Indie Developers Worry that Microsoft and Activision Blizzard Deal Could Hurt Sales of Their Games
Several indie developers shared with the BBC their concerns about the Microsoft and Activision Blizzard deal. They stated that a lot of AAA projects are already included in the Game Pass subscription, and after the purchase of the Call of Duty publisher, there will be even more of them. Because of this, small games can simply go unnoticed by gamers.
Boyfriend Dungeon
Among the critical developers is Tanya Short, the creator of the Boyfriend Dungeon bagel, in which any blade or trunk can become the subject of the romantic interest of the protagonist.
As Short states, indie developers already face a lot of difficulties. In particular, publishers are not always ready to cooperate with the authors of small games (especially unusual concepts scare them away). The girl recalls that before the successful completion of the Kickstarter campaign, no publisher wanted to work with Boyfriend Dungeon.
Subscriptions like Game Pass could partly solve the problem, Short believes. However, there are nuances here too. In her opinion, now Game Pass has become for many players almost the only platform on which they play, so it is important for indie developers to get on it. But they are not the only ones who strive there. The subscription includes more and more AAA projects that take the attention of users.
Short also added that it is becoming more difficult for indie developers to find the optimal time for a release. Usually they try not to release their projects on the eve of the winter holidays in order to avoid competition from major studios. This applies to the market as a whole, not just Game Pass. However, the larger Microsoft’s portfolio, the more often it can release new titles. As a result, the timing for the release will have to be treated with even greater caution.
“The purchase of Activision Blizzard instills fear in us, because it becomes quite obvious — perhaps they [AAA games] will be able to dominate throughout the year. And what should we do then?”, — said Short.
Yuri Zhdanovich, the founder of the Belarusian Sad Cat Studios, shares Short’s concerns. He noted that until now Microsoft has supported his studio at a sufficient level, but he does not know how the corporation will treat indie teams in the future.
Piers Harding-Rolls, an analyst at Ampere Analysis, believes that indie developers are not worried in vain. He pointed out that if the Game Pass audience continues to grow, then sales of indie games outside of subscription may decrease – gamers are unlikely to buy individual titles, since they already have access to a voluminous library. He also noted that there are “not so many” indie games in Game Pass right now, but did not name the exact number.
In a statement to the BBC, Sarah Bond, vice president for the Microsoft gaming ecosystem, noted that the deal with Activision Blizzard will not change the corporation’s attitude towards indie developers. The company will continue to support independent teams and does not intend to promote only its products in Game Pass.
The acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft Corporation for $ 68.7 billion became known at the end of January. The deal is expected to close in fiscal 2023, but regulators must first check it.
Microsoft has previously stated that it plans to include as many Activision Blizzard titles as possible in the Game Pass. Also after the announcement of the deal, she said that today 25 million people use the subscription.
