210°

Microsoft or Sony — Who’s Better for Indies?

OnlySP: It’s no secret that indie gaming has been a huge talking point during this year’s console war. Sony hit the indie ground running back in February when they announced a PlayStation 4 port of Jonathan Blow’s The Witness during their original console reveal event. The company made a big deal from the beginning that the PS4 supported self-publishing. Sony then followed up in a big way, presenting an armada of indie titles that are making their console debuts on PS4 or Vita during E3 and again at Gamescom.

Wingsfan243876d ago (Edited 3876d ago )

Why even post that comment? Why not start a discussion so a flame war doesn't start?

@Thepharaoh

I've been on this site long enough to know that. But it doesn't help posting a comment like that, if you don't want a flame war to start, or whatever you like to call it, start a discussion. Easy as that.

Personally, Sony's my go to console for indies at the moment until Microsoft takes a warmer embrace to indies.

Really looking forward to seeing how people use the debug portion of the Xbox One though since every console is essentially available as a development kit.

Thepharaoh3876d ago (Edited 3876d ago )

It's inevitable this site is going to have a large flame battle over this article don't bother trying to have anything close to a logical discussion over the state of both companies and their stance on the idea of indies .You want a different gaming site most users only come here to laugh at the fanboy fights anyway. And he is right it is going to begin rather soon.
I for one think they will both do equally well for the indie industry although currently Sony looks to be doing the very best However not every ps4 is a dev kit something the Xbox one has over the ps4 in terms of the indies so they both seem to have great stances from the get go. t That's me trying to start this off logically can't wait for it to go more south than a Redneck convention.
@edit that #1 comment is more productive and reasonable than about 90% of what is usually thrown on this site and since really it's already begun i don't really see a big problem
@

xHeavYx3876d ago

I believe Sony is the only one of the two who lets Indies decide the final price of the game, so I'd go with Sony

P0werVR3876d ago (Edited 3876d ago )

Well, Microsoft has more experience with indie developers so might provide a better service for them to facilitate sells. History says so, but at the end of it...their indies!

Either way they'll be on PCs and any accessible device, at least a significant amount of indie games.

EDIT:
@xHeavYx

Microsoft offers the same option.

darthv723876d ago (Edited 3876d ago )

honestly, i dont understand where the MS is not keen on indies came from.

Especially since the 360 brought the idea of indie gaming to consoles. Ms made dev kits very reasonably priced. They even went so far as to create an indie section in the live marketplace.

Sony may deserve some credit for embracing indies as the 'new thing' for next gen but they should give credit where its due and that is to Ms for starting the movement.

tokugawa3876d ago

lol @ pockyking

this article was wrote especially for n4g, and the flamewar and hits that it is guaranteed to create. smh

Regis3876d ago

Well its also a no brainer for a flame war when you put Microsoft vs. Sony discussion.

Hatsune-Miku3876d ago (Edited 3876d ago )

Microsoft or Sony who's better for gaming In general?

We should compare positives and negatives.
One company online service was down for three weeks, another had almost half of their consoles breaking for years.one constantly released AAA exclusives that are highly regarded while the other had a handful of exclusives and sequels to them the whole of this generation. One charged for online gaming while one didnt.

Games are the most important thing and one company constantly provided new exclusives and games the whole gen while the other companies ip listing is meager

ABizzel13876d ago (Edited 3876d ago )

Based on potential sales for their games (excluding PC)

1. MS / Sony
3. Nintendo

Based on ease of dealing with

1. Nintendo
2. Sony
3. MS

Based on experience with Indies

1. MS
2. Sony / Nintendo

Based on developer response of support

1. Sony
2. Nintendo
3. MS

Overall

1. Sony
2. MS / Nintendo (MS if you want to sell well, Nintendo if you want complete freedom)

AceBlazer133876d ago

Dude a flame war is inevitable.The topic could be your favourite ice cream flavour and then *boom* it becomes sony vs micro

Army_of_Darkness3876d ago (Edited 3876d ago )

Hmmmm.. . According to my very basic, n4g, YouTube, not even trying to hard unextensive research, I would say the ps4 has the upper toe.

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 3876d ago
come_bom3876d ago (Edited 3876d ago )

No console can beat the PC in indies... that's the platform where i get most my indies.

If i can choose to get a indie on pc or consoles, i will go with the PC version without second thought. I only purchase exclusives for consoles.

Relientk773876d ago

I think its clear from all the press conferences and announcments

"PS <3 Indies"

there are so many indie games coming to PS4 its unbelievable

Goro3876d ago

Obviously Sony, thought i'm not sure if that's a good thing considering most indies suck...Keep in mind i said "most".

PlayStation_43876d ago

depends on your tastes, what indie games have you played anyways?

