Sony must support indie developers, says Yoshida

by Jordan Mallory on Jul 11th 2011 3:40PM

Speaking to Develop Online, Sony Computer Entertainment's Worldwide Studio President Shuhei Yoshida said that the gaming megalith sees value in the continuously expanding world of indie development, and that supporting those developers is the key to industry growth.

"We have to support those smaller teams," he said. "Without doing so, the whole industry will stall, in terms of innovation." Yoshida thinks Sony's forthcoming PS Vita will serve as a good platform for indie developers currently subsisting in the mobile-phone universe, citing the handheld's capacitive touch-screen and AR capabilities as an entry-level gateway for development on the platform.

He also added that the Vita's development kit has been specifically engineered with affordability in mind, and that the system is "small and light and easy for developers to handle." With smartphones gobbling up increasingly larger slices of the mobile gaming pie, Sony seems to be positioning itself as the indie-friendly option for mobile developers looking to enter the world of dedicated gaming devices.

Source: Develop Online

Tags: indie-developers, mobile-gaming, playstation, playstation-vita, PS-Vita, Shuhei-Yoshida, smartphones, sony, Vita, Yoshida

Reader Comments (50)

What about garage developers?

@CaptainProtonX

It's in the source.

"SCE chief Shuhei Yoshida, who manages Sony’s global fleet of in-house studios, says running away from the ‘garage developer’ would ultimately be the industry’s loss."

@Acosta02

So, basically the Anti-Iwata, then.

Really makes you wonder what Nintendo's upcoming strategy will be...

@baby sea tuna

Iwata was arguing that bargain basement $1 or free-to-play games were eroding the sense of value that customers place on games, which hurts the industry. It trains people to expect cheap shit from games.

@Raffi256

Exactly. I won't dare spend even $2 on the Market/App Store/App World unless it's a well known very good quality game, either thru reviews or word of mouth etc...

In contrast, I routinely take a gamble on a console game that is priced much higher simply because of a certain development team.

@baby sea tuna

My guess is more Pokemon, Mario Brothers, and Zelda.

@CaptainProtonX
I think it's good that Sony has taken this stance towards "garage developers." There are a lot of ideas out there from people who don't have big budgets or years of experience.

However, I also understand where Iwata is coming from with his stance. Nintendo doesn't want their service to become a testing ground for first-time developers. This was the situation with Bob's Game a while ago. A no-name developer with a lot of passion, but no experience.
They are very open to indie developers, though. Examples: World of Goo (sequel to 2D Boy's Tower of Goo), Cave Story (Nicalis' first commercial project, but the devs have made several games prior), Shantae (WayForward is independent, but they've worked with several publishers before; their WiiWare/DSiWare stuff is self-published), and even Angry Birds 3DS (it may be Rovio's one-hit wonder, but they've made several games before it).
Nintendo isn't against the small guy, they just don't want them to cut their chops on their systems. Besides, publishing PC games won't have any licensing fees...

PS Vita has gone on to be a NO-BRAINER buy for me. A lot of indie developers from XBL need to port their games over to PSN for Vita once becomes available. That way, it'll be a good hands-on start for the consumer to play. Besides, it seems like a waste to even be on XBL anyway.

@Dance Mofo

Porting console games to a handheld is exactly what you DON'T want. Handheld gaming is a totally different experience and should be treated differently from consoles.

@Dance Mofo why? XBL has more users then PSN or Wiiware and there are some really goods games on there.

@Raffie256

XBLA & PSN titles make more sense on a handheld than a home console. We aren't talking about console experiences like Halo but play anywhere experiences like Pixel Junk Shooter & Castle Crashers.

@kcswanko The indie games that you bought, how long do you play them before moving onto something... say Halo or Killzone? For me, the indie and XBLA games I bought I only play for like 3-7 minutes (except XBLA scrabble or dominoes) before spending much more of my time in a CoD or Halo match. Just like johnny5 stated that XBLA & PSN titles makes more sense for handhelds.
And all the games for cell phones would put that in some serious competition against the likes of Vita. If Vita plays its cards right, it could very well be a dominate force to be reckoned with.

@Raffi256

I disagree, i don't see ports of console games hurting the Indi devs at all. in fact i would argue that Ports would help Indi games stand out in the , hopefully large, crowed of Vita titles.

@Raffi256 false. The whole point of PSP is console-like gaming on the go. If you want watered down crap, go back to the DS.

@Raffi256
People keep saying this, but many of the best handheld games have been ones that try to emulate the feel of their console brethren.

This has been the case since the GB/GG days, when you had stuff like Mario land and sonic coming to portables.

Not that there is a stop/resume function in many handhelds, even titles which are geared toward longer playthoughs are easy to accommodate.

There really isn't a good reason why handhelds must continue to offer inferior versions of core titles in addition to more simplistic games.

