Is Indie Enough for PS4?‏

Sony’s approach to indie gaming is fantastic. They’re commitment to what is arguably the most exciting side of videogame development is indicative of their new, gamers first approach, highlighting their apparent new found understanding of, and connection to, the ‘hardcore’ gamers of the world. Is it enough though? Will the indie scene ever hold water with the ‘casual crowd’? Sure, indie games sell like hot cakes on iOS and the such, but will they ever be reason enough for your average Joe to go out and buy a home console?…….unless that game happens to be Minecraft of course.

While certainly commendable, without anything truly mind blowing in the triple-A department, the argument could certainly be made for the PS4, for the time being at least, looking a little light weight. While solid enough, few could argue that the Xbox One launch line-up isn’t superior, and with what’s looking like the next big thing in gaming, Titanfall just around the corner, it’s hard to imagine the gaming communities current good will for Sony surviving such a heavy blow.

Yes, InFAMOUS: Second Son does look fantastic, and yes, the hardcore will lap it up, but in terms of the grander scheme, in terms of selling their respective consoles to that all important middle ground, well, honestly, I can’t see Sucker Punch’s latest shifting anywhere near the amount that Titanfall will. They’re both great looking games, but in terms of mass appeal, Titanfall is simply in a different league. The same goes for indie games too. Yes, having 10, 20, 30 platform specific indie games is great, but when it comes to shifting units on a large scale, nothing compares to the impact that a major triple A exclusive can deliver.

It’s easy for us to live in our little bubble in which Microsoft have made one PR blunder after another, but in the eyes of the casual gamer, all that will count for naught when the consoles hit the shelves and Microsoft has a superior launch line-up and exclusive / timed content for Fifa 14 and Call of Duty: Ghosts. Yes, the difference in price will have an effect for some, but I don’t think we should be underestimating the power of the triple A exclusive, the commitment to friends lists or, dare I say it, the allure of Kinect. You might not give a sh*t, but sales of the original prove that there is a market out there for Microsoft’s hands free controller.

Approaching the battle from a gamers perspective, the two consoles look neck and neck, but in the eyes of your average consumer, I honestly believe that the Xbox One will reign supreme.