Indie Studio Startups: What Every Aspiring Founder Needs To Know With Raph Koster

In this episode…

Are you a video game developer who dreams of starting a studio? In recent years, the gaming landscape has seen a dramatic increase in the number of independent game studios. Although founding an independent studio affords creative freedom, it is a risky industry that requires careful consideration.

According to gaming pioneer Raph Koster, the success of independent studios has always been impeded by factors such as smaller marketing and distribution channels. As a result, indie games heavily depend on word-of-mouth and critical acclaim to succeed. Additionally, due to rising costs of development tools and the need to hire more talented developers, indie studios face increasing pressure to reduce costs. Raph forecasts that studios might try to maintain quality by using AI to perform pathfinding and animation tasks. Another hindrance is the surge of games as a service, which is a safer investment for publishers. Although GaaS generates more revenue over a longer period, other genres might receive less funding.

Join Lizzie Mintus for this episode of the Here’s Waldo Podcast, where she talks to Raph Koster, CEO of Playable Worlds, about gaming startups. Raph discusses how to raise startup funding, a 10-year outlook for the gaming industry, and what makes a video game fun.