The indie studios quietly reshaping how games get made
Small teams are shipping on their own terms — smaller scopes, publishing-optional deals, tooling built in the open. What the majors are only now copying, they normalised years ago.
Every big studio suddenly wants to be a platform.
Storefronts, launchers, live services, ad networks — the industry's largest players are done selling games. They want to own the shelf. We spent three months asking why.
Photo · Games Week floor
Indies rewrite the production playbook
Preservation groups race the clock
Launcher fatigue hits an all-time high
Studios post a hiring rebound
Subscription math finally under scrutiny
Dispatch
Nº 01
This week's reading
The desks
Nº 02
What we cover
Standing columns
Nº 03
Voices on the masthead
Théo MarchandThe Ledger · Business
"A launcher is not a favour. It's a toll booth with a loading screen."
The Ledger
Fortnightly on the economics of games — publisher earnings decoded, layoff patterns tracked, and the quiet math behind every "free" storefront.
Nadia FerrandSave State · Culture
"We are the first medium at real risk of forgetting itself on purpose."
Save State
A column about memory: what gets preserved, what gets delisted, and the archivists refusing to let a decade of releases vanish behind dead servers.
Membership
Read the industry without the noise.
Nexscript Insider is our annual pass: a weekly briefing, member-only long-reads, and every page ad-free. No trackers, no autoplay, no filler — just the reporting.
See what's inside- 01 Weekly industry briefing, Fridays
- 02 Member-only long-reads & back catalogue
- 03 Ad-free, tracker-free reading everywhere
- 04 Comment threads & annual print zine
Free vs Insider
Nº 04
Pick your pass
Always free
Reader
$0/forever
- Daily news and shorter features
- One free long-read a month
- Weekly Insider briefing
- Full long-read archive
- Ad-free, tracker-free
Most popular
Insider Annual
$60/year
- Everything in Reader
- Weekly Friday briefing
- Full member-only archive
- Ad-free, tracker-free reading
- Annual print zine mailed to you
Two seats
Insider Duo
$96/year
- Two full Insider seats
- Share with a colleague or friend
- Weekly briefing for both
- Ad-free, tracker-free reading
- Two print zines mailed
Fine print, plainly
Nº 06
Questions
What do I actually get with Insider?
A weekly Friday briefing, the full member-only long-read archive, ad-free and tracker-free reading across the site, comment threads, and one annual print zine mailed to your address. Duo gives two full seats.
How do I pay after I fill in the form?
The form only collects your name, email, phone and chosen plan. We reply by email with a secure payment link — we never ask for card numbers on this site.
Is the free tier really free?
Yes. Daily news, shorter features and one long-read a month stay free with no card required. Insider funds the deeper reporting so the free side can stay open.
Can I cancel or get a refund?
Insider is annual and cancellable any time before renewal. New members can request a full refund within 14 days if they've read no member-only long-reads. See our Refund Policy.
Who writes for Nexscript?
A small online newsroom plus a rotating bench of reporters worldwide. Columns and bylines are named on every piece — read more about us.
Get Insider
Join the front row.
Tell us who you are and which pass you want. We'll email a payment link within one working day and set up your access the moment it clears.