LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
1
TITLE PAG E
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
3
CONTE NTS
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
5
INTRO
DESIGNER
MFA THESIS PROJECT
CHARLES NOARD
INDIE APE
“
THERE COULD BE MORE DONE TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO THESE TITLES AND HELP USERS UNDERSTAND HOW TO GET TO THESE GAMES, AND IN SOME CASES, HELP THEM REALIZE THAT THEY EVEN EXIST.
”
Kellee Santiago Founder of Thatgamecompany
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
7
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
9
LEVEL 1
IT’S DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE The Issue With Independent Video G ames With the advances in technology and digital distribution that have been made in recent years, now more than ever it has become easier for independent game developers to create and release their work to a global audience. However, they are now faced with the problem of effectively promoting their games to this new found audience. Due to limited budget, small team size, and no support from publishers, advertising is often times sacrificed in favor of development, causing many independent games to become overlooked upon their release.
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
HELLO WORLD! Industry Up - and- Comers Everyone has to start somewhere, and more often than not it’s small. Like their indie film and music cousins, and their respective industries, being a part of an indie game development team is how many people get their start within the game industry. Today’s indie developer might one day go on to found the next big game studio, or perhaps they decide to stay independent and create the next surprise hit that changes how people think about games. Whatever their end goal might be, it is vitally important to create opportunities for indie developers and their games to engage with their audience in order to have a better chance at success.
PAG E
11
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
A Highly Competitive Industry Indie game developers are having a difficult time competing with their AAA and mainstream counterparts. According to the release of the Entertainment Software Association’s 2014 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry, 59% of Americans play video games, and spent roughly $21.5 billion on games in 2013. With the video game industry experiencing a huge surge in popularity within the last decade, and so much money on the line, big publishers will go to great lengths to get their games out into the public conscience. Large marketing campaigns have become a multi-million dollar venture. Electronic Arts’ 2013 release of Battlefield 4 was backed by a budget of $100 million, with more than half of it going towards marketing. This is in contrasted to the estimated budget of $150 thousand that the average indie developer have to work with. Unfortunately, such a small budget does not allow for a large marketing campaign, forcing them to find more cost effective ways to successfully promote their games.
Risks Move the Industry For ward Ur anda si omnis sae corro quam res es is aliquia estotata volo que ium ut dolorer iorpore vellaborum iscipsunt aut quis ent, sae verisitati doluptaepra quis ne pedit volest, senis milique veraest, sum eictasp erciis dolupta sperspe rumentur, omnisti aturiosantem ut od moluptaquam faceperum labo. Ipis nimaximusa voluptam faccull entibus volest voloren istinve llabo. Agnissitibus as enimaiorempe voluptasim sunte pe nienihi temporecus eum que etur? Qui seque voluptae. Sinvera est pa coritia sendant estrum remolut omnitas sinitaero qui inihil illaccu lparita spelluptas eate dolor moluptatio etur, simollatiis aciis doluptam quibusciam reped quam, offictibusto velenisquas maxim cullest ende ommolupid modi iunt.
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
13
DOCUMENTED INDIES*
43% YET TO BE REALEASED
59% OF AMERICANS PLAY VIDEO GAMES
$
*statistics according to IndieDB.com
DESIGNER
MFA THESIS PROJECT
CHARLES NOARD
INDIE APE
“
INDIE VIDEO GAMES ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE EVOLUTION OF GAMES, BECAUSE INDIE GAMES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE RISKS.
”
Darren Knob Audio and Music Designer for Supergiant Games
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
15
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
17
LEVEL 2
WORK, WORK Research and Development Now that I had solidified my thesis topic and the issue facing indie game developers and their work, it was time that I did further research in order to not only back up my claims, but to ensure that I find an appropriate, and effective solution to the problem. Throughout the process of research I read many books, visited various websites, and attended a few conferences.
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
HITTING THE BOOKS Retro Research In order to help myself understand the indie game scene, and video games as a whole I began reading books which detailed the history of the industry. I also turned to books on game design to see if I could find any insights through the principles and rules that game developers try to follow in order to make a strong game, and a meaningful user experience. While these books proved useful, I also needed to look toward research materials that gave insight into the current state of the indie game community.
