“Manor Lords Publisher Critiques Indie Publishers as Predatory and Incompetent”

Tim Bender, the CEO of Hooded Horse, has some strong words about indie publishers, suggesting that many of them are not worth the partnership. This might sound surprising coming from the head of a publisher known for supporting strategy games like Against the Storm and Manor Lords, but Bender emphasizes that indie developers should tread carefully when choosing their collaborators.

“People can hate me for this if they want,” Bender stated, “but most indie publishers are not the right fit for indie developers. The majority of them operate in a predatory and opportunistic manner.”

Bender insists that at Hooded Horse, “ethical treatment of developers is critical,” and he’s not alone in raising concerns about exploitative deals from indie labels. Luca Galante, the creator of Vampire Survivors, shared last year that the prevalence of publishers looking to “exploit the platforms just to make money” motivated him to transform his studio, Poncle, into a safer haven for fellow indie developers. Similarly, Pocketpair, the team behind Palworld, has also leveraged its success to create a more secure publishing environment for other indies.

Bender critiques these problematic publishers, stating they aim to sign numerous games, invest in the successful ones to amplify their reach, and abandon those that don’t perform, all while trying to recoup as much as possible. He notes that many indie publishers lack competence and fail to provide significant value.

Ultimately, Bender advises indie developers to “research and be careful,” and if there’s any uncertainty, they should consider self-publishing. “That’s really what it comes down to, because self-publishing is very viable these days.”

In a bold stance, Bender has also declared that if Hooded Horse is publishing a game, there will be “no f***ing AI assets,” labeling generative AI art as “cancerous.”