| richardhutnik said: Is the idea to get Sony to do what Microsoft is doing with their Indie games initiative (XNA dev environment)? |
Maybe. I think it's silly that Sony doesn't have a Indie Games initiative like Xbox Live does. Sony has PSN Minis. But PSN Minis is not for developers who are starting out. You have to build a reputation first before you can get on PSN. Same with XBLA (which is on the tier above Xbox Live Indie Games) and Wiiware. Even Xbox Live Indie Games, which does have a lot of shovelware, still has that "console mentality" where Microsoft feels that they have to have some sort of standard for quality in place (games go through peer-review) or else people are going to be turned off by seeing all this shovelware and walk away. Apparently Microsoft also took down some Indie Games that weren't selling well.
Perhaps the console developers are right though. To limit the amount of shovelware that makes its way to a platform (the more open a platform is, you have more opportunities for seeing great creations but the shovelware ratio does go up). I can't count how many times I've seen people say that their Wii is collecting dust and they're gonna sell it because it has so much shovelware. Then I challenge them by listing off a bunch of games that aren't shovelware. And then they make up all these excuses for ignoring my suggestions as if they already made up their mind that it's garbage. "but it's not HD" "oh I never heard of those games. I'm a industry stooge shill that only buys over-hyped AAA big-budget games" "but they don't have games like No More Heroes and Muramasa at my Gamestop. I don't wanna order online" blah blah blah. So I can see why Nintendo are concerned about "garage developers". Because no matter how many times you say, "hey look this Wii game isn't shovelware, this DS game isn't shovelware, and this smartphone gaming isn't shovelware", they don't give a shit. It's like their minds are already made up and you are talking to a brick wall. I really hate gamers.
