Edmund McMillen, the designer behind indie successes like Super Meat Boy, The Binding of Isaac, and the upcoming tactical RPG Mewgenics, believes mainstream studios openly lift ideas from ambitious indie titles. He shared his perspective during a recent Reddit AMA after a fan asked whether indie developers still feel optimistic despite uncertainty in the AAA industry.
McMillen’s view is blunt: “When the money dries up, the mainstream gets scared and takes less risks.”
He elaborates that AAA studios often cling to formulas and rely heavily on sequels or gameplay concepts proven to be profitable. Indie developers, on the other hand, can afford to experiment because their financial stakes are much lower — which is why indies are usually the ones who push new ideas first.
According to McMillen, once an indie game finds an idea that resonates, AAA studios repurpose it in a safer, more market-friendly form — and profit from it. He ends the comment with a winking emoji, and it fits.
There are plenty of recent examples. For instance, the success of indie hit Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 even had fans asking Square Enix to bring back classic turn-based combat for Final Fantasy — a reversal of the usual influence flow. A definite “winky face” moment.
McMillen also describes his own creative process with the kind of chaotic humor you don’t hear from big studios: he said he starts with a feeling or mechanic, turns it over in his mind until it becomes “pulpy and sicky,” and eventually “a baby comes out of my anus.” Ubisoft would never phrase it like that — and that’s kind of the point.
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