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Sony has a lot to talk about this week. On the one hand, there’s his latest streak of buying studios, and on the other hand, there are controversial claims, such as Sony being charged at least $25,000 to appear on the PlayStation Store.
New data is being added today to this line and it is, according to KotakuMany independent developers contacted them to say that it’s actually more difficult to work with Sony and sell games on the PlayStation Store than anywhere else.
When positioning yourself is a privilege
The data you collect Kotaku They say everything. The testimony begins with «Oh yeah, there’s Nintendo to back you up.» «Then there’s Microsoft that supports you too, and then there’s Sony that only supports their AAA hardware. They don’t care about anyone else,» he points out.
Another developer says, «Sony doesn’t understand what indie means. Not at all. For them, indie is something on a few million budgets.»
The problem is not simply that Sony is charging developers at least $25,000 to appear in a visible position on the PlayStation Store, but that this is the only way to be visible for most indie games. The developers declare that their games are completely lost if they do not pay, which, in their opinion, is in contrast to the Microsoft and Nintendo stores. While both offer ways to pay per impression, they also offer plenty of other free options, the developers say.
What has been documented? Kotaku with what Bloomberg reported in April. In an article, the publication explained that Sony is very cautious, even with the games it produces, and is anxiously focused on sales success. According to that article, the Japanese company is moving away from in-house development of smaller games to focus on big developments and productions. Their lack of interest in small developments obviously also extends to third-party developers trying to sell their games on the PlayStation Store.
And what do you think of this Sony style of indie games? How do you think this could affect Sony’s role in the industry? Leave us your opinion in the comments and stay tuned for more news on LEVEL UP.