

            Dude. You know what company I work for. “Leave” over here is something you do when you’re fired.

          • Mossel

            March 17, 2014 at 10:18

            I was reading through all the comments and then I saw this. Friday. Public holiday. I just lost my shit.

          • General JJ the Fett

            March 17, 2014 at 10:22

            I thought it was the tenth today. So I, too, lost my shit when I saw the date this morning. 🙂

          • Weanerdog

            March 17, 2014 at 10:52

            John, John, John, no – That is not how we do it. You work till 13h00 on Wednesday.

          • General JJ the Fett

            March 17, 2014 at 10:58

            I unfortunately work for the only company in the Western Cape that will not let you leave a minute before 5 and if you do, you pay for it.

          • Weanerdog

            March 17, 2014 at 11:23

            But you get to spend all day on Lagz so not all bad.

        • General JJ the Fett

          March 17, 2014 at 09:50

          That’s actually very true.

          Reply

          • RinceIsIngwer

            March 17, 2014 at 11:32

            Behind you! *runs

    • Skyblue

      March 21, 2014 at 14:10

      Too much LULZ, thx!

      Reply

  3. Hammersteyn

    March 17, 2014 at 09:29

    Markus is so down to earth,he’s stuck in a mine.

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      March 17, 2014 at 09:31

      lol

      Reply

    • Admiral Chief of comments

      March 17, 2014 at 09:33

      hehehee

      Reply

  4. RinceIsIngwer

    March 17, 2014 at 09:29

    What is this ‘Minecraft’ you speak of?

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      March 17, 2014 at 09:31

      Are you living on some kind of isolated little island? 😉

      Reply

      • RinceIsIngwer

        March 17, 2014 at 09:32

        You shut your tramp mouth! My island is a me, I am an, no, wait, what?

        Reply

    • UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy

      March 17, 2014 at 09:36

      It’s a game where you craft mines #Logic #YesIHashtag #SorryNotSorry

      Reply

      • RinceIsIngwer

        March 17, 2014 at 09:37

        Not enough coffee yet 0-O

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          March 17, 2014 at 09:45

          Is there enough coffee? 😛

          Reply

    • VampyreSquirrel

      March 17, 2014 at 10:06

      It’s that game OVG gave you on Xbox that you probably haven’t played yet.

      Reply

    • General JJ the Fett

      March 17, 2014 at 10:11

      It’s an epic tale of friends who find themselves blocked in a world from which there is no escape. They must travel across the minefields of the strange world in search for the evil that has imprisoned them. During this time they face many evils and dangers, but the true challenge will be to work together.

      Reply

      • RinceIsIngwer

        March 17, 2014 at 10:14

        0-O Wow bro, what coffee have you had this am?

        Reply

        • General JJ the Fett

          March 17, 2014 at 10:16

          It was quite thick. Might’ve been tar. I didn’t question it’s texture, needed the kick this morning.

          Reply

  5. Rags

    March 17, 2014 at 09:32

    Carmack & Tim Sweeney. <3

    Reply

    • Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim

      March 17, 2014 at 09:38

      Shigeru Miyamoto and Shinji Mikami.
      I got to meet Miyamoto, and was in a presentation (Evil within) with Mikami.

      Reply

      • RinceIsIngwer

        March 17, 2014 at 09:39

        You want a cookie?

        Reply

      • Rags

        March 17, 2014 at 09:40

        Sorry I don’t speak Asian! 😀

        Reply

        • RinceIsIngwer

          March 17, 2014 at 09:42

          Nor does Geoff #pretend *RUNS

          Reply

          • GalacticLordCaptainAwesomeness

            March 17, 2014 at 09:52

            Ror

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          March 17, 2014 at 09:44

          It’s easy, just switch your l’s & r’s around.

          Reply

          • RinceIsIngwer

            March 17, 2014 at 09:44

            lacist

          • TiMsTeR1033

            March 17, 2014 at 09:44

            harrow!

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            March 17, 2014 at 09:45

            Excerrent!

          • TiMsTeR1033

            March 17, 2014 at 09:45

            that a type of bug spray?

          • VampyreSquirrel

            March 17, 2014 at 10:08

            RoR! You guys are tellible!!

      • Umar Praise The Golden Sun

        March 17, 2014 at 10:01

        Damn you…….

        Reply

  6. UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy

    March 17, 2014 at 09:38

    Talking about Minecrafty-type-of-stuff… How is Cube World not more popular?

    Reply

  7. Rags

    March 17, 2014 at 09:39

    Looks like his rage was aimed at cliffyb 😛

    Reply

  8. UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy

    March 17, 2014 at 09:40

    List of people I would want to meet:

    1.) Dave Grohl
    2.) Bill Gates
    3.) Boxxy

    Reply

    • ToshZA

      March 17, 2014 at 18:35

      Honestly I’d like to meet the Bieber so that I can ask her one thing. The only thing I’d ever want to hear coming out of her mouth. “How do you cope with all the abuse from the public, worldwide?”

      Reply

  9. TiMsTeR1033

    March 17, 2014 at 09:48

    These devs really need to get off their high horses and realise just because you can make a great game doesn’t mean you a God. Look at peter molyneux for example of this.

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      March 17, 2014 at 09:49

      *vrrrrrrroooooooom vrooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmm* CliffyB can’t hear you over the sound of his lambo revving.

      Molymoly isn’t arrogant, he’s delusional.

      Reply

      • TiMsTeR1033

        March 17, 2014 at 09:55

        just as bad if you ask me..

        Reply

  10. Labey-Kun

    March 17, 2014 at 09:50

    He is sad because with indie games our wallets won’t get sucked dry, games used to be for the people now it’s only for the money therefore AAA titles are lacking and indie games are more interesting to play.

    Reply

  11. Pieter Kruger

    March 17, 2014 at 09:56

    With the hundreds of Indie devs signing up for Xbox I’m a little worried that we’ll get swamped! Indies are cute and they deserve a place in the industry but I loath the day when the online store on Xbox Live will look like a mobile app store with 100 different Flappy bird thingie games!

    Reply

  12. Umar Praise The Golden Sun

    March 17, 2014 at 09:56

    Take the good with the bad Ken…..Most Indies are passionate individuals…Stop acting like the entire indie scene is that way. Not like the AAA scene is any better

    Reply

  13. Wyzak

    March 17, 2014 at 10:44

    Notch is one of the guys with a ton of attitude. The comment above might have been cool, but most of his other stuff is just drivel.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Check Also

The Steam Games Festival returns tomorrow with demos for over 40 games!

All the games on display would have been shown off at the Game Developer’s Conference but …