The Power of the Internet Most of the information I found came from websites, such as Pixel Prospector, IndieDB, and TIGSource, which serve as forums and information aggregates for indie game resources, yet even that proved difficult in some respects, as unlike larger game studios and publishers, that often disclose budget and sales figures for the numerous games that they develop, or represent, Indie games are spread across thousands of small development teams. Keeping track of statistics across a diverse, and unfortunately, unrepresented group
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
19
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
ATTENDING EVENTS Retro Research In order to help myself understand the indie game scene, and video games as a whole I began reading books which detailed the history of the industry. I also turned to books on game design to see if I could find any insights through the principles and rules that game developers try to follow in order to make a strong game, and a meaningful user experience. While these books proved useful, I also needed to look toward research materials that gave insight into the current state of the indie game community.
Insights Most of the information I found came from websites, such as Pixel Prospector, IndieDB, and TIGSource, which serve as forums and information aggregates for indie game resources, yet even that proved difficult in some respects, as unlike larger game studios and publishers, that often disclose budget and sales figures for the numerous games that they develop, or represent, Indie games are spread across thousands of small development teams. Keeping track of statistics across a diverse, and unfortunately, unrepresented group
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
21
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
23
“
WE NEED PASSIONATE PEOPLE BURROWING DOWN INTO NICHES, INTO EVERY STRANGE AND OBSCURE STRAND THAT YOU LOVE, YOU WANT TO SHOUT ABOUT, AND YOU WANT TO SHARE.
”
Marie Foulston Event Curator of Wild Rumpus
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
25
Talking to Players During my research I also talked with friends and strangers alike to find out more about their opinions on video games, and what could potentially drive their interest in finding out more.
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
27
LEVEL 3
CHOOSE YOUR CHARACTER Designing an Identity Having figured out how I would approach my thesis topic after months of research I began developing an
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
THE EVOLUTION OF OUR LOGO Having decided on creating a collective of artists and designers focused on promoting indie games through pop-up arcade and art gallery events I immediately set out to develop a logo that would unify the group and give an identity to our cause. Many developers create games inspired by the games that they played when they were children. Similarly, having grown up during the area of 8-bit and 16-bit I wanted to pay homage to the retro graphics that I grew up with and continue to enjoy today. I also wanted to created something of a mascot for our events that people could become easily familiar with. Having done initial research into the prospect of guerrilla marketing as a form of promotion, the idea of a gorilla becoming the group mascot started to grow on me as I began to sketch out ideas.
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
29
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
31
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
33
THIS IS OUR FINAL FORM After many design reiterations I eventually decided on the logo that you see now. The typeface used for the logotype is custom, taking inspiration from classic 8-bit fonts and applying a rounded finish to give it a more polished, modern feel. The logomark of the ape is meant to serve as the face of the collective and can be used with or without the accompanying logotype.
DESIGNER
MFA THESIS PROJECT
CHARLES NOARD
INDIE APE
SKELETAL STRUCTURE
x 3x
3x
3x
3x
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
35
x 3x
3x
3x
3x
DESIGNER
MFA THESIS PROJECT
CHARLES NOARD
INDIE APE
COLOR PALETTE Taking inspiration from the primary colors found within the world of graphic design (CMYK), and video games (RGB), the colors for Indie Ape were chosen to convey a bright, energetic and playful atmosphere. The secondary colors are meant to provide depth when used in conjunction with their primary counterpart.
