PlayStation Announces New Indies Initiative, Debuts 9 Titles
PlayStation has been making headline after headline as it gears up to launch the long-awaited PS5. When it finally revealed the new console and a handful of big titles on June 11, it caused quite the stir. Now Sony’s done it again with the announcement of the PlayStation Indies initiative.
On July 1, Sony told the world about this new program, intending to highlight indie games. Along with this announcement, they revealed nine new indie titles coming to PlayStation soon. Given PlayStation’s remarkable backlog of triple-A games, this focus on smaller developers is a welcome surprise.
Sony’s no stranger to indie games, even announcing a couple in their PS5 event in June. The PlayStation Indies initiative takes another step in supporting these smaller developers, though. Here’s a closer look.
A Big Step for Small Studios
According to Shuhei Yoshida, head of PlayStation Indies, they hope to make PlayStation ideal for developing, finding and playing indie games. What this will look like when it launches is still unclear, but Yoshida did reveal one noteworthy detail. Starting this month, Sony will add a new indie game to PlayStation Now every month.
The PlayStation Indies initiative could be a huge moment for small game developers. Indie studios have found success on platforms like Steam, but getting recognition in such a vast library can be challenging. With a giant like PlayStation giving you the spotlight, you’d have a much easier time.
Indie studios like Owlchemy Labs have received critical acclaim for years, but don’t always have economic success. A lot more people would see, play and buy their games if a company like PlayStation highlighted them, though. This initiative could lead to an indie game revolution.
In an age of massive video game companies, smaller developers face a lot of obstacles. A program like the PlayStation Indies initiative can give them a fighting chance against these big titles.
Indie Games Announced
The announcement of this new program isn’t the only thing Sony brought to the table. They also announced nine upcoming indie releases that will be available on both PS4 and PS5. Be on the lookout for:
- F.I.S.T: Forged In Shadow Torch (PS4), available soon
- Maquette (PS4, PS5)
- Where the Heart Is (PS4), coming in Winter 2020
- Creaks (PS4), available soon
- Heavenly Bodies (PS4, PS5), coming in 2021
- Recompile (PS5)
- Carto (PS4), available in Fall 2020
- Haven (PS4)
- Worms Rumble (PS4, PS5)
As Yoshida mentioned in the announcement, PlayStation has always embraced indie games. These nine titles are just a taste of what will come to the PS4 and PS5 in the future.
PlayStation Indies Initiative Represents a New Era in Gaming
Seeing as the PS4 outsold its competitors this generation by a wide margin, this announcement is big news. By highlighting indie games to PlayStation’s tens of millions of players, they could bring about an age of indie games. The PlayStation Indies initiative might just change the industry.
Triple-A games dominate gaming right now, but that may not be the same forever. At the very least, this initiative will give smaller games new life. It’s an exciting time to be a game developer, and even more so to be a gamer.