Blitz doubts self-publishing dream
Oliver suggests platform holders want too much money from indies looking to publish digitally
Andrew Oliver, chief technical officer of UK developer Blitz, has poured cold water on the idea that independent developers can enjoy a bigger profit by self-publishing games on services such as the PlayStation Network, Wii Ware or Xbox Live Arcade.
Although Oliver would not not clarify whether he was talking about one service in particular, he suggested that format holders may not be so keen to entice independent studios to their services.
"There's some funny politics around all of that, to do with digital downloads," he said, speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz. "They're not so inviting as they make out to be."
Blitz is currently working with Namco Bandai on Invincible Tiger, a 3D title for Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network.
When asked whether he thought format holders want too much money from developers looking to self-publish, he replied "Yes. It's not public knowledge. We can make more money going through a publisher."
The idea of self-publishing content has tempted a lot of independent developers to digital downloads, keen to cut out publishers and get closer to the consumer.
UK teams such as Team 17, which will publish a new Alien Breed on home console, and Buzz house Relentless, which is working on a brand new social title, have both embraced the idea of publishing directly on home consoles.
Last week, Sony revealed it plans to match the development costs of a select number of titles for the PlayStation Network, in return for exclusivity.