The original PlayStation was a breeding ground for quirky and offbeat games, but as technology has evolved, we've seen less and less of that on Sony's subsequent gaming machines.
According to Mark Cerny, that unfavorable trend will come to an end on the PlayStation 4, thanks to the surge of popularity in indie titles and Sony's willingness to bring them aboard. During his keynote presentation at the Develop Conference (via Eurogamer), Cerny explained:
With PSone there was no way to make an indie title. The hardware didn't support digital downloads and all games were distributed on CD-ROMS. There was no way for creators to directly reach their audience. But triple-A game development was very different than it was today. Crash Bandicoot, which sold six million units, was created by just seven people. A typical individual would contribute broadly in the creation of a game.
Due to small team sizes the barriers to creating new types of experiences were quite low, and consequently the diversity of games available at retail was quite high. As a result, there was a certain fun factor that was an intrinsic part of the PlayStation DNA in those years. Concept-driven titles like PaRappa the Rapper, Devil Dice and Intelligent Cube were well received by the game playing audience and each went on to sell over a million units.
So how will things change in the next generation of gaming? A larger emphasis on indie titles will encourage more innovation, allowing creativity rather than just pretty graphics to dominate the gaming space. "We believe that a renaissance of gaming is coming on PS4. Heavy content will thrive on the platform, but in many ways we will also be returning to the creative freedom and broad content that made the early years of PlayStation so unforgettable," Cerny added.
Are you excited for this "renaissance" that Sony promises to usher in? Is indie support important to you and your gaming desires? Let us know by sounding off in the comments below.
