13 ms·

Indie Game: The Movie released on Steam

115 points by joshuacc 14y ago

GuiA 14y ago
Even if you're not that much into videogames, I recommend you give it a watch, especially if you're striving to build something by yourself at the moment (eg. a startup). The movie goes through the process of starting something from scratch, with its (high) ups and (extremely low) downs, and most people on HN will likely relate in one form or another.
- city41 14y ago
  My girlfriend is not much into video games at all, but she loved the movie. She was able to relate to the devs as she felt her experience getting her PhD was very similar.
  - GuiA 14y ago
    Hehe, same here. I brought my girlfriend to a screening in SF, and she loved it despite never having even played a video game in her life before meeting me. She related to the creative process, as she is an artist (illustrator) confronted to that process on a daily basis.
- phn 14y ago
  I think that's both the biggest virtue, but at the same time what disappointed me the most. It's great because it can reach a broad audience. On the other hand I guess I was expecting a more gamedev thing. All in all I think it is a great movie :)
  - GuiA 14y ago
    As an weekend indie game dev, I feel the same. The collector edition will have the 300+ hours of footage from a bunch of other devs and should be more satisfying in that respect.
matthew-wegner 14y ago
IG:TM is worth watching. It's great. But I think the real story here is that Steam just launched a movie on their platform...
- heifetz 14y ago
  you can also download the movie directly from the movie website, DRM free, so it's not tied to Steam. http://buy.indiegamethemovie.com/ http://buy.indiegamethemovie.com/
  - alt_ 14y ago
    Can someone verify that the Steam version is DRM'd? Does it play inside a Steam window and is the UI any good?
    - barik 14y ago
      The FAQ seems [1] to answer this, though I don't know if the UI is any good. Personally, I want to watch it on my large screen TV through WD TV Live, not on my tiny laptop screen, which seems to imply that the direct non-DRM download (mp4) is the way to go. Steam - The film is on Steam for pre-order here. - In order to work on the Steam platform, the film will be delivered through a self-contained application (emphasis mine) from which you can watch the film in 1080P HD. - You will download the film application like any other game on Steam. - You can watch it on your computer or connect it from your computer to a television. - The Indie Game: The Movie application may have some interactive extras, subtitles and achievements (to be confirmed as we're working on that functionality). - Like other game applications on Steam, it will have DRM. [1] http://www.indiegamethemovie.com/faq/ http://www.indiegamethemovie.com/faq/
    - ErrantX 14y ago
      It comes as an Adobe Air app which launches full screen from Steam & plays the movie. UI is "meh", but not unpleasant. But you also get a DRM free Mp4 in the "%Steam%/Common/Indie Game the Movie" folder :)
alanfalcon 14y ago
If you want to rent rather than buy, you can rent on iTunes for $4-$5 (depending on whether you want HD): http://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/indie-game-the-movie/id522421254 http://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/indie-game-the-movie/id5224... I'm sure it's on other platforms as well.
oldpatricka 14y ago
This movie is incredible. It's amazing how everyone making a game in this movie explicitly states that they feel like they are going to die or kill themselves. Interviewer (paraphrased): What if you don't finish your game? Phil Fish: I will kill myself, That's my incentive to finish it.
- jere 14y ago
  Ah, interesting! I haven't seen this yet (really want to), but figured it was the opposite: >The pic's most compelling story by far is that of four-eyed Fez designer Phil Fish, whose love of the game is so deep he can't finish it. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117946963?refcatid=31&printerfriendly=true http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117946963?refcatid=31&p... Fish spent 5 years on the game and it definitely shows in the details.
bionicbrian 14y ago
Have been waiting for the release today. Loved it. Highly recommended.
schmrz 14y ago
If you are from Europe (or Australia) you probably want to buy it from their website directly since it's $9.99 there. I'm from Europe and the price on steam is 9.99€. Never really understood why they never lower the price when it's in euros.
- albertzeyer 14y ago
  For me (from Germany), the price on Steam is 7,99€. I'm still probably buying it from the official website because I want to be able to use any custom video player (and as far as I understand, I can't do that with the Steam version).
- TylerE 14y ago
  We don't pay sales tax on steam purchases. I assume the Euro price has the 20% or-thereabouts VAT factored in?
okamiueru 14y ago
What does he say in the end?
ds206 14y ago
I saw this in Seattle around the end of March. Definitely worth watching and then playing the games.
hackNightly 14y ago
I just bought and watched this. I have to say it is a MUST see. This is one of those films that will make you appreciate true passion and what goes in to indie game development. I would have gladly paid $20 for the experience I just had. Pure awesomeness.
- dbaupp 14y ago
  You could buy it twice if you'd like to give the creators a bit of a tip! :)
b3b0p 14y ago
It's also available on Blu-ray: http://shop.indiegamethemovie.com/collections/buy-the-movie/products/bluray-regular-edition http://shop.indiegamethemovie.com/collections/buy-the-movie/... And available in iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/indie-game-the-movie/id522421254 http://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/indie-game-the-movie/id5224... I'm tossing between the iTunes and direct download honestly. I like how Apple has it tied to my account and it will be always available (at least I'm assuming at this point). I can then stream it directly to my Apple TV without downloading into iTunes directly. However, it's only 720p where as the direct download is available DRM free and in 1080p. I just have to wonder, what is VHX? Do we have to worry about them going out of business and I can not longer download the movie? I know, make a backup, but the convenience of these iTunes digital copies that come with the Blu-ray's have spoiled me.
- culturestate 14y ago
  The HD version on iTunes includes both 720p and 1080p. Look down below the purchase buttons at the "HD:" section.
Mnkras 14y ago
Take a look at the minimum amount of RAM a mac needs to play that.
domwood 14y ago
This. This is why I love games. There's so much passion and humanity in every little pixel.
barik 14y ago
I have to make a confession. Initially, I was quite tempted to pirate this film through Pirate Bay. But then I noticed the following comment by the co-director himself. I was incredibly impressed with the tone of the comment, and decided to go ahead and purchase the movie through Amazon, despite the fact that I will probably not have time to watch it in the near future. Notice that he doesn't chastise, berate, or threaten the individuals who are downloading it through Pirate Bay. In fact, like many scene release .nfo files from piracy groups, he even states, "If you like the movie, consider purchasing it". This is the __right__ way to tackle piracy, in my opinion, and should be commended. Here is the comment: Hi Guys, My name is James Swirsky - I’m one of the two people who made Indie Game: The Movie. Myself and Lisanne Pajot spent our last two years working on this film. We kept a pretty active blog about the production of the film on our site (www.indiegamethemovie.com). We are a two person team, making the film completely independently. And we want to keep on making films for your enjoyment. If you like the movie, consider purchasing it over on iTunes, Steam or DRM-Free (in a variety of encodes) directly from us over at www.IndieGameTheMovie.com. You can also get a copy to share with a friend if you’d like to. Thanks for taking an interest in our film. -James Swirsky Co-director/Maker of Indie Game: The Movie

