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Self PublishingIndie RPGs can be self-published by one or a few people who themselves control all aspects of design, promotion and distribution of the game. An independent role-playing game publisher usually lacks the financial backing of large company. This has made forms of publishing other than the traditional three-tier model more desirable. A simple form of publishing is making the game available online for free in a digital format. Usual formats are in HTML, text, blog, or PDF form. Desktop publishing technologies have allowed indie designers to publish their games as bound books. The advent of print on demand (POD) publishing has recently lowered the costs of producing an RPG to the point at which role-playing games can be produced and distributed with minimal financial investment.
Some publishers have no interest in financial success; others define it differently than most mainstream companies. The division between what is technically profitable and what would be considered financially viable for a business is another oft-debated element of independent role-playing publishing. Indie CommunitiesAs indie roleplaying game publishers are often not professionally trained or experienced publishers, a number of communities have developed over time where designers and publishers can share experiences, collaborate, and support each other. The ForgeOne of the most influential self-identified indie RPG communities is centered on Ron Edwards' and Clinton R. Nixon's site, The Forge. This community generally defines indie games as those where the creator maintains control of his or her work[3] and eschews the traditional publishing and sales model, though there are exceptions. The Forge is strongly influenced by Ron Edwards' essay System Does Matter.
Games of note from the Forge community include, in roughly chronological order:
Other CommunitiesMany other groups produce games outside of the mainstream. Many of these primarily sell PDFs, with some supplementary print sales at specific venues. One example is Wicked Dead Brewing Company. This imprint includes games by a number of designers. Game designer Greg Stolze has produced games using the Ransom model, without resorting to traditional publishing and sales. Others, such as the Free RPG Community, pursue self-publishing without any intent to make a profit. Self-publishing sites such as Lulu.com also have a number of RPGs available from publishers unaffiliated with any formal community. Disputed StatusSome contend that the term "indie" applies to members of a self-defined "indie" RPG community. The definition of indie in the context of role-playing games is difficult, because the role-playing game industry operates with a different organization and scale than the computer and video games, publishing or music industries. The dynamics that inspired well-known independent movements in these industries are not necessarily present in the role-playing game industry. Even prominent role-playing game companies often publish on a comparatively small scale. In this fashion, the industry is unlike the larger creative industries, whose indie communities formed to react to an elaborate bureaucracy. The question of whether indie role-playing games can be defined precisely, abstractly or not at all sparks ongoing discussion among RPG hobbyists and creators. Footnotes
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