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Casual Connect 2013: TapStar's Chris Gray on 5 tricks indies need to topple giants

David vs. Goliath 2.0?

Casual Connect 2013: TapStar's Chris Gray on 5 tricks indies need to topple giants
Like a humble shepherd setting off to battle a giant, indie developers can feel daunted by the task of releasing games against the likes of EA's 8,000 employees.

But the world loves a good underdog story, and Chris Gray has some encouraging news for the smaller indie studios out there: sometimes the little guy wins.

The key for a smaller studio's success - Gray believes - is to play to their strengths and not try to emulate the strategies of a larger organisation.

Recalling a passage from the biblical allegory, Gray quoted the words David said to Saul when he was offered a sword and armour to battle the giant, "I cannot go in these, because I am not used to them."

Instead, plucky David picked up his sling and five smooth stones and scored the biggest upset in the Old Testament.

Giant slaying

If you - as a small, indie studio - wants to follow David's lead, Gray suggests that you load your sling with five different stones that you can use in the upcoming development battle.


  • Recognize that a smaller overhead translates to a greater profit. While this means smaller budgets, it also translates to less time spent on fundraising.

  • Make interesting, innovative games. You won't be caught up in frenzy of making sure that every game is a hit, and this allows you to create games that you're passionate about.

  • Learn that there's value in social media and PR. If you have a quality game and it's gaining exposure on Facebook and Twitter, people will notice it.

  • Make the most of fast iteration - because indie teams are smaller and more nimble, they can finish titles quickly, play around with them freely, and break them at will. Also, since you likely didn't invest millions into a game, you can easily walk away from it if it's not doing well.

  • Embrace the cheap and the free. In addition to services like Skype or Dropbox, there are plenty of free analytic services that won't charge smaller customers.


Finally, Gray also reminded indie studios that David won because he was creative. "Don't be a fast follower and do a knock off of an existing game - being original gets you noticed.

If you don’t have anything new to say, you won’t get reviewed and you won’t generate interest."
US Correspondent

Representing the former colonies, Matt keeps the Pocket Gamer news feed updated when sleepy Europeans are sleeping. As a frustrated journalist, diehard gamer and recovering MMO addict, this is pretty much his dream job.