115 points by joshuacc 14y ago

GuiA 14y ago

Even if you're not that much into videogames, I recommend you give it a watch, especially if you're striving to build something by yourself at the moment (eg. a startup). The movie goes through the process of starting something from scratch, with its (high) ups and (extremely low) downs, and most people on HN will likely relate in one form or another.

city41 14y ago
My girlfriend is not much into video games at all, but she loved the movie. She was able to relate to the devs as she felt her experience getting her PhD was very similar.
- GuiA 14y ago
  Hehe, same here. I brought my girlfriend to a screening in SF, and she loved it despite never having even played a video game in her life before meeting me. She related to the creative process, as she is an artist (illustrator) confronted to that process on a daily basis.
phn 14y ago
I think that's both the biggest virtue, but at the same time what disappointed me the most. It's great because it can reach a broad audience. On the other hand I guess I was expecting a more gamedev thing. All in all I think it is a great movie :)
- GuiA 14y ago
  As an weekend indie game dev, I feel the same. The collector edition will have the 300+ hours of footage from a bunch of other devs and should be more satisfying in that respect.

matthew-wegner 14y ago

IG:TM is worth watching. It's great. But I think the real story here is that Steam just launched a movie on their platform...

heifetz 14y ago
you can also download the movie directly from the movie website, DRM free, so it's not tied to Steam. http://buy.indiegamethemovie.com/ http://buy.indiegamethemovie.com/
- alt_ 14y ago
  Can someone verify that the Steam version is DRM'd? Does it play inside a Steam window and is the UI any good?
  - barik 14y ago
    The FAQ seems [1] to answer this, though I don't know if the UI is any good. Personally, I want to watch it on my large screen TV through WD TV Live, not on my tiny laptop screen, which seems to imply that the direct non-DRM download (mp4) is the way to go. Steam - The film is on Steam for pre-order here. - In order to work on the Steam platform, the film will be delivered through a self-contained application (emphasis mine) from which you can watch the film in 1080P HD. - You will download the film application like any other game on Steam. - You can watch it on your computer or connect it from your computer to a television. - The Indie Game: The Movie application may have some interactive extras, subtitles and achievements (to be confirmed as we're working on that functionality). - Like other game applications on Steam, it will have DRM. [1] http://www.indiegamethemovie.com/faq/ http://www.indiegamethemovie.com/faq/
  - ErrantX 14y ago
    It comes as an Adobe Air app which launches full screen from Steam & plays the movie. UI is "meh", but not unpleasant. But you also get a DRM free Mp4 in the "%Steam%/Common/Indie Game the Movie" folder :)

alanfalcon 14y ago

If you want to rent rather than buy, you can rent on iTunes for $4-$5 (depending on whether you want HD): http://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/indie-game-the-movie/id522421254 http://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/indie-game-the-movie/id5224... I'm sure it's on other platforms as well.

