![]() There are absolutely segments that don’t get the attention and assistance they need or deserve. “I’ve done community building for years, and it takes a lot of work to do that, especially for smaller or more marginalized developers. “There are probably better ways to do outreach to different communities,” he explains. Still, there are some areas he thinks Sony could improve, especially for marginalized developers that struggle to network. While he said he couldn’t speak for other indie developer’s experiences, Preston stressed the importance of forming and maintaining a healthy relationship with platform holders like Sony. “It’s a matter of engagement, networking, becoming comfortable with people, speaking with them about your game, going to conventions, and doing the legwork.” ![]() “I have been a part of Glitch City, which is a collective of indie crews, for a number of years, and we’ve all had good working relationships with the various platforms,” he says. Preston believes that’s the result of a lot of hard work and networking. With Hyper Light Drifter and now Solar Ash, Heart Machine has found success in working with Sony. For most indie developers, it’s far more difficult to get Sony’s attention.ĭevelopers specifically cite Sony’s lack of communication as its biggest problem. Sony showcased Solar Ash at the PS5 reveal event in June 2020 and the State of Play in February 2021. The game emphasizes speed while fighting giant enemies on par with the monstrous bosses from Shadow of the Colossus.Īhead of Solar Ash’s appearance at July 28’s Annapurna Interactive Showcase, Inverse spoke with Preston and Hash about what it takes to be a successful indie developer on PS5. The result with Solar Ash is an ambitious and ethereal 3D action platformer where players control a Voidrunner named Rei trying to save her home. ![]() “If there was a more interesting way to do something, we did it.” “I would say we really painted the canvas evenly on interesting features,” Game Director Chelsea Hash tells Inverse. Solar Ash is shaping up to be one of the most exciting games of 2021, taking advantage of the PS5’s hardware in subtle yet effective ways. “A lot of good old-fashioned networking went into building these relationships.” “It wasn’t magic or happenstance,” Creative Director Alx Preston says of his studio’s relationship with Sony. Its first game, Hyper Light Drifter, was met with critical acclaim, and now the studio’s second title Solar Ash is a PlayStation exclusive featured in multiple Sony showcases. Developer Heart Machine has been fortunate enough to find a solution. Just last month, several indie developers went on the record to disclose their struggles getting their games proper recognition on PlayStation consoles. Discovering a new indie game on PlayStation 5 can be a real challenge for gamers unless the developers have a way to truly make it stand out.
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