John Romero, the legend behind Doom, shared some pretty interesting thoughts on where the games industry might be headed, and spoiler, it’s not the usual AAA giants. Instead, he’s pointing to indie games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as the trendsetters making big studios go, “Wait a minute, we need to start doing this.”
Romero appeared on Nightdive Studios’ Deep Go Into podcast, where he discussed the current state of gaming. The industry’s been hit hard by layoffs, with Microsoft’s recent cuts being the latest headline. Interestingly, Romero spoke before his own studio’s funding troubles came to light, which kinda adds a layer of irony.
He pointed out how much bigger the industry is now, especially when considering the indie scene. “Just go to Itch.io if you want to see how many indies there are out there,” he said. Steam’s monthly releases are mostly indie games too, and on mobile platforms like iOS and Android, it’s indie, indie, indie.
While discoverability remains a challenge, the lower barriers to entry have allowed numerous cool games to emerge and gain notice. Romero mentioned that half the time, Game of the Year awards go to indie titles. He specifically highlighted Balatro, Baldur’s Gate 3, Helldivers 2, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as examples of indies pushing AAA studios to rethink their strategies.
“These are all indies,” he emphasized. “These people are the ones that make the triple-A companies go, ‘Wait a minute. We need to start doing this.’”
Of course, Romero didn’t shy away from the challenges the industry faces. Beyond discoverability, funding is tough, and layoffs happen all too often. Still, the fact that developers can now release games without the old, costly barriers, such as physical distribution, has been a game-changer. “Getting on a disc? That was expensive. To get into a store? Forget it. You’re never going to do that as an indie,” he said.
Others in the industry seem to agree. Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden has called for a return to AA games, and many have praised Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 this year, from veterans at CD Projekt Red to folks behind Baldur’s Gate 3 itself. Even The Last of Us co-creator Neil Druckmann chimed in, calling Clair Obscur “one of the most moving, creative stories I played in a long time.” So yeah, it looks like creativity is finding a way despite the rough patches.
What do you think? Are indies really setting the pace for the future? Or will AAA studios find a way to catch up before it’s too late?