oldpatricka 14y ago

This movie is incredible. It's amazing how everyone making a game in this movie explicitly states that they feel like they are going to die or kill themselves. Interviewer (paraphrased): What if you don't finish your game? Phil Fish: I will kill myself, That's my incentive to finish it.

jere 14y ago
Ah, interesting! I haven't seen this yet (really want to), but figured it was the opposite: >The pic's most compelling story by far is that of four-eyed Fez designer Phil Fish, whose love of the game is so deep he can't finish it. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117946963?refcatid=31&printerfriendly=true http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117946963?refcatid=31&p... Fish spent 5 years on the game and it definitely shows in the details.

bionicbrian 14y ago

Have been waiting for the release today. Loved it. Highly recommended.

schmrz 14y ago

If you are from Europe (or Australia) you probably want to buy it from their website directly since it's $9.99 there. I'm from Europe and the price on steam is 9.99€. Never really understood why they never lower the price when it's in euros.

albertzeyer 14y ago
For me (from Germany), the price on Steam is 7,99€. I'm still probably buying it from the official website because I want to be able to use any custom video player (and as far as I understand, I can't do that with the Steam version).
TylerE 14y ago
We don't pay sales tax on steam purchases. I assume the Euro price has the 20% or-thereabouts VAT factored in?

okamiueru 14y ago

What does he say in the end?

ds206 14y ago

I saw this in Seattle around the end of March. Definitely worth watching and then playing the games.

hackNightly 14y ago

I just bought and watched this. I have to say it is a MUST see. This is one of those films that will make you appreciate true passion and what goes in to indie game development. I would have gladly paid $20 for the experience I just had. Pure awesomeness.

dbaupp 14y ago
You could buy it twice if you'd like to give the creators a bit of a tip! :)

b3b0p 14y ago

It's also available on Blu-ray: http://shop.indiegamethemovie.com/collections/buy-the-movie/products/bluray-regular-edition http://shop.indiegamethemovie.com/collections/buy-the-movie/... And available in iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/indie-game-the-movie/id522421254 http://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/indie-game-the-movie/id5224... I'm tossing between the iTunes and direct download honestly. I like how Apple has it tied to my account and it will be always available (at least I'm assuming at this point). I can then stream it directly to my Apple TV without downloading into iTunes directly. However, it's only 720p where as the direct download is available DRM free and in 1080p. I just have to wonder, what is VHX? Do we have to worry about them going out of business and I can not longer download the movie? I know, make a backup, but the convenience of these iTunes digital copies that come with the Blu-ray's have spoiled me.

culturestate 14y ago
The HD version on iTunes includes both 720p and 1080p. Look down below the purchase buttons at the "HD:" section.

Mnkras 14y ago

Take a look at the minimum amount of RAM a mac needs to play that.

domwood 14y ago

This. This is why I love games. There's so much passion and humanity in every little pixel.

barik 14y ago

I have to make a confession. Initially, I was quite tempted to pirate this film through Pirate Bay. But then I noticed the following comment by the co-director himself. I was incredibly impressed with the tone of the comment, and decided to go ahead and purchase the movie through Amazon, despite the fact that I will probably not have time to watch it in the near future. Notice that he doesn't chastise, berate, or threaten the individuals who are downloading it through Pirate Bay. In fact, like many scene release .nfo files from piracy groups, he even states, "If you like the movie, consider purchasing it". This is the __right__ way to tackle piracy, in my opinion, and should be commended. Here is the comment: Hi Guys, My name is James Swirsky - I’m one of the two people who made Indie Game: The Movie. Myself and Lisanne Pajot spent our last two years working on this film. We kept a pretty active blog about the production of the film on our site (www.indiegamethemovie.com). We are a two person team, making the film completely independently. And we want to keep on making films for your enjoyment. If you like the movie, consider purchasing it over on iTunes, Steam or DRM-Free (in a variety of encodes) directly from us over at www.IndieGameTheMovie.com. You can also get a copy to share with a friend if you’d like to. Thanks for taking an interest in our film. -James Swirsky Co-director/Maker of Indie Game: The Movie