Xbox Live, once the flourishing home to countless independent developers, seems to be losing out to digital platforms like Apple's iOS, Valve's Steam and social network giant Facebook. The recent Xbox dashboard overhaul didn't help matters. When IndustryGamers sat down with Double Fine's Tim Schafer at DICE, the developer noted that not much has changed since 2D Boy's Ron Carmel penned an eye-opening report on the migration away from Xbox Live.
Double Fine Productions currently has multiple games in development besides its upcoming puzzle adventure game, Keeper.
Double Fine Productions has teased the next Time Schafer game in the latest episode of PsychOdyssey on YouTube.
It looks like a third entry isn't happening soon.
Psychonauts 2 has been the studios most profitable release, despite being on Gamepass, and a third title is already open and on the table when the time comes.
They wanted to do a big, new IP release coming into the acquisition being they would have funding they wouldn't have otherwise. That was obviously greenlit.
He was always gonna make a new ip once MS bought them.
The correct dicision imo, comebk to P3 at a later date.
"Things change every generation and just because you're on top and the 900 pound gorilla in one generation, as you've seen, it doesn't really matter. It doesn't mean it'll be that way forever. I think that these threats that are possibly being ignored are going to hurt those guys."
- sounds like he is talking about Sony there
"I like the Xbox and the PS3. I like Sony and Microsoft, but those systems are closed and curated very closely and it costs a lot more money to go through that system, to patch a game. It makes me stressed out that if I put a game up there, I might not be able to patch it because it might cost too much money, whereas these more open platforms will let us manage our own price and our own updates. It's just a lot more appealing right now,"
- interesting stuff
IMO, the majority of indie games are best suited for smartphones, tablets & social networking sites. Not one person I know who games on either 360 or PS3 cares about indie games when they have true core games to play.
However, I would play an indie game on my smartphone while taking a dump or using public transportation to and from work. Just my 2 cents.
Are indie games profitable for MS and Sony? I have my doubts.