PS4 and Xbox One have undoubtedly been in a two pronged race for console supremacy and the emphasis has usually been on their respective games having amazing cinematic graphics and a script to rival a major Hollywood production.
However with the introduction of the PS4 and Xbox One we have also seen a plethora of amazing Indie titles as well, who have arguably shown the big publishers that they can compete with them. Indie titles such as Cuphead and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice have garnered positive reviews, with the latter touted as perhaps the first AAA Indie title. I mention these two games as they have both appeared on the Xbox One and PS4 respectively and received a phenomenal response.
However there is a sub-set to the Indie games argument, with there being certain levels to the Indie game tier. The aforementioned games occupy a perch in the higher tier and are often seen as the industry leaders. The other games which occupy the middle and lower tiers usually have it tough and have to take on the might of bigger publishers with limited resources ; However one Indie Dev believes that it’s actually good that smaller Indie devs have been challenged in a creative sense , as it forces them to be innovative.
In a recent interview we talked to Will Glow The Wisp Dev Nikolas Crisci ; who had this to say about the current state and challenges that Indie Game devs have to face.
“Any new Indie dev is bound to have his back against the wall. This is probably due to a multitude of reasons , but perhaps the major one is resources. The PS4 and Xbox One have in my opinion been beneficial for Indie devs as they have forced them to be innovative. I think that we live in a great time where a lot of people have the power to make their own games and distribute them. We are now entering an era, where it is getting harder and harder to gain traction and a playerbase for your game. But that is just a sign that we as an industry are maturing.”
The most recent example of this is perhaps Cuphead. The game’s popularity derives from the fact that it is unique and different from any other game that you might have played. The game contains hand drawn cartoons which depicts animation and how it was in the 30’s. The game has been a resounding success, and a big part of that is the innovation that the devs have brought forth with the game.
Do Indie game devs have to overcome the odds to be a success? Let us know by commenting in the comments section below.
