View From the Bottom #1

RPG Vault has begun a new feature entitled "View From the Bottom", in which Spiderweb Software's Jeff Vogel reveals how he created a successful series of independent RPGs. A snippet:
One of the great things about being a tiny company is you can cater to the niche markets big companies forgot existed. I write old school, single-player role-playing games, the sort you could get in the '80s and '90s. Ultima, Baldur's Gate... that sort of thing. Others write simple puzzle games, or tactical wargames. would recommend staying away from genres that already have lots of big companies working them (like first-person shooters or RTS games) unless you crave your utter destruction.

Of course, you may be one of those developers who wants to blow this whole world wide open by writing a completely new, fantastic, creative game. More power to you. I'll write about your lonely quest next month.