14 DAY TRIAL // The PlayStation 4 will avoid the traditional drought of new game releases after its launch in November thanks to independent titles that will keep owners interested in the new console and even sell units to those who skip the device this fall.
All major consoles are usually accompanied at launch by an array of different games, both from first-party studios owned by the hardware maker, like Sony, and third-party publishers like EA or Activision.
This rush to get games during the launch period usually means that, after a few months, there's a drought of new releases and nothing actually appears for that device.
This is due to the traditional strategy of a third-party publisher, according to Sony's Shuhei Yoshida, who talked with IGN.
"By nature publishers see opportunities, especially very large publishers, and will always be there with five or six games at the launch of any platform," he said. "Large publishers typically target that date, not two months or six months after, so it’s natural that the first peak comes at launch and then there will be a drought."
The PlayStation 4, however, will sidestep this issue thanks to various independent games that will be released for the next-gen console, which will fill the gap between big blockbuster games.
"Now there are so many games developed by indie teams. Of course money is important to these teams, but it is often not the primary motivation, and so they will spend extra time [in development] if they need to. So these games will be continuously released through next year. That is my expectation."
What's more, Yoshida is confident that even indie games have the potential to be system sellers, citing quite a few examples.
"We do think indie games are very very important, and we do think indie games can sell hardware," he added. "Games like Journey and Walking Dead showed a very strong message to the industry and consumers as well when they won various game awards. Small games can make a huge impact."
The PlayStation 4 will be supported by various indie games at launch and after its release, while many will be offered for free via the PlayStation Plus service.