"I don't see why people are scared of it" – ShipShaper developer Tomas Sala on why indies shouldn't be stressing about GTA6
GTA6 is messing with Tomas Sala's plans. He'd intended to launch ShipShaper earlier this year, but "life got in the way," he tells GamesIndustry.biz . "And then I saw all this stress about, 'Oh my God, GTA is coming, you have to pack it before September'." Read more
Tomas Sala, the developer behind ShipShaper, isn't worried about competing with GTA6. He explains that the game is launching in Early Access on September 2nd, well away from GTA6's November 19th release date. Sala notes that GTA6 won't even be available on PC, so it won't affect ShipShaper's audience. He points out that most players don't buy indie games often, with 63% of US players making a new purchase every six months or less, and only 14% doing so monthly or more.
Sala believes that the media attention GTA6 receives won't impact niche indie games like ShipShaper, as major gaming outlets don't cover most indie titles. He emphasizes that indie games can still find success by focusing on a dedicated audience and building a stable, small fanbase through word of mouth. Sala's own experience with ShipShaper shows that even niche games like boats and trains, which have passionate and price-insensitive audiences, can thrive.
He thinks the industry is currently experiencing a golden age of indie creativity, despite concerns about a downturn. Sala's philosophy is to define his own success based on product-market fit, business sense, and creative challenges, rather than chasing fame or financial success.
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