Again this year, Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the E3 Business and Media Summit organizers, invited the IndieCade International Festivals of Independent Games to give the gathered insiders a view of the industry’s bustling creative fringes. At this exclusive invitation-only industry event, IndieCade will highlight the diversity in independent gamemaking with more than a dozen games exemplifying the creativity and breadth of vision that independent game designers incorporate into their work.

“It is important to challenge the industry with games that turn our idea of play inside out, that keep the fans engaged – and do it passionately, on small budgets, and in innovative ways. That is the point of this showcase and the work of IndieCade,” said Stephanie Barish, founder and president of IndieCade.

For this event, IndieCade selected games that would speak to the E3 audience, choosing from the more than 100 games submitted by independent gamemakers this year. Festival Director Sam Roberts states, “Game selections span the spectrum from casual games to those headed for mainstream publication, to ARGs, art games, and installations. We wanted to show work from the heart, work that conveys creative vision and work that bends and breaks gaming conventions. This is work that illustrates what games are capable of being.”

To complement the videogames, IndieCade will also feature high-resolution prints of artwork from eight independent games. “Capturing an instant of gameplay highlights both the visual artistry of the game in its own right, as well as its unique aesthetic vision in contrast with the standard fare,” explains Festival Chair Celia Pearce. “These prints illustrate the many ways that indie developers cut against the grain of commercial games, moving away from photorealism and out to the edges, with black-and-white video, nature, abstraction, simple old-school pixilated styles, and other aesthetic directions that are totally unique to the indie scene.”

IndieCade’s E3 Business and Media Summit Showcase follows this Spring’s first Asian IndieCade showcase in Hangzhou , China , for the CICAF animation festival’s audience of almost 500,000 people. Upcoming showcases and events include PAX in Seattle, E for All in Los Angeles , GameCity in the UK , as well as IndieCade’s flagship gallery exhibition at the Open Satellite in Bellevue , Washington , in October.