Indie/underground games and computer science education. That’s what you’re here for.
So the humble indie bundle. Ever heard of it? Started when a bunch of indie developers got together and offered up their wares, which often was half or all of their available library, DRM free, with the promise that they’d be cool with whatever you gave them and, even more, would hand over whatever you specified to charity. Very humble. Very indie. We saw incarnations 2 and 3 of this and while no one really talked about the numbers I don’t think anyone suffered too badly for what might have been seen as a bad business decision by anyone else.
I make the assumption that the participants did well enough for themselves because between 2 and 3 we saw the “FrozenByte” Humble Indie Bundle. Just one developer saying “We got this whole thing covered, stand back you little guys.” Not quite as humble but I guess they’re still indie. And it was for charity so no one really said anything about the lack of humility. At least it was still a bundle.
Today we have a brand new Humble Indie Bundle and… it’s not even a bundle. It’s one game. By one developer. Humble, out. Bundle, out. Technically if you beat the average you get the bundle from the not-so-humble FrozenByte bundle, so I guess it might technically still be a bundle, but just barely.
But it’s for charity, right? That means I’m going to be the bad guy if I call this what it is: a marketing ploy. Gasp, I’m a bad person. To even suggest that Frozen Synapse has anything but the children in mind is unthinkable.
I don’t mind a company trying to do something for a good cause, but let’s have a little honesty here. This is not humble and it’s not a bundle and the only reason they want to use those words is because they know their game won’t sell as well if they don’t. They’re using a pale imitation of other people’s noble intents to line their pockets and heaven help me if I can figure out why the people behind the humble indie bundle website are supporting them. If EA wants to sell Madden 2013 and call it a humble indie bundle, so long as they’re donating to charity, is everyone going to be okay with that?
RSS Comments.
September 28th, 2011 - 2:58 pm
I had similar thoughts when I read about it – it’s not even a bundle! They typically throw more games in as it progresses, but this is the first time it’s begun with a game count of one.
September 28th, 2011 - 7:49 pm
I’m nonplussed for now. All I can say is that the HiB guys might see it as a vehicle and not just as a work of charity. Indie games, mobilize! (or somesuch)
October 2nd, 2011 - 8:56 am
But… CHARITY!
Well they did add a second game, and that game couldn’t have been more indie.
October 2nd, 2011 - 9:48 am
True. And considerably more humble.
So they fixed it. Good for them. Maybe that was the plan all along, but I still think it was jerky of them to do something like that in the first place.
October 11th, 2011 - 9:47 pm
http://games.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1326227/latest-humble-bundle-hits-1-million
Have a cigar, you’re gonna go far..