BioWare-veteran sier indiestudioer driver innovasjon

Mark Darrah, former producer of Dragon Age and Anthem at BioWare, said indie developers are creating much of the innovation in gaming because they cannot match the budgets of AAA studios. He emphasized that smaller teams often experiment with genres and mechanics out of necessity.

"Video games are much more than simply AAA," Darrah said.

"We have a large indie space, and indie has shown an ability to innovate and to explore and to try new things. Indeed, a lot of indie development is explore because it's much more difficult to exploit. You can't really make a looter shooter with a team of two people and a $50,000 budget because you're going up against Destiny, you're going against massive entities that are outspending you by several orders of magnitude." — Mark Darrah

Darrah argued that AAA studios have become risk averse, often sticking to proven formulas to protect large investments. In contrast, indie teams must find creative approaches to survive. Even modest experiments with mechanics or genre hybrids can contribute to broader innovation in the industry.

"So, just to survive, you have to explore other parts of the space," Darrah added.

"You might just be exploring a looter shooter with a couple of asterisks on it, but you're still going to be exploring this space to see what else can be done. And so what has been happening is a lot of innovation has been coming up through indie, but I would argue that the big AAA developers should be doing this as well." — Mark Darrah

Industry observers have noted that indie studios frequently influence larger developers, introducing new ideas that eventually appear in major releases. While AAA studios rely on high budgets and established franchises, smaller teams often prioritize experimentation, which can lead to breakthroughs in game mechanics, narrative design, and player engagement.

Darrah’s comments highlight the ongoing tension between scale and creativity in the gaming sector. As budgets for blockbuster titles continue to rise, indie developers are positioned as critical drivers of fresh ideas, filling gaps that large studios may overlook. His perspective frames innovation as a structural necessity for survival rather than an optional pursuit.

The remarks arrive amid ongoing debates over the homogenization of AAA games and the role of smaller teams in shaping the medium’s future. Indie's influence remains visible across genres, from narrative-driven adventures to experimental multiplayer formats.