Speaking with Gametrailers Greg Kasavin, the man behind hit indie title Bastion and the upcoming Transistor, said that “If E3 wants to survive as a show it had better make room for smaller teams, and from what I saw this year there was plenty of room”. Kasavin also stated that “independent game developers are a key piece of the puzzle” especially since, compared to the Xbox 360 and PS3 launch, there are less big developers making games now and indie studios are quickly stealing the spotlight with their interesting and original ideas.
Sony’s overwhelming support for indie studios pleasantly surprised a lot of people at this year’s E3, so it can be said that Sony is also a firm believer in a gaming world where indie studios are just as important - if not more - than bigger studio which provide our AAA titles that sell millions every year. This is further reinforced by the fact that indies can “self publish” on PS4 compared to the Xbox One where every game requires a publisher in order to be sold.
Only time will tell if indie studios are key for survival or just a modern fad, but it’s definitely some food for thought for companies who, at the moment, aren’t considering all their options with the indies.
