Shuhei Yoshida wants to change the way indie developers perceive PlayStation

Shuhei Yoshida is a decades-long video game industry veteran, serving as president of SIE Worldwide Studios during a pivotal period in PlayStation history and holding a special place of affection in fans’ hearts. He was awarded a BAFTA Fellowship for his many achievements and advances within the gaming industry.

He currently serves as head of Sony’s Independent Developer Initiative, supporting indie devs as they bring their projects to life by making partnership and marketing deals a reality. But there’s a perception that the PS5 isn’t as welcoming an environment for indies as previous generations, which we’ve written about at length before.

in one Interview with GamesIndustry.bizYoshida discussed the challenges involved in getting the message out and what he hopes to achieve in the future, stating: “We’re trying to change the perception of the challenge of developing and publishing games on PlayStation. Yes. That’s a communication challenge we have. Working on.”

That’s being accomplished through a PR blitz, which Yoshida describes: “We’re doing conference tours, going to events and talks and keynotes and things like that to send the message that we’re here for developers. Open to bring. Games for PlayStation.”

One of the biggest issues facing indie developers is discoverability, which Yoshida acknowledged, noting: “There are a lot of great quality games out there that no one knows about. The challenge of getting funding has always been there, but more and more money is coming into the industry all the time. A digital storefront can have an unlimited number of games because they’re digital, but there’s only so much space in front of the storefront.”

Subscription services like PS Plus can help with this issue, offering an alternative way to entice players to take a chance on a title they otherwise wouldn’t. Yoshida explains: “People who subscribe to the service already have access to all these games that are available, so there’s a better chance of your game being tried by people who never knew it existed,” he explains. says “So subscription services have a role to play in bringing quality sports to more people.”

It remains to be seen if the glory days of travel ever return, but we wish Mr. Yoshida the best of luck in this endeavour. How do you feel about the state of indie games on PS5? Let us know in the comments section below.