As part of Sony’s three-pronged attack on Microsoft’s Xbox One (the first two prongs being cost and a consumer friendly business model), the company revealed a huge push for independent (indie) developers during their PlayStation 4 E3 2013 press conference.
Sony reaffirmed the importance of independent games to the future success of the PlayStation 4 by announcing that the company is dedicated to allowing indie developers the freedom to self-publish on PlayStation platforms. The ability to self-publish on Sony consoles — which stands in stark contrast to Microsoft’s indie plans — will go a long way towards drawing in indie studios, who often have trouble finding third-party publishers to release their software.
As proof of their efforts to reach out to indie developers, Sony announced nine indie games that will be making their console debut on the upcoming next-gen PlayStation 4:
- Don’t Starve – Klei
- Galak-Z – 17-bit
- Mercenary Kings – Tribute Games
- Octodad: Dadliest Catch – Young Horses
- Oddworld: Abe’s Oddyssey New ‘n’ Tasty – Oddworld Inhabitants (Also coming to PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita)
- Outlast – Red Barrels
- Ray’s the Dead – Ragtag Studio
- Secret Ponchos – Switchblade Monkeys
- Transistor – Supergiant Games
Sony noted that these indie titles will cover a wide range of genres, from first-person horror to (human/octopus) fatherhood simulators, “to ensure that gamers have an endless variety of experiences to choose from.”
The push for indie developers on all of Sony’s platforms (PS Vita, PlayStation 3, and the upcoming PlayStation 4) is certainly one of the most exciting aspects for the future of gaming. The indie scene is often a source of true innovation in gaming, and it will be exciting to see the console market opened up to these developers.
