Sony’s indie pitch: is it working?

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http://media.edge-online.com/wp-content/uploads/edgeonline/2012/12/Hotline-Miami-610x343.jpg (http://media.edge-online.com/wp-content/uploads/edgeonline/2012/12/Hotline-Miami.jpg)Sony positioned PlayStation 4 (http://www.edge-online.com/news/gdc-2013-sony-reveals-fresh-playstation-4-details/) as the developer-first platform at GDC 2013. It is busily eulogising PS4’s simpler PC-like architecture and has, emblematically, signed up indie hero Jonathan Blow (http://www.edge-online.com/features/jonathan-blow-talks-playstation-4-the-next-xbox-and-difficult-business-relationships/)’s next game The Witness as a timed PS4 exclusive.But is its attempt to win indie hearts and minds actually working? We asked several independent developers at GDC 2013 (http://www.edge-online.com/news/gdc-2013-all-the-news/)’s IGF Pavilion whether they’re considering bring their games to PS4 (and Vita), and the majority didn’t know enough about the console to feel comfortable answering.One indie that certainly has taken notice is Dennaton Games. It has already confirmed that Hotline Miami is coming to PS4 and Vita (http://www.edge-online.com/news/hotline-miami-coming-to-ps3-and-vita/), and told us that Sony instigated the deal. “Yeah, they’ve been sneaking around in the shadows,” Dennaton Games’ Dennis Wedin told us. ”They came over at Gamescom last year and checked [Hotline Miami] out, and they were talking to some of our friends like Vlambeer. They’ve been interested the whole time. They approached our publisher about Hotline Miami and said they wanted to do it.”“It feels like Sony wants to come back to the way they were on PlayStation 2, releasing those kind of odd games that maybe aren’t smash hits straight away. That’s the reason I always played PlayStation – those quirkier games.”Sony looks to have taken note of the critical adoration surrounding Hotline Miami, then. But most indies we spoke to, Simogo’s Simon Flesser included, remained focused on PC and mobile, with PS4 barely on their radar. “I don’t know…I don’t feel any different now about PlayStation,” said Flesser. “If we had a good concept, and if someone were willing to fund that concept, then sure.”Michael Brough, the prolific creator of Glitch Tank (http://www.edge-online.com/review/glitch-tank-review/), Vesper 5, Corrypt, Zaga-33 and more, seemed similarly open to offers, but it’s clear that Sony that needs to do all of the chasing if it is to win over the indie crowd.“It sounds like they’re good for indies at the moment and that’s kind of cool,” said Brough. “I’d like to sell games and make money to live on, so yeah I’m interested by their pitch and I’m going to talk to them about it, but I don’t really know much about it – it’s not my scene. People have been tweeting me saying ‘you should speak Sony, they’re nice’”Yann Seznez of Edinburgh’s Lucky Frame (Bad Hotel (http://www.edge-online.com/review/bad-hotel-review/), Wave Trip (http://www.edge-online.com/review/wave-trip-review/)) was rather more enthusiastic. “It’s totally interesting, yeah,” he said. “I mean we’re not at all excited about only working for one platform, we want to get your stuff out to as many different people as possible so if Sony’s willing to take risks and take funky cool games and unusual ideas and put them on their platform, then we are totally all about it.”“I’ve seen people from Sony calling out on Twitter saying ‘hey, if you’re an indie then get in touch with us’ and we did that and they got right back us right away. If anyone’s enthusiastic about taking our stuff to their platform, and Sony seem to be, then we’re totally up for it.”It is, of course, early days for PS4 as a platform. It appears that Sony’s efforts outside triple-A right now involve courting big-name indies like Jonanthan Blow and Dennaton, and hoping that other indies will follow. After a GDC which showed an indie community more numerous and more influential than ever, it’s a smart move, but one which will need continued, consistent commitment if it is to prove fruitful for PS4.

http://www.edge-online.com/news/sonys-indie-pitch-is-it-working/