Bollywood: PlayStation's Blockbuster Focus Causes Big Issues For Indies

Following chatter about PlayStation's alleged shortcomings with regards to partnering with independent developers, a new report alleges the company's in-house indie support team is "severely understaffed." The last couple of days have seen Sony come under fire for its dealings with indie developers and publishers. Such a topic of discussion picked up steam after Neon Doctrine co-founder Iain Garner alluded to the convoluted process by which indie games and their creators gain visibility on PlayStation platforms.

Other developers chimed in as well, corroborating Garner's claim that PlayStation, or "Platform X" as he called it, charges $25,000 for store placement. Reportedly, the platform-holder is also rather picky about which games can take part in digital discounts. Smaller games that remain at their original asking price long-term, thus, take another hit when it comes to visibility and potential growth on an otherwise thriving platform. Sony itself has yet to publicly issue a statement about the ongoing discourse, but new insight from industry sources suggests the problem is deeply ingrained.

Following up on his report about the complaints of Garner and other developers, Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier noted that the "real story" lies in the happenings within PlayStation's in-house indie support group. According to indie developers and other Sony employees who spoke with Schreier, "PlayStation's support team for indies is severely understaffed." This is apparently due to the continued emphasis on blockbuster game releases.

The above sentiment aligns with another Bloomberg report from this past spring, wherein the publication relayed claims that Sony had shifted to primarily focusing on AAA titles such as The Last of Us, God of War, and Ghost of Tsushima. As a consequence, PlayStation's indie initiative that received acclaim throughout much of the PS4 generation has taken a backseat. That the indie-dedicated group within Sony, run by former PlayStation Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida, may be understaffed is particularly disappointing news.

Of course, the company has given the spotlight to several notable indie projects in recent months - Kena: Bridge of Spirits and Sifu included. But if indie developers big and small feel the need to publicly air their grievances with the platform-holder, something must be amiss. Hopefully, for the sake of smaller development teams and fans, this season of turbulence within PlayStation will soon come to an end.

Next: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Is One Of 20 Indies Coming To Xbox Game Pass On Day One

Source: Bloomberg, Jason Schreier/Twitter

https://ift.tt/3jEMylE
July 03, 2021 at 12:21AM

Labels: ScreenRant - Feed