Features
Part 1: What is Independent Gaming?
By Derek Yu
August 6th, 2007
The Way I See It
Somewhere toward the end of college, Video Games and I went on a break. Not a break up, since we both agreed that we still enjoyed each other's company. And we had too much history just to give it all up, you know? But it just started to feel, I don't know, really impersonal.
I guess we had both kind of changed. She started hanging out with some really rich, Hollywood types and I noticed that all of a sudden she was really into 3d technology and high production values. Me? Well, I thought she looked nice, but I missed the good old days, when it didn't matter how much money we had - when anything was possible and the world was ours for the taking. She was so eager to try new things back then... now it takes three years and a few billion dollars just for us to go on a simple date. (And I'm ashamed to say it, but sometimes I thought she looked really tacky in all that bloom lighting.)
What can I say? It just wasn't the same.
Things didn't really get any better as time went on. We'd still go out, occasionally, but you could tell that something was gone. The slightest thing could set off an argument. Example:
"Didn't we just eat here the other day?" I would ask at dinner. (Inevitably we'd go to some fancy, over-priced new place with nothing but sex and violence on the menu... where you needed a tux and a $500 graphics card just to get in the door).
"No," she'd reply, coldly. "That was Halo 2. This is Halo 2: Game of the Year Edition. And you asked me the same thing about Final Fantasy 8, 9, and 10!"
"Well, I'm sorry! I just can't tell the difference anymore. God, this place is so crowded," I complained, as I picked at the tiny little morsel on my plate with my controller. "A Link to the Past gave you twice as much food, and for half the price..."
"God, all you ever do is talk about the past and complain! I'm sick of it! And I put on all this bump-mapping and bloom lighting for nothing!"
(Silence)
And maybe she was right. I did spend too much time talking about the past. But where was our future going? Maybe it really was time to see what else was out there. Movies? Books? Comic Books? Board Games was kind of homely, but at least I knew she'd never cheat on me.
So I called it off with Video Games. She cried when I told her how I felt, but we both knew it was for the best. It wasn't long before we both started seeing other people. For her it was a string of young guys who were mostly into her good looks... real boorish types who liked to argue in all caps about what system she looked best in. Me? I got into a few relationships with other artforms, but it never lasted. (At one point I was so desperate I even called up my ex from junior highschool, Pogs, for a one night stand. Yech, what a disaster that was.) After a while I really started to wonder if I was going to find "the one."
Then, one day, purely by chance, I ran into Video Games again on the internet. (You never know who you're going to run into there.) I could tell the years had taken a toll on her - she was bloated, rehashed, and uninspired. But hey, running around with fanboys and Hollywood types will do that to you.
We hugged briefly and exchanged pleasantries, and then she introduced me to her family. That's when it happened:
"Derek, I'd like you to meet my younger sister: Independent Games."
Independent Games? I took one look at her and my pulse reached a fever pitch. Wow, she had really grown up. She was beautiful! And not in that made-up, fake way like Video Games, but in that genuine, natural way that's so much more appealing, am I right? I could tell from the start that she had a lot of passion for gaming. I asked her out immediately.
It was a whirlwind romance, and every moment we spent together was wonderful. I took the time to really get to know her, and I was overjoyed to find out how genuine and thoughtful she was. We went out, tried new things, took chances. Things weren't always perfect, but for the first time in a while, playing games felt exciting again. I felt like a new man. I was in love.
It's been a few years now, and it only seems to be getting better for me and Independent Games. She's even hotter now than she was when I first met her. We still make sweet, sweet love all the time, and it's just as great as the very first time. Yep. Oh, and guess what? We're pregnant!
That's right! Thanks... I was as surprised as you are.
In the end, there are no hard feelings between me and Video Games. She's doing her thing, and we're doing ours. Although I think Independent Games is having a good influence on her. She sees how happy we are together and I can tell that she's trying to innovate a little bit. Last I heard she was meeting guys through digital online distribution, so that's good. I wish her the best of luck.
In fact, I'm supposed to meet Video Games and Independent Games tonight for dinner and a few drinks. And there's a question that I've been dying to ask the both of them...
"Threesome?"
The Independent Gaming Source © 2007 Derek Yu
All games / screenshots belong to their respective creators.