Sony hosted an indie focused event in San Francisco yesterday, where it showed of the state of their indie gaming campaign as well as announcing a bunch of games headed for PS4 and Vita. Sony VP of developer and publisher relations, Adam Boyes hosted a short presentation at the event, during which he made several interesting announcements regarding the success of the independent publisher campaign as well announcing several titles.
Boyes confirmed that over 1000 independent developers are now licenced to self publish their games on Sony platforms. Sony’s open-platform approach to independent publishing has led to a much lower barrier to entry for smaller developers to get their games into the hands of a large audience via the PSN Store.
Boyes also stated that the third-person multiplayer focused shooter Warframe is the most downloaded game on the PS Store, being second in the most downloaded application category with Netflix taking the no.1 spot.
You can find the full list of games announced at the event below, as well as some info regarding the title, a link to the full PS Blog post and a trailer.
Drifter (PS4, Vita)
“Drifter is an open-world, sandbox, space trading game with a procedurally-generated galaxy 100,000 light years across, made up of tens of thousands of star systems to explore and features an original soundtrack by composer Danny Baranowsky. In the game you take on the role of a spaceship captain attempting to eke out a living among the stars by trading goods between star systems, hunting pirates for bounties, mining asteroids for valuable ore, or even becoming a pirate yourself.” -PS Blog
Splelunky (PS4)
“We’re once again teaming up with BlitWorks, who did a great job on bringing the game to PS3 and PS Vita. For PS4, we want to do even more — like bump up the graphics to 1080p, let players upload replays to the leaderboards, add more social features to the Daily Challenge, and otherwise take advantage of the PS4′s unique hardware” -PS Blog
Starwhal: Just the Tip (PS4, PS3)
“For Breakfall’s latest game, Starwhal: Just the Tip, we tapped into our love of a number of game design paradigms (because now that we’re mostly grown up nerds, we like fancy words sometimes). Ideas like elegance in mechanics, simplicity in design, hard-hitting, impactful feel, and — naturally — burrito-wrapped narwhals in space, all feature prominently. But the drive to continue to develop Starwhal, and the number one principle we come back to over and over, is that this game brings people together to have fun.” -PS Blog
Axiom Verge (PS4, Vita)
“Axiom Verge is a retro-styled 2D “metroidvania” action-adventure, inspired by such classics as Rygar, Contra, Bionic Commando, Blaster Master, and, of course, Metroid. But it also gives you power over glitches like those found in classic games, allowing you to scramble enemies, corrupt environments, and enter hidden areas.” -PS Blog
Source (PS4)
“When we began developing Source, we set out to create something completely new and unique, yet deeply versed in the classic Metroidvania adventure game style. To us, a Metroidvania is a special kind of adventure game that has a few main components that need to be just right.” -PS Blog
Chasm (PS4)
“In Chasm, players take up the role of Daltyn, a young soldier sent to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a mining crew in the remote mountain town of Karthas. Upon arrival you learn the town has been cut off from the outside world by supernatural forces. Now trapped, you are left with no option but to explore the mines below the town and uncover the source of the disturbances. Only by gaining new special abilities, evading dangerous traps, and defeating hordes of deadly enemies can you hope to save Karthas — and possibly the world!”-PS Blog
Escape Goat 2 (PS4)
“I’m glad I didn’t go with my original opening paragraph for this post. It just enumerated the reasons Escape Goat 2 sets itself apart from other puzzle platformers out there. I’ve shown the game to so many people that the shtick is burned in my mind. And ultimately, it’s impossible to describe, because the fun of Escape Goat is intangible.”-PS Blog
Ironclad Tactics (PS4)
“Ironclad Tactics is a fast-paced, card-based tactics game by Zachtronics featuring steam-powered robots in the American Civil War. The entire game is streamlined for 10-second, fixed-length turns taken by all players simultaneously, blending the best of turn-based and real-time gameplay. You win cards to build your decks by playing the game and completing puzzles and challenges, not by purchasing them individually or in digital booster pack.”-PS Blog
Apotheon (PS4)
“The combat in Apotheon draws mainly from our collective background as multiplayer FPS gamers. We were never much for button-mashy or combo based fighters, which I think have a bit of a stranglehold on 2D action games (especially melee focused ones). Instead of giving players a shopping list of moves and combos to memorize, we just give a set of basic actions. You can move, jump, attack, block, roll, and throw. Learned skills like timing, positioning, and reading your opponent’s movements are at the core here.” -PS Blog
Skulls of the Shogun: The Bone-a-Fide Edition (PS4)
“Skulls of the Shogun is a mash-up of turn-based strategy and fighting-game flare, scientifically engineered for lightning-quick rounds, thoughtful strategic play, and a frequently inappropriate sense of humor with its tongue planted firmly in cheek. And whether you’re into single or multiplayer, Skulls has you covered.
You play General Akamoto, Japan’s greatest shogun, who’s been stabbed in the back on the eve of his greatest battle – and transported to the Samurai Afterlife. But an impostor has taken your place, and it’s up to you to shatter his plans and regain your honor as Shogun – of the Dead!” -PS Blog
Nidhogg (PS4)
“Hello blogizens, we at Messhof are super excited to announce that we’re working with Code Mystics to bring Nidhogg to PS4! The game has always been best played with gamepads, so we’re pumped to be working with Sony on our newest release of Nidhogg.” -PS Blog
Jamestown Plus (PS4)
” A lot can happen in five years. With this latest generation of hardware, it’s more viable than ever to develop console games as an indie developer. In the wake of the original game’s critical success, and with a ton of encouragement and support from the nice folks at PlayStation, we’ve decided the time is right to finally bring Jamestown to console.” -PS Blog
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