Bekah Saltsman, CEO of Finji, the publisher behind 2022 indie hit Tunic, spoke about the possibility that indie games may not survive in the subscriber market. With the rising dominance of services like Xbox Game Pass, and the big titles they hold, Saltsman worries there may not be any room for indie games.
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Saltsman noted that if the industry goes the subscription route, “this means[開發者]Must rely on subscription fees and buyouts. Generally speaking, a subscription buyout won’t pay for the team to grow for so many years, unless your team is very small.“
This means that if indie games are only slapped on subscription services, not only won’t see a ton of games, but developers may not have enough revenue to cover the games they make.
“Subscriptions Are Both Awesome and Scary,’ Saltsman went on.It can go either way. My biggest concern is small indie teams who may not have an early foothold, and who may not have the space and money to make more than one game.“
While Game Pass is a behemoth in gaming right now, there are plenty of other platforms that still encourage buying games instead of paying through monthly subscriptions. Steam, for example, has been operating the same way for years, and while PS Plus Premium has an extensive catalog, its day one launch lacks. So there are other ways for indie developers to earn some extra cash, even if they end up with Game Pass.