I believe in this economic climate the small independant developer has an edge over the AAA developer.

1. System requirements. Most independant games run on older systems. As people are squeezed that new $2500 system they planed to buy to play that new wizbang AAA title goes to the back of the line.

2. Innovation. AAA titles with cookie cutter game design are over in bad economic times. A 3d shooter that can be finish in 15 hours is not going to be people's pick when the game buying budget shrinks. They will want replay value and quality. Bioshoch was fun for 20 hours and then it was over. Mount & Blade however a small husband and wife team's release- offers hundreds of hours of replay value as well as modding possabilities.

I fact I would say Mount & Blade is the best game released this year. Like the classic Darklands it trusts you into a medevil world with no storyline or goals but what you make for yourself. The combat on horse is the best I've seen by any title. Including big house AAA titles.

If your gaming budget is limited it makes all the more sense to buy a game like that- and even if you go untouched it still makes all the sense because unlike every title coming down the pike this game is different.

Value and innovation no longer exist in the game industry except in the independant world.

We don't need another 3d shooter wannabe but rather more games like Mount & Blade.