The team from Alientrap, the independent game developer responsible for Capsized and Nexuiz, decided that indies needed a better way to sell their games. So they created Indievania, a digital store designed specifically for indie game developers and the gamers who love them.
Currently in open beta, Indievania offers cross-platform (Windows, Mac, and Linux), DRM-free versions of indie games at a variety of pricepoints. Developers are encouraged to submit their game at any stage of development and with a variety of business models – from microtransactions to pay-what-you-want.
The big sell for patrons of indie development is the claim that 100% of game’s cost goes to the developers. Instead of taking a cut of the sale, Indievania passes the money directly to the developer’s PayPal account. By removing as many middlemen as possible, Indievania hopes to foster strong player-developer relationships. Future goals for the service include merchant options beyond PayPal, a Netflix-/Amazon-like recommendation system, and the ability for developers to bundle their games.
Indievania will need to continue to build its library of games to compete in the long term, as just today Zoo Entertainment divulged more details on IndiePub, their new “Steam for indies” platform, which launches later this year. Connecting players with the developers behind games like the RPG-sendups Cthulu Saves the World and Breath of Death VII, or Minecraft/Tetris platforming mashup Blocks That Matter could help Indievania carve out a niche before its competitors get rolling.
Source: Indievania
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