IndieCity invites devs to submit games
"Absolutely anything goes."
Indie developers can now submit games to IndieCity, a PC portal for selling indie games set up by Blitz Games.
No mainstream games are allowed.
Any developer can pop a game on IndieCity. A peer review process is designed to ensure the cream rises to the top.
If the community deems a game isn't indie, then it won't go on the system. So no FIFA, then.
"Long term I hope to create a destination that shows everyone the creativity and diversity of what gaming can do," project lead Chris Swan told Eurogamer.
"I'm not so keen on the recycled games you see in the mainstream these days. I want to see just how far you can push the boundaries of gaming. Whatever your niche, that's what we want to try and fulfil for you."
Developers determine how much a game costs, and 1200 have signed up so far. If you're a developer and you want to get your game on IndieCity, head here.
The Underground is a side of the site Swan describes as the Wild West of indie games.
"Absolutely anything goes. You don't have to have a finished game at this point. You can put up a one level demo, a half broken game, whatever you like."
The idea is developers will get a groundswell of fans early on, and then decide if they wish to finish their game.
"It's like what Notch did with Minecraft. It's the pay to finish model. You can start off and say, 'Is this working? Yeah, I've got some fans. People like it. I'll add another demo, another level to it and see how it grows.'"
Swan hopes IndieCity will uncover the next indie game developer superstar.
"For many indie developers that's what they want to do," Swan said. "Not those who believe Notch is now a sell-out. They perhaps aren't quite so keen on that.
"You don't have to be poor to be an indie developer. That's a fallacy. You don't have to be living in squalor just because you're an indie dev.
"We want to create a place where these indie devs can make a living from making their own games."
When IndieCity launches for gamers, they'll get their own personalised homepage based on what games they and their friends like.
You'll get badges, achievements and points as you use the site, for example for writing a helpful review or retweeting a developer's Tweet about their game. The creators are working on a system that will let you use points to get a discount on game purchases, too.
