It happens during every console launch. A system is launched, there are a good solid 3-4 titles to pick from with some other minor ones in the mix. Then…nothing. While older consoles continue to get games, a drought hits the consoles in question for four to six months. This cycle is based on how the industry works with developers having knowledge of a new console prior to the public and crunching away at getting their games out at launch. Big studios like EA and Activision throw everything they have to ensure their titles are available on launch when new title availability is low, making their game visibility high. This scenario also plays out for Sony’s first party studios and results in a lul time period for the console. President of Worldwide Studios, Sony Computer Entertainment, Shuhei Yoshida knows this but thinks that indie titles are the solution for the PS4.

 Well, by nature publishers – especially large ones – see opportunity and will always be there at the launch of any platform. 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. 

With studios having exhausted their resources for the console launch and new titles likely at least 6 months away from them, Yoshida believes that indie developers will be able to fill in that game by being more nimble. Indie titles also require less development time than major AAA titles, allowing for quicker releases. Yoshida again:

 However, now there are so many games developed by indie teams, and they will spend time if they need to. So these games will be continuously released through next year, that’s my expectation. 

Discuss:

Do you think indie titles will help the PS4 have less of a game drought post launch?

[Via Edge]