In the 1990s, the indie game development scene shrank as PCs became the dominant computer system and a viable gaming platform. Commercial games grew larger, more complex, and began competing with gaming consoles. Additionally, the rise of 3D graphics further complicated the landscape. Indie developers, lacking the financial and technical resources to match these commercial giants, saw their presence decline.

Despite these challenges, there were some positive developments. Shareware emerged as a popular distribution method for smaller games. In this model, a portion of the game was distributed for free, typically via the internet or gaming magazines, and players could purchase the full version if they enjoyed the sample.

Another significant advancement was the release of Adventure Game Studio (AGS). This free toolkit allowed hobbyist developers to easily create their own adventure games, emulating the style of classics from Sierra and Lucasfilm.

#indiegame $indiegamehistory #gamedev #ags #adventuregamestudio

The popularity of BASIC has significantly declined in recent years, with many new programming languages taking its place. Python, for example, is frequently recommended as an easy-to-learn, beginner-friendly programming language. Despite this decline, BASIC has not completely disappeared and still has several modern implementations. Some of the notable ones include:

1. FreeBASIC: A modern BASIC compiler for Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, and even MS-DOS. FreeBASIC offers modern features like object-oriented programming and support for OpenGL and DirectX. By default, it is not compatible with older BASIC programs, but compatibility can be achieved by running FreeBASIC with the -lang qb parameter, which attempts to replicate QuickBASIC behavior and can compile many QuickBASIC programs without modification. Unlike QuickBASIC, FreeBASIC is a command-line-only compiler unless users manually install an external integrated development environment (IDE). IDEs specifically made for FreeBASIC include FBide and FbEdit. FreeBASIC is a free, open-source product.

2. QB64PE: A BASIC compiler for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X, designed to be compatible with Microsoft QBasic and QuickBASIC. It offers a modern audio and graphics library, as well as networking capabilities. QB64PE maintains strong compatibility with QuickBASIC and QBasic, though not 100%, and includes a built-in IDE. QB64PE is a free, open-source product.

3. Visual Basic Net: A continuation of Microsoft's Visual Basic, implemented on .NET, Mono, and the .NET Framework. Visual Basic is often used in conjunction with the Windows Forms GUI library to create desktop applications for Windows. Programming with Visual Basic .NET involves dragging and dropping controls on a form using a GUI designer and writing the corresponding code for each control. The Visual Basic .NET compiler is open source, while Visual Studio is free with some commercial features.

4. Microsoft's Small Basic: A BASIC interpreter with a built-in IDE, designed to help students transition from visual programming languages like Scratch to text-based programming. The language has only 14 keywords and includes a "Turtle" graphics library inspired by the Logo family of programming languages. Small Basic is available for Windows and online, and is a free, open-source program.

5. Gambas: An object-oriented dialect of the BASIC programming language, accompanied by an integrated development environment. Available for Linux and FreeBSD, Gambas is designed to build graphical programs using the Qt or GTK toolkit. The Gambas IDE is written in Gambas and includes a GUI designer to aid in creating user interfaces in an event-driven style. Gambas can also create command-line applications and text-based user interfaces. It is a free, open-source program.

6. SmallBASIC: Designed to run on minimal hardware, with primary support for platforms like Palm OS, where memory, CPU cycles, and screen space are limited. SmallBASIC supports applications similar to those of GW-BASIC and QBasic on the IBM PC, with capabilities for drawing graphic primitives, creating sounds, string manipulation, and displaying text in various fonts. It is also intended as a tool for mathematics, with built-in functions for unit conversion, algebra, matrix math, trigonometry, statistics, and two- and three-dimensional equation graphing.

7. Others: Several lesser-known implementations of BASIC exist, such as Dragon BASIC for the Gameboy Advance and Nintendo DS, wwwBasic for embedding BASIC directly into web pages, Tiny-Basic, a BASIC implementation in Python, and Quite BASIC and qbjs, online implementations of BASIC.

#basic #programming #programming-language #programminglanguage #freebasic #smallbasic #small-basic #qbasic #qb64 #qb64pe #visualbasic #net #.net #gambas #wwwbasic

Blackout is an indie point & click adventure game developed by Carl Lenngren, Erik Schröder, Fredrik Edman, Viktor Holmér, and Ulf Malmberg. In the game, you play as a young witch with amnesia trapped in what seems to be a haunted house. Your objective is to uncover the mysteries within the house and attempt to escape by solving various puzzles typical of adventure games. These include picking up objects, using them on other items or characters, combining objects, or conversing with other characters.
The game features stunning 2D hand-drawn graphics with a dark tone and minimal lighting, giving it a spooky atmosphere. The music is haunting and complements the eerie sound effects of the night, which are used throughout the game without spoken dialogue. Instead, beeping accompanies conversations in the game.
Overall, Blackout offers an enjoyable gaming experience with intriguing puzzles and a simple yet engaging plot. I highly recommend giving it a try. It would be great to see a sequel or another adventure game with a similar spooky atmosphere created by this talented team.

