Although there's still a lot we don't know about the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, now that the hardware has been officially revealed, the questions will slowly start moving towards the software side of the equation. Namely, who's going to make games for which platform?
In June, the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo will commence and many expect that, along with final hardware details, both Sony and Microsoft will use their press conferences to reveal an onslaught of games. If Sony gets its way, the PlayStation 4 will not only impress gamers, but also a very important developer: Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson.
The company hasn't just invited Persson to its E3 press conference. It even sent him a golden PSOne console, clearly hoping it can persuade the indie developer to start making games for the upcoming PlayStation 4.
"Got a vip invitation to an e3 event from sony in the form of a gold colored psone," Persson tweeted on Monday. "Wow."
"Sony also once sent me an original copy of Dungeon Master 2 they had lying around for some reason," he added. "They sure know how to bribe nerds."
Minecraft, of course, is a hugely popular sandbox title which allows users to explore landscapes and build whatever they desire (some have recreated Game of Thrones settings while others have rebuilt the entirety of Super Mario 64), and it has gone on to sell more than 10 million copies on the PC. While Persson released an Xbox 360 version of Minecraft on Xbox Live Arcade to the tune of 6 million sales, the PlayStation 3 was notably left out. If nothing else, Sony is letting him know that if he's fed up with Microsoft the PS4 is ready to embrace him with open arms.
After all, Persson hasn't been the biggest Microsoft supporter these days. He has criticized Windows 8 for being too closed and commented that he "tried to get excited" about the Xbox One unveiling, "but failed."
Sony, meanwhile, has been trying to make indie developers swoon over the PS4 ever since it revealed the console and had Jonathan Blow announce The Witness as a launch window exclusive. The console, unlike the Xbox one, will allow indie developers to self-publish, and Sony spent a good chunk of this year's Game Developer Conference trying to get other small developers onboard.
As for Microsoft, its policy towards indie games hasn't gotten worse compared to the Xbox 360, but considering Sony's changes it doesn't give developers as much freedom. Whether indies will actively move software development to Sony's console remains to be seen, though, so it'll be interesting to note how the landscape looks after E3.
