Show the Indies some love.

I love iindependent game makers.  Some of these people are living the dream.  They're making games and getting them published.  Some dream of making a living from it, others just want to finance their next project.  Others are just happy that someone is playing something that they built. 

I went through the Indie Games section of Xbox Live Marketplace last night and looked at the variety.  They have everything there from neat, polished games that you would not be surprised to see on a store shelf to rough attempts by novices.  Some are clever concepts and others are just clones of something else.  It really is a mixed bag, but some things in there are true treasures.  Others look like they were made by immature teenagers to amuse their friends.

So as I looked through there, I downloaded a few demos.  Due to budget issues, and a problem with my credit card I can't buy anything until later this week, but I noted a few promising games that I'll try to feature.

One that impressed me was Avatar Deathmatch.  Basically, you take your avatar and play your friends.  You shoot foam darts, similar to a Nerf gun.  There are various powerups such as God Mode (invincibility), Health kits, and better weapons.  This is on my list to buy.  I can't wait to play against some of my friends with this one.  I recommend checking this one out. 

I plan to talk a bit more about others that catch my eye later, but if you see any fun indie games, whether for Xbox, or for PC, or for anything else, let me know and I'll give it a shout out.  You might be in on the ground floor of the next Angry Birds or Minecraft.  Or maybe you'll make some kid's day.  Maybe you'll inspire some kids to really learn their stuff and someday put out a Triple A title.  Even Jordan Michener started out as a kid with a computer, a little knowledge, and a dream.

So when you can, show the indies a little love.  Take the time to read the catalogue and see what's there.  You may find a fun game and you may make some kid's day. 

Note:  I'm not saying that you should buy a bad game just to encourage some kid (unless it's your cousin or something), but take the time to see what's there and reward someone for good work when you can.