Goro3876d ago

Journey, Thomas Was Alone, The Unfinished Swan, Sound Shapes etc...

Jughead34163876d ago (Edited 3876d ago )

Sony knows that most Indie titles won't be worth much. But every now and then, an Indie Dev will create an amazing game. For instance, Media Molecule (an indie studio) created Little Big Planet. That game became a blockbuster title and Media Molecule became one of the top devs for Sony. Sackboy even bacame one of the mascots for playstation. I'm pretty sure with their indie support, they're looking for that diamond in the rough again, and they'll find it.

Goro3876d ago

You know they mostly suck your just trying to get agrees from people who think exactly like you...which for some reason is most of this site.

JackStraw3876d ago

lol. yeah, let's go with that. still calling you on your bs. doubt you've played any of those games.

PlayStation_43876d ago

I loved all those games but I guess indies are purposely not for everyone, they usually just find a niche and capitalize on that.

I'm sure that there'll be an indie for everyone though!

adventureghost1243875d ago

Well think of when postseason cost started, like crash bandicoot, a 3 man team it was an indie game, now known as naughty dog they are one of the most known respected and liked first party developers of all time. a lot of big companies/developers got started with indie games,

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 3875d ago
Golden_Mud3876d ago

From a perspective of "Who's better" , I have to say Microsoft and I know a lot of people will disagree with me but hear me out , Microsoft is giving out 2 free dev kits for every developer and they are also making the console be a dev kit it self meaning the it's a future proof for any developer to have the console between there hands and easy to access to certain features without the need of payment .
But when it comes to the perspective of who have the better support , I'd say Sony for supporting the indie development from the whole beginning .

GiantEnemyCrab3876d ago

Not only that but MS has been on the indie bandwagon all last gen. XNA and the Indie developer contests and even having a whole section of the Marketplace dedicated to Indie developers.

Sony seems to have the indie buzz right now but MS are making a lot of moves as you mentioned.

Death3876d ago

It's amazing you are getting disagrees on this. Not many know what XNA was mainly due to the fact indies weren't a big thing until people thought Sony invented the idea with the PS4. Microsoft did it first and no one really cared. Sony announces it and it's a revolution in gaming. Funny how this place works at times.

Bathyj3876d ago

You lost me at MS did it first. Its like Net Yaroze never existed.

Death3876d ago

If you want to include "hobbyist" you will have to go back further to the original Famicon. XNA was the first to take indie developed games and have them published. Net Yaroze didn't have the ability for indies to get their games out to the masses or have a business model around it. It was simply for people programming as a hobby.

isarai3876d ago

Sony "DevNet" has dev kit loaner programs(that are completely free) and a "Pub Fund" which is a direct funding program for any indie dev that might need some extra funding but it does not carry the contractual burden of publishing funds.

adventureghost1243875d ago

Sony has also lent out dev kits and those X1 dev kits can only run direct x and if you need a dev kit that can run other codes for the one, I believe it costs around 5000 where as purchasing a ps4 dev kit costs around half that.

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300°

Microsoft Survey Asks About Handheld

A new survey from Microsoft has further hinted at the possibility of an Xbox handheld being in development.

Read Full Story >>
twistedvoxel.com
EasilyTheBest5d ago

This is definitely happening, I just hope they have 2 versions one with a much bigger screen.

GamerRN5d ago

I'll be happy with this, and a PC console hybrid that rivals anything we have power wise

Number1TailzFan5d ago

The problem with bigger devices is playing them on your side in bed, Vita and before that was fine. Since the Switch you gotta have a gooseneck holder & controllers detached so you can lie down holding them, or your arm will quickly get tired.

1Victor4d ago

@thesofware: “A much bigger screen than what?”
A gaming laptop 🤷🏿🤣

Kosic4d ago

Than the screen originally planned...duh... :D

darthv724d ago

it kinda already did... https://www.xbox.com/en-US/...

They are just gauging interest in one of their own.

crazyCoconuts4d ago

A Xbox version of Logitech G-Cloud?
I mean, why bother? Not like the G cloud is flying off shelves and what would Xbox add to make it better?
They're surely not going to create bespoke architecture here and there are already a few Windows handhelds out there. I have little confidence in their ability to put together an attractive UI in the way Steam did. So I doubt anything will come from this.

KicksnSnares5d ago

Day One buy for me if they'll make a dedicated handheld device.

darthv725d ago

i have that logitech g-cloud. Its a sweet little piece of kit. I like that it can also install games from the play store unlike the other android based handheld.

mudakoshaka5d ago

It sure is! Don't understand why you get the down-votes. Whoever does not like the G Cloud must have been dropped down a well, head first, when they were of a younger age.

PassNextquestion5d ago

I wonder if Microsoft will perform better in Japan if they do actually make a handheld since everyone says handheld and mobile are king over there.

