New Free PS Plus Game “Saved” by Sony, Says Dev

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Lately, there’s been a lot of debate about whether the expansion of subscription services in the gaming industry is more helpful or harmful. On one hand, some argue that free launch-day game subscription service models hurt businesses and game creators. However, contrary to this viewpoint, at least one developer sees things differently. In a recent interview, the director of indie game ‘Sword of the Sea’, Matt Nava, stated that their free PS Plus release was instrumental in saving the game.

During an interview at Skill Up, Nava openly showed appreciation for their collaborative journey with PlayStation, a partnership that assisted their development team in overcoming their initial struggles and smoothing out their rough start.

Nava mentioned that we’ve been fortunate to work with some exceptional partners through the PlayStation Indies program. They supported our project right from the start and, when things got difficult, they stepped up to help us. Essentially, a few key individuals there made the decision to keep our project going.

The indie game titled “Sword of the Sea,” an enjoyable surfing adventure, was launched this week and received favorable reviews. The praise centered around its entertaining gameplay mechanics and captivating visuals. As per Nava’s statement during the Skill Up interview, it appears that players may have missed out on this experience if PlayStation hadn’t intervened with their agreement to distribute the game for free through PlayStation Plus.

According to Nava, the PlayStation Indies team worked together on some internal agreements to ensure the release of this project. It’s somewhat unexpected that we will be available on PS Plus from the very start… However, it’s a compromise because if you’re featured there, Sony will promote your game more, meaning they have a greater interest in its success.

It appears that independent developers are experiencing success with subscription services such as PlayStation Plus, as demonstrated by this particular case. However, let’s explore how smaller titles have been faring on the platform recently. Last year, an indie game titled “Animal Well,” published by YouTube video game personality Videogamedunkey, was made available for free on its launch day through PS Plus. The game turned out to be a hit, and according to Billy Basso, its developer, he was taken aback by the positive outcome.

Basso stated that the launch was extremely successful, yet he hasn’t fully grasped the extent of its success and what it implies.

2021 saw a noticeable shift in my personal perspective on PlayStation, especially following the makeover of PlayStation Plus. Previously, Neon Doctrine’s co-founder and CEO, Iain Garner, expressed concerns about the platform during a detailed Twitter thread, hinting at challenges developers face and the unclear path to success.

However, recent indie triumphs on PlayStation suggest that this sentiment has taken a positive turn. It seems that not only are indies finding success with PlayStation Plus, but also that the service may be instrumental in fostering more amicable relationships between indies and PlayStation.

It’s promising news that US subscription spending has been growing, as gamers are becoming more reluctant to pay full price for games. In fact, this year, video game subscriptions reached a new peak monthly record, and gamers voiced strong opposition when industry players announced plans to raise prices of holiday game releases.

In the future, is there a possibility that video game industry might adopt a subscription-based monetization model, similar to Spotify for music? This shift could have implications for artists who create these games – would it be advantageous or detrimental? At the moment, it’s uncertain what the outcome will be, but we may soon discover the answer.

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2025-08-21 18:27