From PC to console: Octodad dev on making the transition

Developer talks professional perception of his indie studio

In recent years, large publishers have taken steps towards embracing titles made by independent developers, and in many cases it has paid off incredibly well. With the new next-gen systems on the horizon, a number of indie developers are making the jump from PC to the consoles. One developer in particular, Young Horses, the maker of Octodad, has seen a change in its reputation.

During a talk with Polygon, Philip Tibitoski, the president of Young Horses, talked about his experiences working on the original PC version and how things changed once they brought the game to the PS4. “We’re reaching an audience we wouldn’t normally reach on PS4,” Tibitoski explained. “Normally indie developers and people who play indie games have an idea of who we are, generally, and the audience who plays console games didn’t. Bringing Octodad to console would let us reach more people and we thought it was a good opportunity.”

The developer went further by stating that the professional perception of the studio altered once they were making the game for the PS4. “I feel like until you’ve made a console game, a lot of people don’t take you seriously,” he added. “It’s a weird thing, and I think it’s because of what people know. Adults like, say, my parents, will say, ‘Oh, you’re putting a game out on the computer,’ but then you’re like, ‘Oh we’re working with Sony.” And Sony is a brand and a company that people see and say, ‘Oh, you’re doing something real.’ It’s weird.”

It’s an interesting account of what it’s like to make the transition to console development. And while things have clearly worked out well for Tibitoski and his studio, it’ll certainly be interesting to see what comes next for them, and other developers looking to establish themselves. Regardless of whether they’re on consoles or not.

Industry doesn’t ‘take you seriously’ until you make a console game, says Octodad dev [Polygon]