Sony is making moves to encourage new and independent developers to step away from traditional smartphones by waiving the $99 licensing fee associated with publishing games on PlayStation Mobile. This opens the door for developers to create games for PlayStation Vita and other PlayStation-certified devices, completely free-of-cost.
Once a game launches on PlayStation Mobile, Vita owners will be able to access the games via the PlayStation Mobile section of the PlayStation Store. Owners of Sony or Xperia Tablets, along with some Sharp and HTC devices (like the HTC EVO 4G LTE) can also grab these new applications for their own use.
With only 50 games currently available on the PlayStation Mobile platform, it too suffers from the same curse as the Vita handheld: a lack of games. With this new window of opportunity for independent developers, however, Sony looks to expand the lineup of games on PlayStation Vita, making it a more desirable investment as a result.
The iOS and Android platforms are home to millions of applications, so Sony definitely has a lot of catching up to do. Smaller mobile devices are only becoming more popular as more devices (at different price points) are released, but this isn't the first time Sony has reached out to independent developers for new ideas.
At the Game Developer's Conference in March 2013, Sony hosted the PlayStation Indie Arcade, giving guests the chance to play demos from around 25 independently developed games that will eventually launch on PlayStation's platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Vita and/or Mobile.
"Our team has put a strong focus on independent game developers," says Adam Boyes, vice president, developer and publisher relations at SCEA, over on the PlayStation Blog. "Our goal is to continue to work with the independent developer community to provide fantastic games you can't find anywhere else."
Of those 25 highlighted games, 21 of them will be available either exclusively on PlayStation Vita, or on PlayStation Mobile as well.
"This recent influx in developer support for PlayStation has come through our continued effort to create a flexible and developer friendly environment." Boyes adds.
Removing the licensing fee is definitely one way to encourage start-ups to support a brand, and we'll see the fruits of this newly free developer toolset as new games start to launch later this year.