Something Worthy

There is a website that is trying to promote originality among independent games by offering free promotion to any game that the owner of the site decides is worthy. It's called 1 Good Game. He also has a related blog that exposes and mocks all of the blatant clones and rip-offs that are glutting the indie market. Most are casual games. It's kind of funny and sad at the same time seeing so many repetitive and unimaginative variations on old themes.

This kind of thing is worthy of watching. We must know what is out there and be wary that we do no simply copy what has been done without making it better or creating innovation ourselves.
He also posted a link to a Google Video of Seth Godin talking at Google. It's 48 minutes long, and it's about marketing. But it is also about a mentality in design that changes the focus from making something just like everyone else, then pushing it, to creating something worthy of people's attention. Instead of forcing a sell, the innovation creates it's own demand. This is what indie developers should be striving for. This is what I want to strive for.

I've always kind of cringed away from marketing because I've felt that it is deceitful and pushy. There is an unwanted feeling about most of it, especially traditional stuff. The stuff Seth is talking about is good stuff though. It's how it should be.

Make something worthy, and people will find you.