@Extinction

the point of a portable system is to be able to play on the go, but what is the point of getting a portable game system when you have to charge it every few hours because those console games are demanding more energy for the portable console?

portable games should be designed for the portable system with the ability to actually be able to play extended periods of time away from the house without needing to charge it every few hours, otherwise might as well just play the console you (the consumer) already has that ends up being cheaper than the handheld system

I'm not big on smartphone games in the least, but I'm glad they're taking a stance to support indie developers. Lately, some of the most entertaining games I have played are not the $60 AAA games by megastudios. They're $10 indie ones that I manage to get 50 hours of play or so out of. As opposed to $60 ones where you only get 20 or so hours >:U

@SiyamakSordes

Same here

Minecraft plzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

@Ospov

Can Minecraft even be called an indie game anymore? Besides the fact its made by very small number of part-time developers, it's made more money than many big box titles and certainly costs more than indie games ($25 vs $3).

@Raffi256

Well Mojang is still an independent company and "indie" is short for independent...

@Acosta02
This is probably Sony's best1ever snipe at Nintendo. Figures that it came from Yoshida and not Tretton.

Tell that to OoT

@ApexOneder

Why? OoT isn't an indie game.

It's a damn good game, but not indie.

theres a few PSN indie games I love, one of which (every day shooter) is one Id reccomend every take a look at. A few years old now, but a tippy little dual stick shooter which great music and levels.

@Cavall
I find this funny because the creator of the game made the PC version first and says it should be played keyboard style.

Supporting any kind of developer seems about the only thing sony does well, consistantly at least

Surprisingly, I've found that the the XBox360 has overall been the most friendly console for hobbyist / garage / small indy developers to work with. This is not to say that MS is doing a wonderful job, because I don't think that the peer review system is all that great.

However, Microsoft at least has provided a path for just about anyone to develop XBox360 games and there is at least a small chance they'll end up for purchase on XBL. Sony and Nintendo, as far as I'm aware, don't even have something close to comparable. Homebrew on these consoles is available, but the tools required are often the same tools used by pirates.

@Rialle

Except it's been proven time & time again the indie games section is like being a lepor. No one goes near you & MS has no interest in promoting the service. You are literally a red headed step child. So, they created a path but littered the road with IEDs.

@Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell I buy indie games. I know a lot of other people do as well. Who cares if it has crappy games? It has really good ones too.

@Rialle
In terms of friendliness for all developers, I'd say iOS is the most friendly. Then XBL, then PSN, then...Android....BlackBerry...Windows Mobile lol. Finally, Nintendo.

@The Only Girl As an androi developer, it is by far more friendly to me than iOS.

@Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell

As opposed to Nintendo shoving the IUD down the throats of so-called "garage developers." I agree that MS is far from being even close to what I'd like to see, but it is more than what Sony and Nintendo currently seem to have.

@The Only Girl

I was really only referring to dedicated game consoles. Expanding it to smartphones, iOS vs. Android is debatable. While both Apple and Google can yank apps from their stores, there are no alternate ways to get iOS apps without jail breaking.

@Fire Walk With Me

I'm glad you do because I don't :/ I just never pops into my head to prowl through unheard of, unpromoted games and I know that's wrong but I would rather spend money on things I know about then things I don't, purely for the fact that I would rather use my money on things I know about.

Its good that Micro does it, but it still defeats the purpose if its convoluted and hardly recognised by the millions of people who own 360s.

@Spunky Monkey 190906 not a lot of people go to it thats true. too bad because there are lots of funny and inventive little games for a buck or two.

Another thing MS did a really bad job at promoting was Game Room. They had such awful word of mouth that people were convinced paying $3 for a gaming classic you absolutely cant find anywhere else without a computer science degree was bad. I was late to the party and found out it was completely awesome. especially with all the crap dlc that cost more than 3 measley dollar.

I mean...THEY HAVE PLAQUE ATTACK FOR CHRISSAKES.

"We have to support those smaller teams," he said. "Without doing so, the whole industry will stall, in terms of innovation."

So does that mean that large development teams don't innvoate, even Sony's own teams? The industry has thrived for decades without proping up indie developers.

@Raffi256

As development studios grow larger in terms of employees, budgets increase and the stakes continue to get raised indie games are pretty much the last frontier when it comes to making something innovative without constraints. Making a high quality console game that flops will put developers out of business. When you have that type of pressure you tend to take less chances because you are justified in your fear to fail.

@Raffi256

The industry has changed. Video game budgets are higher than ever and one flop can bankrupt you. That's why we see more of the same. The stakes are too high. Cultivating indie developers is one of the best roads for innovation in an industry that's become increasingly creatively bankrupt. Sony has always done a good job supporting the more niche experiences so this declaration is in line with thier history as a publisher.

Start by making a simpler Dev Kit so you can get more people attempting small-scale PSN games.

@EliminatorZigma
From what i've read, that pretty much is the Vita. I've heard it called the easiest to develop on playstation ever, which causes welcome flashbacks to the ps1's similar claims.