#indie #indiegame

Emulation plays a crucial role in digital preservation, helping combat the issue of obsolescence. By recreating an original computer environment on current machines, emulators allow users to access any application or operating system without alterations to their functionality. This process can be time-consuming and challenging but is essential for maintaining authenticity with digital objects.

Emulation offers several benefits: it can enhance graphics quality compared to the original hardware, particularly in games. Additionally, emulators may provide extra features that were not available on the initial system. They also preserve the look, feel, and behavior of the digital object, which is just as important as its data itself.

In terms of cost-efficiency, while developing an emulator can be expensive initially, it might prove to be a more economical choice in the long run. Many open source emulators are available under licenses like GNU General Public License, enabling widespread collaboration among developers.

One key advantage of emulation is its ability to enable software exclusive to one system to function on another. For instance, an emulator can allow playing PlayStation 2 games on a PC, which is particularly useful when the original hardware is hard to find or incompatible with modern equipment.

#emulator #roms #emulation #emu



Basic is a family of high-level programming languages originally developed by students at Dartmouth College in 1963. Due to the emergence of microcomputers in the late 70s, numerous variations of Basic began appearing. As memory limitations on personal computers were an issue during this time, Tiny BASIC was created with only 11 commands and single-letter variable names but provided a completely free version of BASIC.

Microsoft BASIC, a more complex dialect, required additional RAM to run and gained popularity in the 80s when it came pre-installed on popular home computers. Microsoft's GW-BASIC was included with early versions of MS-DOS, later replaced by Microsoft's QBasic from version 5.0 onwards. While QBasic had its own integrated development environment (IDE) and interpreter, it lacked a compiler. The commercial counterpart to Qbasic, called Quick Basic, came with a compiler.

In the 1990s, as more powerful microcomputers entered the market and advanced programming languages were developed, the popularity of BASIC declined. In 1991, Microsoft released Visual Basic, an updated version that included a Forms builder to compete in the evolving landscape of computer technology.

VVVVVV is an indie game set in space and aboard a spaceship. It offers a unique twist on the standard platforming genre, as instead of jumping, players can invert gravity by pressing a button. This results in walking on ceilings or falling from them depending on whether the player presses the button again to reverse gravity. The inverted gravity mechanic creates interesting challenges within the game. Despite its simple 2D graphics, VVVVVV focuses more on providing an engaging and challenging experience for players. If you're looking for a straightforward yet captivating gaming experience, I highly recommend giving VVVVVV a try. The game can be found at: terrycavanagh.itch.io/vvvvvv

The first home computers released in the late '70s and early '80s were equipped with BASIC pre-installed, along with several sample programs and games. Many owners of these machines began experimenting with BASIC to learn how to create their own software, primarily focusing on developing games. These amateur game creators would distribute their creations by personally delivering them to stores or shipping them via mail order. In the United Kingdom, the thriving hobby development scene flourished due to the success of Commodore 64 computers.

The BASIC programming language on C64

#basic #gamedev #indiegamedev #c64 #commdore64 #8bit

Norton Commander (NC) was a pioneering orthodox file manager developed by Peter Norton Computing. Its design featured a dual-panel interface
that made file manipulation straightforward and efficient. Users could configure each panel to display various information such as
directory trees or file lists. The interface also included a list of commands at the bottom of the screen, which could be extended
using the CTRL and ALT keys, minimizing the need for mouse use. Norton Commander included a built-in text file viewer (F3) and editor (F4).