TiredGamer5d ago

This looks like the future of the game industry... all three platforms with a handheld option.

I wonder if the Playstation Portal is a technology test-bed/prototype for a future Playstation handheld?

rlow15d ago (Edited 5d ago )

It’s a possibility but I can’t help but think would that be the best way to go about it? Though it would give you data on how much it is used and game type. It’s still not a true portable device and so people approach it differently. I think that data on phones, tablets, and of course the competition would give a better indication.

But I really think if Sony is considering a new PSP that could play ps5 games, now would be the time to dive in. Honestly, if they do this, it would be huge.

Traecy5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

Doubt if Sony PS wants to support a new handheld with first party games. Something they lacked with the Vita. What they should do is have a handheld that is like the PS Portal which can play all games but play those games on the go as well as at home. Something like that is a better investment.

TiredGamer4d ago

Agreed that you will probably never see a separate line of games specifically for the handheld (a la PSP or PSVita). The modern economics and expectations of game development make that cost prohibitive. What makes more sense is if the full-fat game on PS5 or PS6 has a special "handheld" profile that is automatically optimized for the lower spec handheld. There would be some significant compromises compared to the bigger console variant, but it would be the same game overall and would only require a single purchase.... somewhat what the Switch does with a lower resolution when playing handheld versus docked.

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310°

Xbox Games Showcase Followed by [REDACTED] Direct Airs June 9

- Xbox Wire - Mark your calendars! The Xbox Games Showcase followed by [REDACTED] Direct airs June 9. More info inside.

Read Full Story >>
news.xbox.com
bionicstar5d ago

Will they show Fable 4, Stalker 2, GoW 6 & Perfect Dark?

PhillyDonJawn5d ago

Crossing fingers for Fable and perfect dark. And State of Decay 3

RaidenBlack5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

And maybe Clockwork Revolution, South of Midnight, Contraband, Project 007 & OD? lol
and whatever happened to Everwild ?
+ that rumored Wu Tang RPG

Sonic18815d ago (Edited 5d ago )

Will they have official release dates and gameplay?

anast5d ago

Another game pass event with their plans to go all streaming.

5d ago
Lightning775d ago

It's an Xbox showcase that they have every year.

Make smarter comments for once.

anast5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

Tell me what a smarter comment is.

If they don't sell game pass the entire time, then I will be wrong. All of this can be proven once the show gets underway. Let's wait and see.

InUrFoxHole4d ago

@Anast
Anything you didn't type. Good day sir!

5d ago
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5d ago Replies(1)
Lightning775d ago (Edited 5d ago )

Wow too easy.

You went from MS going all streaming to selling gamepass content in which we all know they are.

Which one is it?

Pretty clear you don't know what a smart comment is at least you admit you don't know.

5d ago
anast5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

"Another game pass event with their plans to go all streaming."

It's both. I would worry about your own intelligence at this point. It seems that there is not enough to go around for you to worry about how smart other people are.

Lightning775d ago

It's just a regular event announcing games. Nice one captain obvious they're gonna mention gp stuff like they do every year what else is new.

The all streaming part is just you, being you I guess. They have streaming options but going all streaming again is just you pulling stuff outta thin air.

anast5d ago

You don't know what a smart comment is or isn't. You're welcome for the help.

Lightning774d ago

No you said something dumb then you tried to back track and mention GP.

Again make smart comments for once.

anast4d ago

And we have broken record syndrome.

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 4d ago
darthv725d ago

Wonder if they will address the handheld rumors....?

jimb0j0nes5d ago

For a brief moment I thought we might get a whole Direct for Gears 6 - seems like it's COD though!

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290°

Microsoft’s Surface and Xbox hardware revenues take a big hit in Q3

Microsoft just posted the third quarter of its 2024 fiscal financial results. The software maker made $61.9 billion in revenue and a net income of $21.9 billion during Q3. Revenue is up 17 percent, and net income has increased by 20 percent.

Read Full Story >>
theverge.com
darthv7210d ago

Xbox content + services up 62% while hardware down 31%... seems about right with the way they tout you don't need the hardware to play. People can play on their phones or smart tv or other means. I don't hardly play on my consoles directly since getting devices like the logitech g-cloud and ps portal. Which is to also say I have been playing more digital than physical because of these devices.

solideagle9d ago

you should apply in MS PR team buddy, I think you will do a great job in my humble opinion :)

Sonic18819d ago

I thought darthv72 and Obscure_Observer already work for Microsoft 🤔

dveio9d ago

MS: "Xbox services and content without AB up 1%, with AB up 62%. Hardware down 31%. In total a loss of 350 mill."

darthv72: "Seems about right."

MS: "Excuse m ..."

darthv72: "I don't hardly play on my consoles directly."

