There may be some research that goes into deciding what indie games Sony chooses to fund to come to PlayStation, but it's far from an exact science. In fact, it's more of a gut feeling, according to Adam Boyes, PlayStation's VP of Publisher and Developer Relations, who also admitted he's really not sure what the industry wants anymore.
In the latest issue of Game Informer, Boyd spoke about the initial process in determining whether to fund an indie game even if Sony doesn't expect it to be lucrative in hopes that it'll add prestige to the platform.
"A lot of that comes from your gut," he said. "You could look at Minecraft."
"I use the example of Dear Esther. I remember when I was at Capcom and Dear Esther came out on PC and I played it. You walked around an island with no weapon and you just explore. You can't even jump.
"I realized at that point that I don't know what the industry wants anymore, because it sold 100,000 units on the first day," he explained. "So it's a mixture of following your gut and thinking, 'This is an incredible experience,' plus, 'What has this team done before?' Sometimes, the most amazing games can come from people who haven't made a game before, other times what they've done in the past is really important."
Boyd went on to say that "obviously" Sony wouldn't do a deal where the company thought they'd lose money, but also added that "you never know what the next Minecraft or Angry Birds is going to be."
"You just hope that your gut is in tune with what a lot of the rest of the world wants, and the rest is up to the Internet," Boyes concluded.
Since the launch of the PS4, Sony has made it abundantly clear that they are committed to indies. All one has to do is look at the lineup of games for PS4, PS3, or Vita for proof of that commitment. The blockbusters will still be there, but indies have allowed Sony to expand its offerings and provide new and unique gaming experiences to its players.
