Sony Offers Dev Support Fund

[Virtuoso]

Sony has started a new initiative (http://www.edge-online.com/news/104/sony-offers-dev-support-fund) that may actually do some good for their console.

The initiative, known as The Pub Fund, was announced yesterday during a GDC panel on self-publishing. It was here where SCEA’s Chris Eden explained that Sony would match development budgets of independent titles with guaranteed royalties.

Sony said it could also aid in design and marketing, yet would not own the IP. Doublesix's Burn Zombie Burn, which is now available on the PlayStation Network, is the first game to be funded through the scheme.

Sony did not provide information on how it will cap budget support, and in order for the system to remain sustainable it is not likely that the company ever will. Independent developers may have to sign nondisclosure agreements on the costs of production that Sony is willing to match.

It is just another way to pay for exclusivity, but the fact that they are doing this with smaller development houses is definitely a good thing.

[The Ligand]

This sounds interesting. Does anyone know if other companies have tried similar tactics in the past with any success?

[Venkman]

It may do them more good to drop their freaking price.

[TeeCakes]

It may do them more good to drop their freaking price.

Wow, only two comments in before off-topic trolling against Sony! It's a new record!!

[Virtuoso]

Wow, only two comments in before off-topic trolling against Sony! It's a new record!!

Technically, there was only one post before the trolling began.

[TeeCakes]

Technically, there was only one post before the trolling began.

I stand uncorrected! (misses the ghost edit technique :()

Between Sony's 1st and 2nd-party production houses to this new independent outreach scheme, they seem quite serious about regaining the market they've lost to Nintendo and MS.

[Johan]

This sounds like a great idea, but since it's Sony, there must be a hidden clause regarding the sacrifice of all the firstborn among the indie developer's employees or some such nefarious attempt at making us forget about the children. :D

[Anenome]

Wow, only two comments in before off-topic trolling against Sony! It's a new record!!

Everytime I see Tee talk he's defending the PS3, little snot-nosed fanboi :P

This appears to be for independent producers only, wasn't Little Big Planet independent? I don't recall.

Anyway, independent games is where all the lifeblood and energy, newness and creativity is. Problem is, the PS3 is ridiculously expensive to dev for because it's hard to dev for. When you're indie, you're going to go to the the largest market (Wii) with some consideration to who's cheapest to dev for (also Wii). Then add in the Wii's new input system which invites Indie devs to come up with new, risky ideas with novelty appeal and it's a slam dunk.

So, while this is a good thing, and a bit of an admission of defeat for the Sony guys, it's more of a last gasp in my opinion.

If you wanted to succeed as a PS3 game you have to work the angles, do what no one else can do. For one thing, you have the ability to create epic beauty in high-def.:
- Perhaps a FFVII type game with hi-res pre-rendered graphics could come off beautifully, and actually have the FFVIII-Demo being done in real-time (remember the dance-floor demo scene?) of smooth charries on smooth backgrounds.
- Also, any game where the massive number crunching of the Cell could be a comparative advantage, as with the Dead Rising games. Notice how poorly that translated to the Wii, mass horror is awesome.

So, just a few ideas.

[oldjadedgamer]

Wow, only two comments in before off-topic trolling against Sony! It's a new record!!

You can usually find an over expensive comment in a Sony thread about the same amount of time as a red ring comment to appear in a 360 thread I think.

[Dracula-X]

You can usually find an over expensive comment in a Sony thread about the same amount of time as a red ring comment to appear in a 360 thread I think.

We speak not of that color any longer. We prefer the more ambiguous and diplomatic term, "E74".