MS:

Lightning779d ago

What he said was facts. How he plays games is no concern of you. Don't get too mad about it.

Cacabunga9d ago

I can tell people like you are an absolute minority..

If service is up means their fans and fanboys accepted this model and subscribed to it. The near future you will see a big decline because the service is saturated.

darthv729d ago

to you it may seem like the minority... but your bubble is shrinking because more and more are following suit. convenience is a hell of a drug and its also why physical sales only amount to 30% of overall game sales. times are changing, you either get with them or you get left behind.

neutralgamer19928d ago

Darth

30% physical sales: yet Phil and xbox division are in a rush go give up on that 30%. they don't have any right to give up any piece of the pie since the control such a little of the pie to begin with

also, the market is clearly speaking that the model Xbox is pushing isn't working right now the keyword being right now. you are right about freedom to play anywhere so i hope they put their games on steam

shinoff21839d ago

But that's been ms for years. When things aren't going their way they try to change the way things are said. For instance console sales are down, they stop telling how many sold instead telling us how many hours spent in halo or headshots. So it makes sense console sales down just say people are playing on more devices then previous. What they won't say is how many xbox players jumped ship to ps5.

Cacabunga9d ago

Hardware sales are so bad that Sony and Nintendo are blowing the sales off the water with their hardware.

If Xbox are losers, others aren’t..
Xbox already tried everything with Xbox live then subscriptions went down so much that they had to find something else. Their fans subscribed then reached saturation rather quickly.

Hardware and exclusive games is where it’s at! Keep gamers excited, announce decent software and people will support you

itsmebryan9d ago

@shin
Well keep it simple Sony 's operating income is down 26% and Microsoft's is up 32%. No MS spin there, just facts. 😉
Cheers

S2Killinit9d ago

MS is after diminishing consoles as a medium. They want to destroy this market because they couldnt win. MS’s vision is to dissolve console gaming.

romulus239d ago

Odd that a company that touts you dont need the hardware to play is already touting another console in the works.

darthv729d ago

They are not reliant on the HW but still want to maintain a presence (no matter how small) is a good thing. It shows commitment to the craft. It reminds me of SNK and how they made games for their own hardware (Neo Geo) while also making them for others because they knew there was a market to do so. They knew they would sell more to others but also sell to their own niche fan base.

TheEroica9d ago (Edited 9d ago )

Perfectly reasonable post down voted by insecure corporation friendly folk.... But not gamers. Real gamer want accessibility and ease of acquisition for all.... Company shills are the only ones still telling us that hardware locking people from games is good for us.

Chevalier8d ago

@Darth

You should stop parroting metrics like an idiot without context.

"Xbox content and services revenue grew 62% in Q3 from a year earlier, “driven by 61 points of net impact” from the purchase of the third-party video game giant, Microsoft said."

61 of the 62% was from their merger so net increase is ONLY 1%

https://www.mesaonline.org/...

itsmebryan8d ago

@chevalier

It looks like made a great purchase. Much better then Sony buying Bungie. 😉
Cheers

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 8d ago
purple1019d ago

Xbox hardware revenue tanks to lowest point of Xbox Series generation

Profchaos9d ago

I'm not surprised surface is struggling they aren't relevant anymore

DOMination-9d ago

In the last two years they've started exiting the consumer market altogether. All of the newest Surface products are business models only. They can't seem to work out what they want to do with it.

XBManiac9d ago

Too expensive hardware when others offer the same or more for less? Good work, Green Team.

SimpleDad9d ago (Edited 9d ago )

"Despite some early successes for Xbox games on rival platforms, Xbox hardware is down by a massive 31 percent this quarter."
"Without Activision Blizzard, Microsoft’s overall gaming revenue would have actually declined this quarter."
"Xbox content and services would have only been up a single percent without Activision Blizzard..."
"It looks like next quarter is going to be a similar story for gaming at Microsoft, too."

That is crazy... so A/B/K is carrying the whole Xbox gaming.
Oh and Microsoft will be fine. Windows, Office and Cloud are growing with each pc purchase.

purple1019d ago

Activision: "we gonna need a bigger rucksack/backpack please"

Microsoft: "why's that"

Activision: "to carry yo' weak ass'

Profchaos9d ago (Edited 9d ago )

Top brass have also wanted to start seeing returns on the 100 billion they have put into various Xbox related moves so seeing more multiplatform games is highly likely especially from abk

It's basically saying that PlayStation is the reason Xbox is afloat right now thinks to Ps5 versions of COD

Kornholic9d ago

So basically PS and PC gamers' money is keeping Xbox on life support.

MrDead9d ago

The only growth MS will get out of the console industry is if it supports it's rivals platforms. Xbox is a pointless machine now. I can see them on a big push for live next, and they won't give up on trying to buy Steam.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 9d ago
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