Real Possibility of an Entirely Open-Source Pipeline for Indie Games Design and Production. Altamira Game as a Case Study

Abstract

Videogames, and their powerful industry, constitute a hugely appealing sector for a large proportion of creative profiles—however, it is difficult for them to access this small number of companies organized as huge production conglomerates. On the other hand, the movement of free software and open source is headed in precisely the opposite direction, empowering individuals by giving back the creative control and freedoms limited by commercial software licenses. In the middle of the tension generated by these two extremes, we have tried to highlight the power that independent creators hold today through produce videogames, from their inception right through to their distribution, exclusively using open source software and free resources. This chapter, which aims to be a guide for future indie creators, analyzes these alternative offerings from their praxis, and explains the entire process. The conclusions drawn from this experience have been surprisingly positive.