During the DOS era, Norton Commander was immensely popular and inspired many clones. Here are several notable ones:

Midnight Commander
Midnight Commander is a clone for Unix-like systems, including macOS, and is a console-based application.
It offers many useful features, including viewing RPM files and mass file renaming.
Furthermore, it has theming options and can load the Norton color theme, making it highly recommended.
License: FOSS

Dos Navigator
Dos Navigator is a clone for DOS with many features based on the original Norton Commander.
There are two versions: the original developed by RIT Labs, which has not been updated for some time,
and the second version, called Necromancer's DOS Navigator, which adds additional features and ports
to many other operating systems such as Windows, Linux, KolibriOS, Haiku, MenuetOS, Sigma OS, OS/2, Solaris, and FreeBSD (experimental).
Both versions support theming and can load the Norton color theme, and I personally use Dos Navigator with Dosbox.
License: FOSS

Far Manager
Far Manager is a modern clone available for Windows, BSD, macOS, and Linux.
Although there used to be an Android version, it appears to have been discontinued.
The manager can be extended with Lua scripts and plugins, though I don't have much experience with it.
License: FOSS

Ghost Commander
Ghost Commander is designed for Android devices and is a customizable,
GUI-based app. It can display two panels side by side or just one panel,
allowing users to swap between panels with the touch of a button.
The colors can be customized, and I recommend it for Android users.
License: FOSS

Gnome Commander
Gnome Commander is a GUI-based file manager for Linux that uses the Gnome desktop environment,
though it can also run on other desktops. It features folder bookmarks, Python scripting, plugin support,
keyboard shortcuts, an integrated command line, and many more functionalities.
License: FOSS

Double Commander
Double Commander is another GUI-based clone for Linux and Windows.
Each panel can have multiple tabs open. Additionally, it supports archives, file search,
background operations, an HTML file viewer, plugin support, a portable version, and many more features.
Panel colors can also be customized. If you need a GUI-based dual-panel file manager, I highly recommend it.
License: FOSS

Altap Salamander
Altap Salamander is another clone for Windows. Unlike several other file managers,
it features a context-aware user interface that hides complexity—for instance, the bottom function list
changes with the press of modifier keys, showing only the currently available hotkey function set.
License: Freeware, with an FOSS fork called Open Salamander

Commander One
Commander One is a dual-panel file manager for macOS with multi-tab browsing.
It includes a terminal emulator, and its interface can be customized.
Additionally, it offers advanced file search and integration with cloud storage. This manager is proprietary.
License: Proprietary

Directory Opus
Directory Opus is a file manager for the Amiga computer system and Windows.
It includes the usual features of a dual-panel file manager and is proprietary.
License: Proprietary

Krusader
Krusader is a GUI-based clone for Linux and other Unix-like systems that use the KDE desktop,
though it also supports other desktops. Windows support is currently in beta.
License: FOSS

muCommander
muCommander is a GUI-based clone that runs on the Java platform.
License: FOSS

Total Commander
Total Commander is another GUI-based file manager for Windows and Android,
featuring the ability to search for files and synchronize folders.
License: Shareware (Windows), Freeware (Android)

#files #norton #commander #norton-commander #file-manager

An emulator is a piece of technology that enables one system, like a PC, to mimic the features and functions of another device or platform, such as a gaming console. Emulators have been popular among video game enthusiasts for many years, allowing them to revisit classic games from the 1980s on modern computer systems by recreating the original machine code and data.

Software emulation is widely used in various applications, including software development. It allows developers to test their programs within a simulated environment, saving time and resources compared to testing on actual hardware. Emulators can also be employed for testing different hardware configurations, ensuring that developed hardware will work seamlessly across multiple environments.

In the 1990s, there were hardware emulators available in the form of physical devices. For instance, certain Macintosh computers like the Centris 610 or Performa 630 used a DOS-compatible hardware card to run PC software programs on their systems.

The term "indie game" is derived from "independent game" and refers to video games created by small, independent teams or even individual developers. In contrast to Triple-A games developed by large teams and backed by major publishers, indie games are characterized by their grassroots origins.

The roots of indie game development can be traced back to the concepts of amateur and hobbyist programming that emerged with the advent of personal computers and the BASIC programming language in the 1970s and 1980s. During this period, "bedroom coders" in the United Kingdom and Europe crafted games, distributing them through mail orders and later adopting online methods like shareware in the 1990s. However, interest in hobbyist programming dwindled due to rising development costs and competition from established video game publishers and home consoles.

The early 2000s witnessed a resurgence of indie game development, driven by the growing popularity of the internet and the availability of affordable or free development tools such as Adventure Game Studio and GameMaker. This resurgence empowered independent developers, enabling them to create and distribute games without the need for substantial financial support from traditional publishers. Factors like digital distribution platforms (e.g., Steam) and crowdfunding options (e.g., Kickstarter) further contributed to the flourishing indie game scene.

Today, the indie game community has expanded significantly, yielding numerous successful and critically acclaimed titles known for their innovative gameplay mechanics and artistic creativity. The indie game landscape continues to thrive, offering players a diverse array of experiences beyond the confines of mainstream AAA titles.

#indie #indiegame #hobbygames