The indie side of the video game industry has managed to grow to a massive scale over the past several years. It wasn't long ago that titles such as Spelunky and Cave Story were becoming underground cult hits, and now games like Super Meat Boy and Castle Crashers are practically household names among gaming aficionados. That's why it makes sense that the indie spectrum will soon obtain even more recognition in Vancouver with the Full Indie Summit. Acting as a spiritual successor to GDC Canada, this “developer's conference on a shoestring budget” will include a number of talks from notable industry folk and even presentations from Sony and Nintendo. Suffice it to say if you're in the Vancouver area and fancy yourself an indie lover, you're going to want to check out the show.
The Full Indie Summit will feature a number of organized talks about the video game industry. While we've certainly seen this type of event in the form of GDC and even IndieCade, the surface has barely been scratched on the incredible world of indie games. Developers will talk about game design, discuss the business side of things, and go into detail on art and mechanics. What makes these talks so exciting is that while we've seen this kind of thing for major releases, it's still a fresh topic for indie games.
One of the devs behind Mark of the Ninja will be speaking at the Full Indie Summit.
Among the speakers at the Full Indie Summit are Nels Anderson from Mark of the Ninja and DeathSpank developer Klei Entertainment and Erick Johnson from A Valley Without Wind developer Arcen Games. Sony and Nintendo will touch base on the process toward getting games on consoles, and they'll discuss how the landscape has changed over the years, allowing for a more streamlined process. What you'll get from all of these talks is a nice mix of both developers and major publishers sharing their thoughts, know-how, and experiences regarding the industry and indie game development's place within that industry.
The Full Indie Summit is almost like a spiritual successor of sorts to GDC Canada.
It won't just be smaller studios sharing their knowledge, though. Developers who've worked on major franchises will also be at the Full Indie Summit. Tyler Sigman (who previously worked on Age of Empires and Sonic Rivals) and Joel Green (who was a part of the Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Need for Speed franchises) will also speak at the event. It'll definitely prove interesting seeing how what these folks have to say ties in to indie game development.
The main appeal about most video games is their fun factor. That's why it would be impossible to have a developer's conference without some entertainment. The Full Indie Summit Kick-Off Party will take place on the day before the event at the Portside Pub. Following the event will be the Full Indie Summit After Party, which will occur at Timbre Restaurant. If you can't make it to these gatherings, you'll still be able to have some drinks and snacks during the actual conference. Also, prizes.(!!!)
Retro City Rampage creator Brian Provinciano is one of the event organizers.
Of course, I can't possibly go on about the Full Indie Summit without giving credit where it's due. Organizing the event is Full Indie, which is run by Alex Vostrov, Ola Rogula, Alain-Daniel Bourdages, and Kimberly Voll. Working alongside these fine volunteers to orchestrate the event is Brian Provinciano, who's notable for creating the wonderfully insane old school parody Retro City Rampage.
Now for the details. The Full Indie Summit will occur on Saturday, April 20 at The Rio in Vancouver, British Columbia. Tickets are priced at $10. For more information, check out the official Full Indie Summit PDF. It's a shame that I'm so far from Vancouver, because at such a low price, I'd be at the conference in a heartbeat. That said, if you're close to the area and are passionate about games, design, and the industry as a whole, you should definitely hit up The Rio on April 20. Happy indie gaming!
Want to talk about indie games, Kirby, or cheap pizza? Follow me on Twitter @dr_davidsanchez.