It makes sense really, given the thing is mostly tablet parts. the hardware should be pretty familiar to anyone who makes iOS/Droid games.

Sony's also talked about Playstation suite, which is an android based framework for multi platform games.

Makes me think they are going for something like PSSuite for garage devs, PSN for indie devs, and then full PSV games for established teams.

Just one more thing (Peter Falk rest in peace)
If Sony wants to improve things for Vita development they could start by mentioning the platform at http://www.scedev.net/

@EliminatorZigma
If they are honest about wanting to attract indie developers, they need to make that development kit free of charge.

Will those Indie titles still sell for $.99-$4.99. That is the question.

well to be honest and xbl indies aside, isnt this what sony kind of started to do in regards to the minis?

Alright. From an independent developer prospective, this is a great thing however, Sony didn't achieve success in the gaming industry with a massive emphasis on indie development, right? Sony has got to be pick and choose and selective in what they will allow on their platform. Look at the Wii for example, and I'm going to say it anyway loved or hated but, the Xbox Live indie development is a joke. I've never been able to take it seriously. Its a bunch of junk put on Xbox Live to say "Hey, look how many games we have for our platform!" That was the Wii's problem.

They lost a lot of their fanbase to Xbox 360 and PS3 because its 3/5 shovelware. Sony have always had an eye for talent and they're selective but, they've got to keep this within reason. I think Xbox Live is a joke and there are far more gamers leaving Xbox 360 and finding home on PlayStation 3. I work in retail, I see it every day. Customers come in looking for a PS3 and as I talk to them, its amazing what they don't know. Its "Well, I have a 360 because my friends did. Had I known what I know now, I wouldn't have gone that way and would have worked with them to get a PS3 instead." Look at sales numbers through VG or whomever. The PS3 is outselling the 360 regularly weekly. Hasn't passed overall but, at its rate, its likely with the growing interest in PlayStation Hardware and Microsoft's lack of First-Party support and Sony's increasingly vast first-party support and quality.

I look at numbers, not the opinions of forums.

Nintendo Zigs, Sony Zags

When I said that Sony needs to be more open to small indie developers by having an easily available and cheap/free devkit I felt like I got horribly flamed.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/16/sony-finally-releases-official-statement-on-ps3-jailbreak/4#comments

Is there any way that 'Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi', 'eat it' and 'kgoo867' can now tell Yoshida 'It's a closed gaming console with high budget software.' or that PSN development is already cheap and easy enough?

Goodday; I said goodday sir.

@NormanCod The problem with your post is that Sony always have been supporting indie developers. Where do you think Naughty Dog came from? Crash Bandicoot was an indie game that blew up on Playstation. Sony supported them all the way and look at where they are at now. Some odd years ago, Sony opened up a financing program for indie and small developers. What else do they gotta do? Sony have been supporting indie developers, more so than Microsoft and Nintendo and for some reason, they get the heat for it?

@chrisredfield31
Naughty dog was sent devboxes for the PS1 17 years ago; maybe there are better modern examples like That Game Company, 2D Boy, James Silva, etc.
Okay I give in - Sony's development resources see somewhat opaque but it isn't stopping indie's like the Dyad developer, and the much more open XBLA model seems not to be successful.
BTW Have you seem The Dyad machine reminded my of Clooney's invention in Burn after Reading http://i.imgur.com/5lHpG.jpg

Yoshida is a delicious Japanese teriyaki marinade.

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Sony must support indie developers, says Yoshida

Reader Comments (50)

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 3:46PM CaptainProtonX said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 4:10PM Acosta02 said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 4:17PM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 4:30PM Raffi256 said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 5:00PM Co said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 5:40PM gangcar said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 6:34PM BPMOmega XBL PSN Steam said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 3:49PM Dance Mofo said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 4:11PM Raffi256 said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 4:20PM kcswanko said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 4:41PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 5:07PM Dance Mofo said

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Posted: Jul 11th 2011 5:28PM Extinction said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 5:49PM mrantimatter said

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Posted: Jul 11th 2011 3:54PM SiyamakSordes said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 8:58PM lobotomies4free said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 3:56PM Ospov said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 4:27PM Raffi256 said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 4:32PM Ospov said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 4:29PM gatotsu911 said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 4:17PM ApexOneder said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 5:08PM AutobotIronhide said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 4:11PM Cavall said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 5:06PM The Aquacharger said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 4:14PM eat it said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 4:17PM Rialle said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 4:49PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 5:05PM Fire Walk With Me said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 5:08PM The Only Girl said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 5:29PM Extinction said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 5:55PM Rialle said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 6:12PM Spunky Monkey 190906 said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 10:25PM Fire Walk With Me said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 4:24PM Raffi256 said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 4:46PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 4:53PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 4:36PM EliminatorZigma said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 5:54PM mrantimatter said

Posted: Jul 11th 2011 7:49PM NormanCod said

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