You may not have dwelled on the idea too much, but PlayStation has become a bit of a haven for indie developers over the past couple of months. In just a few short weeks, the publisher has announced a slew of cult titles for the PlayStation 3 and Vita, including Hotline Miami, Thomas Was Alone, and Frozen Synapse: Tactics. It’s a philosophy that the platform holder’s really emphasising at this year’s GDC – and in an interview with Gamasutra, Sony’s developer and publisher relations executive Adam Boyes has confirmed that the strategy is being extended to the PlayStation 4, too.
“[Indie games] have been a big focus for us,” he told the website. “The great thing is, unilaterally, because [Worldwide Studios president] Shuhei Yoshida is such a big fan of indie developers, they allowed us to say, ‘Hey, guess what, indies are top priority as well,’ so we've gone very aggressively after a lot of independent developers for PS4.”
The fruits of the company’s labour are already starting to show, with both Primal Carnage: Genesis and Blacklight: Retribution confirmed for the PS4 overnight. But how is the manufacturer ensuring that the best talent flocks to its machine? “We've just changed our whole concept submission process,” Boyes continued. “It used to be two stages, and all this feedback, and now it's just one, and it's optional feedback, so there's no greenlighting process, no voting, [and] no weird stuff.”
Boyes delved into more detail about the submission procedure later in the interview, but it boils down to an accelerated process for the platform holder and the studios building games. “Realistically, if we want to be a facilitator for content, we want to get out of the way as much as possible. We obviously want to be aware. So now we almost treat it as, if we see stuff that we like, we're like, ‘Oh, maybe we can Pub Fund that, or we can do a partnership around that title.’”
The new approach appears to be working, as developers can’t stop singing Sony’s praises at the moment. Much of the discussion coming out of this year’s GDC seems to be focused on the platform holder’s new developer-friendly attitude, a sentiment that we believe bodes well for its impending next generation console.
[source gamasutra.com]
Comments 10
With their Pub Fund system they try to grab as much console exclusives as they can as I said before every game on PC that gets inside this deal won't need to waste too much money thanks to Sony's funding and the only thing they need to do is be exclusive to that console. If this keeps growing in the future Sony might have more indie support than any console till date. Its a nice bussiness strategy I must say.
As long as Sony gets the pricing right, the PS4 could be a return to the glory days for the company. So far I love everything they're doing with this console.
The more the merrier I say, the more opportunities for developers of all kinds to get their games on consoles the better. Since Sony announced the $0.99 to $60 price range I'm really hoping they allow a lot of flexibility when it comes to the prices on PSN across the board.
@Gamerr83 Sony really seems to be setting themselves up for success this time around, don't they?
@Zombie_Barioth
To this point it seems to be doing everything right. The price of the system could be the only stumbling block but I'm expecting Sony to be much smarter about that this time around (not that PS3's initial pricing wasn't fair for what you got, but it was priced out of the range the general consumer is willing to go).
Good stuff.
Ingratiating themselves with inde dev's is pretty much writing a love letter to the community at large. While most of us play the 'big' games, we mostly also despise the big companies publishing them. Supporting the 'little guy' is a smart move. They will earn massive good will among inde dev's and possibly secure a few more talented developers for first party projects.
This also makes great waves for the Vita. if the big boys aren't keen on development costs for a relatively small market, you can bet inde's will take up the challenge!
I think the next generation off games, we will see less AAA games. As it getting harder for them to make there money. i.e Tomb raider sold 3.4 Million, and still need to sell 1.6 million more just to break even.
So sony smart getting the indies on board early, as HardCore gamers will turn to the next generation off gaming. Which are games made by small teams, with new ideas and willing to take risk again.
@Gamer83 They seem to be doing everything right except for not allowing backwards compatibility. That one thing sort of killed my interest in the PS4.
@Five-seveN
Since the removal of PS2 software emulation on the PS3 and the resultant HD this and HD that making tons of easy money as downloads, native BC is a dead concept in terms of marketing. Obviously the utter lack of architechtural similarity between the PS3 and PS4 kills it completely.
It doesn't bother me. I'm ready for something new.
I'm buying a PS4 to play PS4 games so the lack of b/c doesn't bother me too much, plus it's not like I had plans on getting rid of my PS3 anyway, won't get back nearly what I paid for it.
@Fast_45er
I know this is late, but somehow I'm reading this for the first time. :/ I only joined recently, lol.
I don't know how you feel about backwards compatibility now, but in general I just want to say that it really won't be too big an issue. The PS3 is going down in price, the PS4 is made to play PS4 games, so it doesn't make sense for Sony or for Microsoft to spend money and resources implementing backwards compatibility--especially when you consider that halfway through this next generation people will be growing less and less interested in the PS3 and its games to begin with. What they're doing with Gaikai is far more sustainable and, if you think about it, is a form of backward compatibility all the way back to PSOne.
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