Former PlayStation Boss Praises Indie Game as 2025 GOTY Contender

Summary

  • Ex-PlayStation exec Yoshida highlights Blue Prince as a potential Game of the Year 2025 candidate.
  • Blue Prince is a puzzle-filled exploration game set in a mysterious manor with shifting rooms.
  • Yoshida continues collaborating with indie devs post-retirement, showcasing a promising trajectory for indie games.

Previously retired executive from PlayStation, Shuhei Yoshida, has expressed his belief that the upcoming indie game titled “Blue Prince,” developed by Dogubomb in the USA, is a strong contender for Game of the Year 2025. Set to launch on April 10, 2025, “Blue Prince” will be available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms.

In January 2025, a significant figure in the gaming world, Yoshida, said goodbye after spending 31 years with PlayStation. Throughout his career at the console titan, he held various positions, including leading the division now known as PlayStation Studios for over a decade. Additionally, in his latest role, Yoshida championed the growth of indie games within the company. His love for independent developers and their projects was evident during this time, particularly through the expansion of the PlayStation Hero Project into new areas. Though he no longer heads Sony initiatives, Yoshida continues to show support for promising indie games like “Blue Prince,” published by Raw Fury.

In a tweet, former Sony Interactive Entertainment Head of Indies Shuhei Yoshida endorsed the game “Blue Prince,” predicting it as a potential contender for “Game of the Year 2025.” This upcoming title is a puzzle-focused exploration game where players traverse a changing manor, with rooms shifting every morning, introducing an element of surprise. Upon its release on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam, “Blue Prince” will also become available for subscribers of Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus subscription services.

Post PlayStation, Yoshida Continues Working with Indie Devs

It appears that Yoshida’s departure from PlayStation hasn’t halted his engagement with indie game development. Intriguingly, this industry titan continues to find innovative methods to partner with independent studios and contribute to their projects during his post-Sony career. Notably, Yoshida has been unveiled as a voice actor in the upcoming 2025 release of Promise Mascot Agency.

With Yoshida’s influential background in gaming and his familiarity with independent titles, the positive reception towards “Blue Prince” might indicate a highly promising future for this game. If it manages to compete for Game of the Year in the long run, it would signify another impressive year for indie games, following 2024 when numerous Game of the Year awards were given due to successful releases like “Balatro” and “Animal Well“.

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2025-02-26 17:03