[Sirocco]

Going indie can work, but there's a ton of competition, and you have to work your arse off to make yourself a known commodity. Branding is important, and with so many platforms open to small developers, it's tough to know which ones to target. Aim too big, and you get swamped with other titles (iPhone). Aim too small, and no one will have a gadget that runs your title (PSP Go).

Getting coverage via engagements such as IGF and Indiecade helps a lot, but it's no guarantee of success. It's not impossible by any means, but I want to stress how much work it is, and what sort of timetable you'll be looking at to actually turn a profit from your first few titles. Expect your first games to break even at best, unless you have a truly imaginative idea and happen to hit the right platform at the right time.