When the great guys over at TechEU told us that (in the view of analysts at MiDIA Research) a “market correction is now finally underway with Monthly Active Users (MAUs) as well as Monthly Unique Payers (MUPs) for several top mobile game publishers in decline,” I read it was good news for Indie devs everywhere and a confirmation of what I had been thinking (and seeing) for a while.
Indies are the future of the App Economy.
At first, many may have dismissed smaller developers as a group that missed the train and that the end is near: The Indiepocalypse. But I turned that around and recalled that the ‘fringe’ is where the action — and innovation — is.
But don’t just take my word for it. Business consultants and visionaries (including ex- Xerox PARCJohn Seely Brown aka ‘JSB’) are also convinced that the richest opportunities for innovation lie at the fringe— the edges of organizations, the edges of emerging economies, and, in my view, the edges of new generations of indie app devs and small companies who live and breathe amazing gameplay.
And JSB is not just being uber-cool when he says he’d rather hire an expert player of World of Warcraft over an MBA from Harvard. He understands that thinking-outside-the-box will always bring the best results in an age like ours marked by massive (and massively exciting) constant change.
But Indies aren’t just passionate about game apps; they have the talent and team spirit to create apps that set the bar. (And now that block-buster apps are losing some of their lustre, it’s clear there is room for Indies to make some waves.)
Possibly even a tidal wave if they are given the chance.
No matter the event you choose — my message to you is: Get out there and show off your game.
Feedback from experts, friendly advice from your peers, or a vote of confidence from judges and users — it’s the input and interaction you need to take your app from good to great.