G rape Ape
G rape Ape
Pantone: Pantone 225 C
Pantone: Pantone 225 C
CMYK: C0 M100 Y0 K0
CMYK: C0 M100 Y0 K0
HEX: #EC008C
HEX: #EC008C
RGB: 240R 0G 140B
RGB: 240R 0G 140B
Unripe Banana
Unripe Banana
Pantone: Pantone 375 C
Pantone: Pantone 375 C
CMYK: C100 M0 Y50 K0
CMYK: C100 M0 Y50 K0
HEX: #8DC635
HEX: #8DC635
RGB: 140R 200G 60B
RGB: 140R 200G 60B
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
37
Blue Baboon
Blue Baboon
Pantone: Pantone 2995 C
Pantone: Pantone 2995 C
CMYK: C100 M0 Y0 K0
CMYK: C100 M0 Y0 K0
HEX: #00AEEF
HEX: #00AEEF
RGB: 0R 175G 240B
RGB: 0R 175G 240B
Ripe Banana
ripe Banana
Pantone: Pantone 136 C
Pantone: Pantone 136 C
CMYK: C0 M30 Y100 K0
CMYK: C0 M30 Y100 K0
HEX: #FDB913
HEX: #FDB913
RGB: 250R 185G 20B
RGB: 250R 185G 20B
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
TYPOGRAPHY While the games we grew up on may have been pixelated, and at times difficult to understand, our typography is not. Instead, we chose to look towards more modern games for inspiration. Proxima Nova Alt. provides a bold, clean look, and, as it’s a super family, variety for any typographic need that may arise.
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
39
B O D Y T E X T / P R O X I M A N O VA A LT, L I G H T
D I S P L AY T E X T / P R O X I M A N O VA A LT, B O L D
A
B
C
H
I
J
D K
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
L
M
N
H
I
J
K
E
F
G
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ! ? @ # & = + - , : /
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ! ? @ # & = + - , : /
A HEADER IS YOU!
Voluptum re, quam, omnimpel moloreic torrunt qui quatur re con porecum quatiatiam es solenissimet dernatum net a con rem re conest volo omnis mil ipis ducim adi bere laborepere nossimagnam volupit antPid explita di non nobitae, quatis voluptat la vellate. Ehent que is sundus?
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
TARGET PLAYERS Since my goal is to engage potential players through
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
41
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
43
INFLUENTIAL GAMES Since Indie Ape is about putting on pop-up arcade and art gallery events in order to promote independent video games, I wanted a portion of my thesis to incorporate illustration as I am a huge fan of poster design. I began taking inspiration from some of my favorite graphic designers and illustrators, such as Olly Moss, Tom Whalen, Malika Fuvre, and Eric Tan. I paid close attention to the techniques they utilized in order to give...
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
INFLUENTIAL ILLUSTRATORS Since Indie Ape’s primary goal is to put on pop-up arcade and art gallery events in order to promote independent video games, I had to start securing some artwork. While I was reaching out to other artists to see if they were interested in joining the collective, and willing to contribute some of their own work, I was also working on developing my illustration skills as I wanted to create some artwork of my own. I began taking inspiration from some of my favorite graphic designers and illustrators, such as Olly Moss, Tom Whalen, Malika Fuvre, and Eric Tan. I paid close attention to the techniques they utilized in order to give their illustrations a strong sense of depth, and personality.
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
45
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
47
DEVELOPING MY STYLE Since Indie Ape is about putting on pop-up arcade and art gallery events in order to promote independent video games, I wanted a portion of my thesis to incorporate illustration as I am a huge fan and collector of video game fan art. I began taking inspiration from some of my favorite graphic designers and illustrators, such as Olly Moss, Tom Whalen, Malika Fuvre, and Eric Tan. I paid close attention to the techniques they utilized in order to give their illustrations depth, and personality.
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
GUACAMELEE / COMPUTER ROUGHS
RISK OF RAIN / COMPUTER ROUGHS
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
SHOVEL KNIGHT / COMPUTER ROUGHS
OC TO DA D / CO M PUTER ROUG HS
PAG E
49
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
LUF TR AUSERS / COMPUTER ROUG HS
THEY BLEED PIXELS / COMPUTER ROUGHS
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
51
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
SECURING A SPACE Since Indie Ape is about putting on pop-up arcade and art gallery events in order to promote independent video games, I wanted a portion of my thesis to incorporate illustration as I am a huge fan of poster design. I began taking inspiration from some of my favorite graphic designers and illustrators, such as Olly Moss, Tom Whalen, Malika Fuvre, and Eric Tan. I paid close attention to the techniques they utilized in order to give their illustrations depth, and personality.
