Big publishers should make 'indie' games

The co-creator of indie hit World of Goo has called on major publishers to create internal teams to work on smaller, more innovative projects.

Former EA employee and current 2D Boy boss Ron Carmel made his comments during his keynote address at the Montreal International Games Summit, Gamasutra reports.

"We need a medium-sized design studio. Something that is larger than a typical indie, but has the same propensity for talent density, focus and risk-taking," said Carmel.

"Creating this within a major developer doesn't present a problem," he continued, explaining a budget of $1-$2 million could be used to hire a team of 10 to work on "creatively ambitious and forward-thinking projects."

He went on to explain that aside from the chance of coming up with a successful low cost game, it would also give a publisher's brand more credibility and help attract more talent to its studios.

Carmel claimed that there has yet to be a true masterpiece of videogame craft to rank alongside the great works of film and literature because of the risk-averse nature of the industry. That's why he believes indies are so important – they are creatively liberated, albeit lacking in capital.

"In order to create great works, and to break new ground you have to take risks. Unfortunately, you need a critical mass of resources to create something great. Is this where we're stuck? Either an under-funded indie or a risk-averse mainstream studio?"

2D Boy's World of Goo came out on PC and WiiWare in 2008, scoring a near-perfect 9/10 from Eurogamer's Jon Blyth.