Of the more than 180 PS4 titles currently in development, it's safe to assume many of them are indie-developed. Sure, there will be quite a few "blockbuster AAA" titles at launch, but it's no secret that this next-generation PlayStation will place heavy emphasis on the indie games scene. Why? Mostly because AAA games are just too darn expensive and too risky.
“Development has polarized now – our internal bigger teams are getting bigger and we are not doing many mid-sized games any more," Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide studios head Shuhei Yoshida told Develop.
"But if we are just doing big budget triple-A sequels the industry doesn’t have a bright future," he warned.
“We need new ideas to be tried out," Yoshida continued. "And of course the big teams are trying new ideas too, but the amount of resources needed and the financial risk is so large that they have to set a certain limit. That’s where the indies come in.
“In that sense I think there are some relations between the larger triple-A games and the indie boom, because consumers are always wanting something new.
“It’s a great way for people to learn too. Some of these studios have release ten or 12 small games in a year – and our teams can spend three years making one game. Indie games have not just been fast; they have quickly learned and got feedback and then gone again.”
While indie games certainly have their place within the industry, I personally prefer AAA titles. However, I do respect the creativity and innovation many indie games bring to the industry. Looking ahead to the PS4, I'm excited to see how this newfound emphasis on indie games affects the future of the industry.
