I was talking about this in another thread. I think this is one area where Microsoft is now beating Sony.
Last generation, as a huge Sony fan, I loved the console exclusive indie games that Sony was incubating in Santa Monica or partnering with via the Pub Fund. The Velocity franchise, Sound Shapes, Journey, The Unfinished Swan, Guacamelee!, Papo & Yo, rain, the PixelJunk series - many of them were some of my favorite experiences of the generation.
Resogun, Velocity 2X, and Thumper have all been great this generation, and while I wasn't a fan of Bound, I'm glad it exists. But these partnerships seem to be dwindling, and the incubated Santa Monica projects, many of which had a three game deal, have either completed their obligation or quietly split.
Other than Housemarque's exclusive Matterfall, and Nex Machina, which is now coming to PC as well, I really don't know of many indies that seem to be priorities for Sony. They dropped RiME - for a solid reason - but it looks to have turned out well. They were the first to show of Tarsier's Hunger, a game which resurfaced as Little Nightmares through Bandai Namco. Lastly, Giant Sparrow's follow up to The Unfinished Swan, What Remains of Edith Finch, is published by Annapurna Interactive, seemingly abandoning the three game deal that Giant Sparrow was a part of.
In the meantime, Microsoft has quietly started to build some momentum with great games like Ori and the Blind Forest, and a sizeable amount of timed console exclusives like Inside, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, The Flame in the Flood, Rise & Shine, and Beyond Eyes. Signing the upcoming Cuphead was a brilliant deal. Hopefully Below pans out.
While Microsoft's AAA output often gets (deserved) criticism, they seem to be ramping up their indie presence, whereas Sony seems to be diminishing its role. That has me the most excited I've ever been for Microsoft.
Last generation, as a huge Sony fan, I loved the console exclusive indie games that Sony was incubating in Santa Monica or partnering with via the Pub Fund. The Velocity franchise, Sound Shapes, Journey, The Unfinished Swan, Guacamelee!, Papo & Yo, rain, the PixelJunk series - many of them were some of my favorite experiences of the generation.
Resogun, Velocity 2X, and Thumper have all been great this generation, and while I wasn't a fan of Bound, I'm glad it exists. But these partnerships seem to be dwindling, and the incubated Santa Monica projects, many of which had a three game deal, have either completed their obligation or quietly split.
Other than Housemarque's exclusive Matterfall, and Nex Machina, which is now coming to PC as well, I really don't know of many indies that seem to be priorities for Sony. They dropped RiME - for a solid reason - but it looks to have turned out well. They were the first to show of Tarsier's Hunger, a game which resurfaced as Little Nightmares through Bandai Namco. Lastly, Giant Sparrow's follow up to The Unfinished Swan, What Remains of Edith Finch, is published by Annapurna Interactive, seemingly abandoning the three game deal that Giant Sparrow was a part of.
In the meantime, Microsoft has quietly started to build some momentum with great games like Ori and the Blind Forest, and a sizeable amount of timed console exclusives like Inside, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, The Flame in the Flood, Rise & Shine, and Beyond Eyes. Signing the upcoming Cuphead was a brilliant deal. Hopefully Below pans out.
While Microsoft's AAA output often gets (deserved) criticism, they seem to be ramping up their indie presence, whereas Sony seems to be diminishing its role. That has me the most excited I've ever been for Microsoft.