While each console has a significant number of avid players engaging with its slew of digital content, many would assume that the PlayStation 4 would be the platform of choice for most independent developers. After all, it's currently the best selling console of this generation, boasting millions of players, a huge library of excellent games, and a marketplace accessed by thousands of players looking for exciting new experiences.
However, No More Robots' Mike Rose has recently taken to Twitter to discuss how this industry-wide assumption has not been the case for the publisher, noting that the release of Nowhere Prophet has pulled in minimal sales compared to its debut on other consoles. The single-player card game has apparently been drawing in underwhelming sales following its release on July 30, with Rose telling his followers that both the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One versions of the game were performing significantly better.
"If you're wondering whether smaller games sell on PS4 right now. Our opening weekend sales on PS4 were 5% of our Nintendo Switch opening weekend sales," Rose reveals, dropping the crazy statistic. With the PlayStation 4 easily surpassing the Nintendo Switch in overall console sales, it's clear there's a frighteningly small market for indie titles on Sony's hardware. Unfortunately for fans of No More Robots and its future lineup of indie experiences, Rose thinks the poor sales are likely to have a major impact on the publisher's future decisions, telling Twitter "quite frankly, I doubt we'll put any more games on PS4 after this."
Of course, Rose is hoping to see some better results in the next few weeks, with the publisher's next game, Descenders, set to hit shelves on August 25. Talking on the upcoming indie title, the publisher claimed "I'm really hoping that is going to do better!" However, it seems he's not too confident after seeing how Nowhere Prophet panned out, finalizing his thoughts by stating "I'm massively disappointed here really." As independent games get a much bigger spotlight in mainstream gaming, it's disappointing to see publishers such as No More Robots lacking financial success despite attempting to offer some of gaming's smaller gems to its biggest platforms. Hopefully, Descenders finds a little more luck when it launches in a few weeks' time.
Of course, there are a number of huge indie games coming out this summer that also deserve some major financial success. Carrion has managed to garner some good review scores as of late, with the game putting players in the role of a grotesque monster as its slaughters its way out of a research facility, while pixel platformer Ageless brought a stunning puzzle-based adventure game to Switch owners last week.