RIME

Content droughts are common alongside any major platform launch. Publishers tend to target launch day as the optimal date to release their wares, and that often results in a shortage of software over the weeks – and, in particularly problematic cases, months – that ensue. Sony’s already attempted to compensate for such a scenario by pushing inFAMOUS: Second Son into 2014 on the PlayStation 4, but Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida believes that a steady stream of indie software will prevent the next generation console’s content well from drying up entirely.

“By nature, publishers – especially large ones – see opportunity and will always be there at the launch of any platform,” he told EDGE magazine. “Large publishers typically target that date, not two months or six months after, so it’s natural that the first peak comes at launch and then there will be a drought. However, now there are many games developed by indie teams, and they will spend time if they need to. So these games will be continuously released through next year, that’s my expectation.”

While there’s certainly a lot of quality content coming out of smaller studios, cynics would argue that they don’t sell consoles. Yoshida, however, doesn’t necessarily agree. “We do believe that indie games can sell hardware,” he explained. “I think last year’s games like Journey and The Walking Dead sent a very clear message to the games industry and consumers when they swept the awards. Small games can make a huge impact.”

And there are an enormous number of indie titles that could have a similar impression for the PS4 next year, including RIME, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, and Shadow of the Beast. Couple that with the likes of Hotline Miami 2, Guns of Icarus Online, and Velocity 2X, and we reckon that Yoshida may have point. The big question is: will the wealth of smaller content keep your hunger for the next big blockbuster at bay? Let us know in the comments section below.

[source edge-online.com]