Is Baldur's Gate 3 an Indie Game? TGA Awards Nominations Spark Discussion
After the announcement of the nominees for this year's TGA awards in the indie game category, a discussion about the rightness of the organizers' decision heated up online.
As every year at this time, we learned the list of games nominated for December's The Game Awards. For the next few weeks, gamers from around the world can cast votes for their favorites. And while the community is focusing its attention on the battle for the Game of the Year title, there is no less excitement in the indie category.
According to the general definition, so-called "indies" are games developed by small teams without financial support from publishers. In recent years, however, the term "indie" has lost much of its original meaning - so much so that it has become a commercial category.
The inclusion of Dave the Diver among the nominated "indies" became a source of discussion. According to those who still remember the "old definition" of indie games, the title should not be on the list, because it was developed with the support of an international corporation - in this case, South Korea's Nexon.
Very disappointed by such a turn of events is Circana's popular analyst, Mat Piscatella, who made it clear that more than to Dave the Diver a place in the category of independent games belongs to Baldur's Gate 3. The work of Larian Studios was created without outside funding (largely helped here by money from the sale of the game in the early access phase), and this, according to an industry expert, is the key aspect that determines the categorization of such titles.
Kotaku website journalist Ash Parrish also joined the discussion, noting that "there is need for either a strict definition of indie, or a new category, as it is clear that the games chosen are based on a distinctive atmosphere and pixels."
Also on the side of the two was one of the developers of Marvel's Avengers, Keano Raubun, who noted that: "Dave the Diver is produced by a subsidiary of Nexon, a company worth billions of dollars. Therefore, 'stylized non-AAA game' would be a more apt category, but it's not as cool as an indie game."
On the opposite side of the barricade, on the other hand, we find Robert Boyd. The content creator known for running Zeboyd.com, stated that BG3 also did not deserve to be described as an indie game, as its development required a huge amount of money, an equally powerful team, and in addition, it is based on a major brand not owned by Larian. The studio itself, meanwhile, is partly owned by the Tencent Group.
In a subsequent post, Boyd suggested that the indie category be replaced with "low-budget games" whose creation costs do not exceed $1 million.
In conclusion, they saying that one's point of view depends on where one stands is most applicable here. Each of the aforementioned games has characteristics that qualify and disqualify it as an indie game. If we consider the purely technical side, self-financed Baldur's Gate 3 is more independent than Dave the Diver. On the other hand, focusing on the very nature of the gameplay and budget, the pixelated game by Mintrocket is more deserving of the "indie" title. But if so, then we should no longer talk about an indie game, but only a low-budget game.
Baldur's Gate 3's physical version is getting closer and closer
Finally, it is worth mentioning that Larian Studios has winked at fans hoping for Baldur's Gate 3 to finally appear globally on physical media. In a post commenting on the TGA 2023 nomination, the Belgian developers let it be known that we will receive concrete information on the matter later this week.
"Xbox fans and fans of physical releases should look out for an official announcement. It's going to be a busy week," reads an excerpt from the developers' post.
