All three console-makers are enabling smaller firms and individuals--as well as the big names--to produce and distribute games for their systems more easily, Stern says. He takes that as the vendors' recognition that people want games outside the normal fighting and shooting or sci-fi games.

"To sell any type of product, you need a store," Roberts says. "Independent games have not been in a position to create demand. We're not seeing aggregators that specifically serve the indie community. And that's because the audience is not that large--yet." In other words, few users classify themselves as "indie" or alternative game fans, as you'd hear among music and film aficionados.

Stern suggests the parallel to indie music is not a complete one: "It's not that easy to make a game," says the Dark Game designer. "It requires a lot of different skill sets."

But the indie developers are becoming more visible; others expected at IndieCade include Off-Road Velociraptor Safari by Flashbang Studios; Room: The Main Building by Hand Made Games of Korea; Bumper Stars by Large Animal Games; and Jo Jo's Fashion Show by Gamet.ab.

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