Gamertell

In case your attention has been drawn by all of those big companies’ announcements, it’s time to turn to the indie developers on display at E3 2009.

IndieCade is a bit of a conundrum, existing as both a stand-alone independent game festival and as an entity with a booth at E3 2009. In any case, IndieCade promotes independent game development at various international venues. Its purpose, according to a recent press release, is to “encourage, publicize, and cultivate innovation and artistry in interactive media, helping to create a public perception of games as rich, diverse, artistic and culturally significant.”

Games submitted to IndieCade are eligible to be considered in an annual competition with awards given October 1- 4, 2009, at a festival in Culver City, CA (USA). For E3, however, games on display include “a diverse array of games that would showcase innovation for the mainstream game industry and game press, represent a wide array of independent game developers, and highlight works to come later this year.”

Some games previously demonstrated through IndieCade have been picked up by larger companies for distribution while a few become part of museum or art exhibits.

Posted on the IndieCade web site by Celia Pearce on June 03, 2009:

This year, E3 went back to the old Expo format, complete with mega-booths, multimedia spectacle, and booth babes! It brought IndieCade along with it.  We were concerned that were would get lost in the hubbub, but to the contrary, our booth has turned into the de facto lounge for indie developers and those who love them (including Hollywood agents and publishers)! We’ve been packed most of the week. People seem to like that we’re the quietest booth, and, with the exception of Nintendo, the one with the most games.

And now for a list of the goodies able to be played at what appears to be an especially comfy and inviting IndieCade booth at E3 2009.

Hands-On Demos

And Yet It Moves
And Yet It Moves Team
(2007/2008 Official IndieCade Selection, Coming to Nintendo Wii)

Blueberry Garden
Erik Svedäng/ Sweden
(2008 Official IndieCade Selection, 2009 IGF Awardee)

Closure
Tyler Glaiel & Jon Schubbe/United States

Cogs
Lazy 8 Studios/United States

Dear Esther
thechineseroom/United Kingdom

Flywrench & Cowboyana
Messhof, Mark Essen / United States
(2008 Official IndieCade Selection, Currently on display at New Museum, New York)

Global Conflicts: Latin America
Serious Games Initiative/ Denmark

Octopounce
Auntie Pixelante / United States

Papermint
Avaloop/ Austria

Snapshot
RetroAffect / United States

Winds of Orbis: An Active-Adventure
Deep End Interactive / United States

Zephyr: Tides of War
Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy / United States

Read [IndieCade] Read [Gamertell: E3 2009]

NOTE: Photo from IndieCade’s flickr photostream.