Sony to court Japanese indies for PlayStation 4
Sony worldwide studios head Shuhei Yoshida says he'd "like to get that indie flow going in the Japan market as well," since the smaller-studio games are handy for filling in schedule gaps between big releases.
Sony has made a point of actively courting indie developers in the run up to the PlayStation 4. Most recently it announced a batch of timed exclusives like Hotline Miami 2 and Rogue Legacy. Worldwide studios head Shuhei Yoshida says he'd like to echo that strategy in Japan, where the console is set to launch in 2014.
Yoshida told Polygon that the push for indie games helps fill the post-launch gap. After a burst of new releases at launch, it takes some time for developers to make the second wave of games, which is where indie games come in handy.
"Huge titles from large makers take time to develop; they can't just be brought out immediately," he said. "However, with the indie scene, especially in the West, we're seeing really neat games coming out from there pretty much every week. I'd like to get that indie flow going in the Japan market as well, with unique titles coming out one after the other. More and more users are making digital purchases these days, so even studios making games with small teams can make it into a business."
Sony's strategy is counter to Nintendo's policy. Wii U does not allow independent devs to self-publish.
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Steve Watts posted a new article, Sony to court Japanese indies for PlayStation 4.
Sony worldwide studios head Shuhei Yoshida says he'd "like to get that indie flow going in the Japan market as well," since the smaller-studio games are handy for filling in schedule gaps between big releases.-
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You can see larger companies like Ubisoft latching onto a similar philosophy, embracing the indie scene as complementary to the expensive AAA titles, rather than focusing purely on one or the other. Personally, I think this is great. I think indies have a permanent place along side larger titles going forward. Something for everyone.
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