March Climber
Member
There's a stigma surrounding indie games that taints the image of them, and some people see them as one tiny step above phone games(even on more hardcore gaming sites like this one). I don't know why this came to be and I don't know how it can be fixed, but I like to think that the big publishers conditioned people into thinking that every good video game needs to be a AAA blockbuster release in order for someone to have fun.Why do you think so? Most of the video game marketing happens online these days anyway, which means it's way easier and way cheaper for independent developers and their projects to generate publicity and become known.
Even friends of mine who are semi-casual console gamers consider indie games to be 'lesser than' for some weird reason they can't explain, yet they're the first ones to complain to me about the latest CoD, Street Fighter, Battlefield, or FIFA title being released with half-assed content. It took a From Software game selling millions and getting tons of accolades(including from word of mouth) for them to finally give Elden Ring a shot.
While it may be cheaper(not sure about easier), it also can potentially sell way less.