Indie Games Uprising Explained

Indie Games Uprising
Genre:Video game development
First:December 2010
Website:Event website

The Indie Games Uprising is a developer led event designed to promote the "best of the best" Xbox Live Indie Games.[1] The promotion was originally conceived by Robert Boyd of Zeboyd Games and Ian Stocker of MagicalTimeBean, when they noticed that they both had games coming out in the same time frame.[2]

Promotions

Indie Games Winter Uprising

The first Indie Games Uprising launched in December 2010. The promotion was curated by developers Robert Boyd and Ian Stocker. Notable releases include Cthulhu Saves the World, Soulcaster II, Decimation X3 by Xona Games, and ZP2KX: Zombies & Pterodactyls! by Ska Studios. Boyd reported "spotty results" from the promotion, and cited developer's inability to set release dates on their games as a major issue.[3] Shortly after the promotion, Microsoft allowed developers to select release dates for their games.[4]

Indie Games Summer Uprising

Journalist Dave Voyles and Indie Games Winter Uprising developer Kris Steele of Fun Infused Games coordinated the second Indie Games Uprising. The Indie Games Summer Uprising opened up game submissions to the public, and were then narrowed down through rounds of voting.[5] The Summer Uprising launched on August 22, 2011 and released one title daily from Monday through Friday.[6] While developers reported a varying range of sales, Cute Things Dying Violently sold over 10,000 copies in its first month of release.[7]

Indie Games Uprising III

The Indie Games Uprising III, scheduled to start on September 10, 2012,[8] was curated by developer Michael Hicks and Summer Uprising coordinator Dave Voyles. Hicks expressed his interest in another promotion after he noticed a number of "exciting" games would be released around the same time as his own title Sententia.[9] Notable games include Gateways by the creator of The Adventures of Shuggy, and qrth-phyl from hermitgames, developer of the critically acclaimed Leave Home.[10] [11]

Indie Games Uprising Tribute

Launched on September 28, 2015, the Uprising aimed to highlight developers who started their career on Xbox Live Indie Games or gained something from publishing on the channel. Multiple games from previous Uprisings are featured, along with former XBLIG developers that are working on new projects for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Wii U.[12]

List of games

PromotionGameDeveloper
Winter UprisingSoulcaster 2MagicalTimeBean
Cthulhu Saves the WorldZeboyd Games
Radiangames Crossfire 2Radiangames
Chu's DynastyTribetoy
Alpha SquadDragon Divide
Epic Dungeoneyehook
Break LimitXalterax
Decimation X3Xona Games
Asteroids Do Concern MeEvil Robot Logic
Hypership Out of ControlFun Infused Games
Aphelion Episode Two: Wings of Omegalunatic studios
ZP2KX: Zombies & Pterodactyls!Ska Studios
UbergridderZendarion
Rickenbacker vs. the AliensSmokinskull
Summer UprisingRaventhorneMilkstone Studios
Battle High: San BrunoMattrified
Cute Things Dying ViolentlyApathyWorks
SpeedRunner HDDoubleDutch Games
Take ArmsDiscord Games
T.E.C. 3001Phoenix Game Studio
Train Frontier ExpressTeam Train Frontier
Doom and DestinyHeartbit Interactive
ChesterBrilliant Blue-G
Redd: The Lost TempleBlazing Forge Games
Uprising IIIqrth-phylhermitgames
SententiaMichaelArts
Diehard Dungeontricktale
GatewaysSmudged Cat Games
Smooth OperatorsAndreas Heydeck
EntropyAutotivity
City TuesdayChris Zukowski
XenominerGristmill Studios
PixelRatchet Game Studios

Support

Though not officially involved, Microsoft has supported the Indie Games Uprisings with front page dashboard promotions on Xbox Live.[13]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: XBLIG Indie Uprising III beings in September. Official Xbox Magazine. August 12, 2012.
  2. Web site: The Winter Games Uprising is coming. MagicalTimeBean.
  3. Web site: Boyd: Spotty Results For XBL Indie Games Winter Uprising Promotion. Gamasutra.
  4. Web site: XBLIG Developer Can Now Choose Their Release Date . Armless Octopus . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20161230005517/http://www.armlessoctopus.com/2011/05/09/xblig-developers-can-now-choose-their-release-date/ . 2016-12-30 .
  5. Web site: XBL Indie Games Uprising returns this summer, taking submissions. Joystiq.
  6. Web site: Indie Games Summer Uprising Schedules Its Releases. Indie Games Summer Uprising Schedules Its Releases. Kotaku.
  7. Web site: Cute Things Dying Violently Post-Mortem. ApathyWorks. 2012-08-12. 2014-07-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20140714154054/http://www.apathyworks.com/articles/view.php?id=21. dead.
  8. Web site: Xbox Live Indie Game Devs Ready For Third Uprising. https://web.archive.org/web/20120811063207/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/08/08/xbox-live-indie-game-devs-ready-for-third-uprising.aspx. dead. August 11, 2012. GameInformer.
  9. Web site: Uprising III. XBLIG Forums. 2012-08-12. 2014-07-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20140715012657/http://xboxforums.create.msdn.com/forums/t/104699.aspx. dead.
  10. Web site: 50 Best Indie Games. Official Xbox Magazine UK. 50 Best Indie Games. Official Xbox Magazine UK.
  11. News: Back to the bedroom: how indie gaming is reviving the Britsoft spirit. Back to the bedroom: how indie gaming is reviving the Britsoft spirit. The Guardian. London. Keith. Stuart. January 26, 2010.
  12. Web site: XBLIG Tribute. Indie Games Uprising. 2015-10-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20171017162904/http://www.indiegames-uprising.com/XBLIGTribute/. 2017-10-17. dead.
  13. Web site: Indie game developers look to Steam on the PC — instead of Xbox Live — for commercial success. VentureBeat.