The Game Awards raises an old question: What does indie mean?

The Game Awards got it wrong this year. One of the titles nominated for Best Independent Game, Dave the Diver, was produced by Nexon, one of the largest video game studios in South Korea. No matter how hard you squint, it is not indie. Dave the Diver is an excellent pixel-art game about deep-sea fishing and restaurant management, but it was commissioned and bankrolled by Nexon subsidiary Mintrocket, with billions of dollars and decades of experience at its back. When The Game Awards nominees were announced on November 13, fans were quick to point out the error, and the recurring debate over what “indie” means was reignited. Taehwan Kim, Nexon’s overseer of Mintrocket, weighed in on November 14, saying Dave the Diver “may look like an indie, but it's not necessarily the case.” The official tweet listing the nominees for Best Independent Game now carries a reader-generated context tag reading, “Dave the Diver is not an indie game. Mintrocket, the game's developer, is a subsidiary of Korea's biggest game company Nexon. They are not independent in any sense of the word.” Nexon A discussion around the definition of “indie” bubbled up throughout November, but it raised more questions than it answered. One common conclusion was that the media outlets who voted Dave the Diver into the independent category were fooled by its pixel art, a style that’s associated with indie games. During a live Q&A on Twitch on November 26, The Game Awards organizer Geoff Keighley argued that... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2023-12-01 20:52:11 UTC ]

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Netflix subscribers will soon get access to mobile versions of two Rogue Games titles

Netflix is adding two more releases to its excellent library of games. The streaming giant announced Monday it recently secured exclusive mobile rights to Dust & Neon and Highwater, two upcoming titles from indie publisher Rogue Games. Of the two, the former will arrive first when it hits... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-02-06 18:00:28 UTC ]
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Spotify accuses Apple of impeding its fledgling audiobook business

Spotify launched its audiobook business just last month with 300,000 titles, but is now saying that Apple is engaging in "anticompetitive" behavior that is impinging the new business, the company wrote in a blog post. It said that Apple rejected its audiobook purchasing system three times due to... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-10-26 07:02:10 UTC ]
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Purchasing Mentorist Pro before August 24 will help a charity in need

Have you made a promise to yourself to learn something new this year? There are numerous ways to do so, ranging from college courses to e-learning programs. Many successful entrepreneurs look to books as sources of inspiration. However, if you’re busy managing your business, time is of the... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2022-08-24 08:00:00 UTC ]
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Watch Annapurna Interactive's games showcase here at 3PM ET

Annapurna Interactive is set to hold its second games showcase today at 3PM and you can watch it below. The powerhouse indie publisher just released one of the most anticipated games of the year in Stray, as well as the acclaimed, speedrun-friendly Neon White. It's about to offer a look at... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-07-28 18:00:16 UTC ]
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Publishing House of Horrors: Spotlight on Stygian Sky Media

With an ever-expanding list of titles, genres, authors, and imprints, the indie publisher is giving writers a path to success and an alternative to larger, more traditional houses. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Oneworld launches audio list

Indie publisher Oneworld has created an audio list, which will launch with three titles from across its imprints. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-13 07:18:08 UTC ]
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World Literature Today’s 75—Make That 100—Notable Translations of 2021, by Michelle Johnson

Lit Lists 2021 was a robust year for literary translations. This list kept growing, and we didn’t resist. As always, though, we recognize there are, thankfully, many more and hope you’ll add them in the comments, along with those you’re eagerly... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2021-11-29 19:56:31 UTC ]
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Saraband launches 'green book bundle' for environmental charities

Manchester-based indie publisher Saraband is launching a "green book bundle" option on its website, in support of two environmental charities.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-11-01 09:10:41 UTC ]
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Indie publisher Zando taps Gillian Flynn and Lena Waithe to find your new favorite authors

Book publisher powerhouse Molly Stern started her own company on the premise of using influential creators to surface overlooked talent. Author Gillian Flynn and writer-producer Lena Waithe are curating what could be the next wave of notable authors through their partnership with indie publisher... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2021-09-21 09:00:03 UTC ]
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Knights Of swoops for Reynolds' first illustrated middle-grade novel

Indie publisher Knights Of has swooped for Stuntboy, in the Meantime, the first illustrated middle-grade fiction title by author and US National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jason Reynolds. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-16 02:21:39 UTC ]
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Coffee House Press Names New Publisher

Anitra Budd, who has been affiliated with the Minneapolis-based indie publisher for 20 years, is the new executive director and publisher of Coffee House Press, effective October 1. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-08-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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McCall Smith on board for new indie Manderley's series

New indie publisher Manderley Press is publishing a series of forgotten or out-of-print books inspired by buildings, houses, places or landmarks, starting with Robert Louis Stevenson's Edinburgh with an introduction from Alexander McCall Smith. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-07-16 20:15:52 UTC ]
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The Independent Publishers Caucus Comes of Age

The fledgling indie publisher organization, founded in 2016, has emerged from the crucible of the Covid-19 pandemic as an invaluable resource to small presses. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How one indie publisher is reducing their carbon imprint.

Sales and marketing director Julie Atkins of outdoor sports publisher Vertebrate talks to The Bookseller about their first carbon negative book.   Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-04-15 22:42:47 UTC ]
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14 Queer and BIPOC Books From Arsenal Pulp Press to Read Right Now

Arsenal Pulp Press is an indie publisher that focuses on queer and BIPOC books. Here are 14 titles to get you started reading their backlog! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-04-02 10:34:00 UTC ]
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Cohen Leaves Quirk Books, Kupihea Moves Up

After 20 years at Quirk Books, Brett Cohen has left the indie publisher, prompting the promotion of Jhanteigh Kupihea to publisher and the return of company owner and founder David Borgenicht as president. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-03-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Jericho Prize launched for Black children's writers

Children's book blogger Fabia Turner has launched a competition for Black children's book writers, to be sponsored by inclusive indie publisher Knights Of. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-03-04 23:23:40 UTC ]
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Onwe acquires books from Ferguson and Herd

Indie publisher Onwe has acquired Rab Ferguson’s middle-grade novel, The Late Crew, and a contemporary debut novel, See My Smile, by Mike Herd (pictured).  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-22 01:44:07 UTC ]
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LGBTQI+ Cipher Press opens submissions for new queer voices

New indie publisher Cipher Press has announced its #newqueervoices submissions for UK writers identifying as trans, gender non-conforming, queer, working class and as writers of colour.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-06 21:07:42 UTC ]
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Apple removes more unlicensed games from the App Store in China

The App Store is reportedly looking a little different in China today. According to Reuters, Apple has removed roughly 39,000 games owned by developers and publishers that don’t have an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) from the Chinese gover... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2020-12-31 13:01:44 UTC ]
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