Gimme a D and a Y!

What's that spell? Actually, what's that MIS-spell? Indie!

While GamerAndy is currently working out who we will meet and when at the upcoming GDC, I've been soaking in as much information as I possibly can about the stuff that won't be covered by Everybody and His Kid Brother -- or EHKB (tm).

Of course, the epitome of EHBK media, Joystiq, finds what I was looking for and probably one of the most intriguing inclusions to GDC this year: GameTap's Indies Program.

In an effort to break out the next greatest game developer while launching a new subscription service, GameTap will spotlight three new titles by independent developers at GDC. One will recieve $10,000 and a 5-year contract with GameTap to distribute the game and the other two snag $5,000 each.

I for one am really interested in what exactly these games are and will certainly be giving them a long, hard look. Indy gaming has been long promised from the industry, and we thought that XBLA was the answer. But alas, those tacit promises and potentialities have yet to be realized.

And I guess I'm not surprised. I mean, did we really think that an industry that's enjoyed a virtual monopoly on a multibilliondollar market for oh so many years was REALLY going to open its arms all wide and friendly to a bunch of lean, independent companies who can do what they do better, faster and cheaper?

So, we'll see what GameTap's new program has to offer? I'm skeptical, but not without hope.