Why Trends Can Be Deadly for Indie Developers, According to Ex-Sony Boss Yoshida

Shuhei Yoshida played an integral role at Sony Interactive Entertainment for over two decades.

The previous leader of PlayStation Studios, formerly known as Sony Worldwide Studios, played a key role in creating many of PlayStation’s most popular and successful games.

He shared that he played a key role in the creation of several popular PlayStation games, including God of War (Santa Monica Studio), Uncharted and The Last of Us (Naughty Dog), and Ghost of Tsushima (Sucker Punch). He also expressed disbelief that he was later removed from leading the development of the company’s exclusive games, calling the decision absurd.

Jim Ryan reportedly wanted to move me off of first-party projects because I disagreed with his requests. I refused to do what he asked, which he considered unreasonable. While Yoshida may have been joking, Jim Ryan has been a strong advocate for Sony focusing on games as ongoing services.

Yoshida later shifted his focus to supporting independent game developers before leaving the company in 2025. He then started his own consulting business, Yosp Inc., which specializes in helping indie game creators. Here’s how he explains his new company:

For the past five years, I worked with independent game creators at Sony, and I’m now doing similar work as a freelancer. This gives me the freedom to discuss all platforms – Nintendo, Xbox, Steam, and more – and to get a firsthand look at how Nintendo and Xbox support indie developers, which is really exciting.

Here’s the Advice Yoshida Gives to Indie Developers

When Shuhei Yoshida, a passionate and knowledgeable figure in the indie game world, offers advice, it’s definitely worth hearing.

He advised aspiring independent developers that trying to capitalize on current trends is a losing strategy – by the time you notice a trend, it’s already passed.

It’s more effective to anticipate upcoming trends and explore innovative ideas. Yoshida highlighted several independent games that defied expectations and impressed him.

  • Journey and Before Your Eyes, as they made him cry
  • Dead Cells and Nine Sols, as they felt good in his hands
  • Inscryption and Doki Doki Literature Club, since they were not what they seemed at first glance
  • Cult of the Lamb and Ball X Pit, as they did an excellent job of mixing up genres
  • Viewfinder and Word Game, since they excelled at making their own rules
  • Fall Guys and Marvel Snap, since you were able to feel other people as you play

It might seem surprising, but Yoshida was once seriously addicted to the game Marvel Snap. He’s managed to overcome that now, and it really highlights why it’s important for independent game developers to forge their own path.

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It’s somewhat ironic that his biggest gaming obsession was Marvel Snap, considering it was created by Ben Brode, who also left a large company to start his own independent game studio.

After leaving Blizzard in 2018, Brode teamed up with other former Blizzard developers to create Second Dinner. Their first game, Marvel Snap, was released in 2022.

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2026-04-20 16:39