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
53
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
55
ENGAGING GAMES Since Indie Ape is about putting on pop-up arcade and art gallery events in order to promote independent video games, I wanted a portion of my thesis to incorporate illustration as I am a huge fan of poster design. I began taking inspiration from some of my favorite graphic designers and illustrators, such as Olly Moss, Tom Whalen, Malika Fuvre, and Eric Tan. I paid close attention to the techniques they utilized in order to give their illustrations depth, and personality.
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
CREATING AN EXPERIENCE Since Indie Ape is about putting on pop-up arcade and art gallery events in order to promote independent video games, I wanted a portion of my thesis to incorporate illustration as I am a huge fan of poster design. I began taking inspiration from some of my favorite graphic designers and illustrators, such as Olly Moss, Tom Whalen, Malika Fuvre, and Eric Tan. I paid close attention to the techniques they utilized in order to give their illustrations depth, and personality.
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
57
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
59
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
61
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
63
LEVEL 4
END GAME Final Deliverables The following pages contain the work that I both designed and curated in order to put on Indie Ape’s first event, Indie Artcade.
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
65
INDIE APE BUSINESS SYSTEM The business system acts as a representation of the Indie Ape collective when dealing with interested developers, artists, and players who want to contribute to or learn more about our work.
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
INDIE APE WEBSITE Our website serves as a way to promote the events that we put on and the games that will be featured. A gallery page is in place to showcase past work created by our many talented artists. In the future he hope to license our fan art which can then be purchased by interested visitors, with the money made going back to the artist and a portion going towards Indie Ape’s further development.
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
67
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
69
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
71
INDIE ARTCADE PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS In order to help get the word out about our arcade and art gallery event, posters and postcards
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
73
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
INDIE GAME FAN ART Fan art created by the Indie Ape collective of artists serves as a secondary means to engage with people who attend our events.
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
SHOVEL KNIGHT / CHARLES NOARD
75
DESIGNER
MFA THESIS PROJECT
CHARLES NOARD
LUF TR AUSERS / CHARLES NOARD
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
O C TO D A D : D A D L I E S T C ATC H / C H A R L E S N O A R D
77
DESIGNER
MFA THESIS PROJECT
CHARLES NOARD
RISK OF RAIN / CHARLES NOARD
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
THEY BLEED PIXELS / CHARLES NOARD
79
DESIGNER
MFA THESIS PROJECT
CHARLES NOARD
GUACAMELEE / CHARLES NOARD
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
81
DESIGNER
MFA THESIS PROJECT
CHARLES NOARD
INDIE APE
D O N ’ T S TA R V E / YO U C E F A G A B A
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
T R A N S I S TO R / I G O R A RT YO M E N KO
83
DESIGNER
MFA THESIS PROJECT
CHARLES NOARD
INDIE APE
LIMBO / ARWA ISMAIL
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
85
JOURNE Y / ARWA ISMAIL
DESIGNER
MFA THESIS PROJECT
CHARLES NOARD
INDIE APE
FEZ / ARWA ISMAIL
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
87
DESIGNER
MFA THESIS PROJECT
CHARLES NOARD
INDIE APE
HYPER LIGHT DRIFTER / JEFF M. JOHNSON
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
89
HOTLI N E M I A M I / J EFF M . JOH NSON
DESIGNER
MFA THESIS PROJECT
CHARLES NOARD
INDIE APE
PRISON ARCHITECT / ROBIN WELLS
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
91
S I R , YO U A R E B EI N G H U NTED / RO B I N W E L L S
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
PAG E
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
93
D.I.Y ARCADE CABINETS
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
95
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
INDIE ARTCADE GALLERY EVENT Indie Artcade marked the first pop-up arcade and art gallery put on by Indie Ape. Over the course of the 3 hour event, around 70 people showed up to play games together and view some art , and the show was well received by everyone in attendance. It was awesome seeing people interact not only with the games, but with each other. A great start, and first step to bigger things to come.
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
97
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
99
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
101
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
103
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
105
LEVEL 5
KEEPING SCORE Thesis Impac t and Statistics During Indie Artcade I handed out a survey to the people that attended the event in hopes of collecting data and gaining insights in how to move forward with future events.
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
107
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
109
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE
LEVEL 1
THE ISSUE WITH INDIES
PAG E
111
DESIGNER
CHARLES NOARD
MFA THESIS PROJECT
INDIE APE