The Long Tail
The Long Tail. Read that if you haven’t. It’s about one of the most important effects the Internet is having on culture. Mosly it deals with books, music, and DVD rentals; but the long tail exists in other markets as well.
Games have a unique relationship with the long tail. Certain types of games: roleplaying games, war games, collectible card games exist almost exclusively in the long tail. They are under the radar of the average consumer and appeal only to a niche market. Other types of games, notably video games, exist almost exclusively in that mainstream above the long tail space. There are few remaining independent game studios producing top quality games because it’s just getting too expensive. This guy is hoping to change that by creating an effective distribution and promotion mechanism for lower-budget independently created games targeting the hardcore gamer market. I hope it works out; it will be a boon to consumers and developers.
