![Sony’s Latest Shot At Microsoft Comes On A T-Shirt You Can’t Get [Update: Microsoft Is Amused]](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/01/18yq0kycxi4e3jpg-scaled.jpg?quality=75&w=640&h=360&crop=1)
Last night, Sony held an indie showcase event at Neumo’s, a Seattle music venue that epitomized underground cool. PlayStation exec Adam Boyes took the stage to re-affirm the company’s commitment to working with indies and third-party partners and announced a handful of new games. Whiles most of the games looked intriguing, it was Boyes’ t-shirt that might have been the sassiest thing in the spotlight last night.
In case you can’t make it out, the words on the shirt say “Token Indie Logo.” Boyes wore it under a blazer, mimicking the look that Microsoft’s Phil Spencer sported during the Xbox E3 presentation this year. When asked about it, Boyes answered “I don’t know what you’re talking about” with a smirk.
![Sony’s Latest Shot At Microsoft Comes On A T-Shirt You Can’t Get [Update: Microsoft Is Amused]](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/01/18yq0ogmz60umjpg-scaled.jpg?quality=75?quality=75)
“Look, we’re having a lot of fun right now,” he added. “We love indies. This isn’t a new thing for us. All you have to do is look at the games we’ve supported in the past and what we’re continuing to do now to see that.”
UPDATE: Microsoft’s Spencer, who was the target of Boyes’ joke, took it in stride:
Funny @amboyes and I’m getting one of those shirts. http://t.co/vaSWRPppG5
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) August 31, 2013
Boyes responds:
@XboxP3 I can arrange that! Congrats on choosing @iocat to run ID. He’s an amazing guy.
— Adam Boyes (@amboyes) August 31, 2013
And then here’s Microsoft’s Mike Ybarra, partner studio manager for Microsoft Studios, the internal Xbox game development studio system run by Spencer with a sharper reply:
@XboxP3 I’m going to get one that says “AAA, remember it?”
— Mike Ybarra (@XboxQwik) August 31, 2013
ORIGINAL STORY CONTINUES…
The roster of games that Boyes talked up as coming to Playstation platforms last night definitely supports his remarks, too:
- Already on PS3 and Vita, minimalist fighting game Divekick will also be coming to PS4 on day one of the system’s launch, as will Samurai Gunn.
- The absurd parenting sim Octodad: Dadliest Catch will be getting Move support.
- Boot Hill Heroes — of which Boyes said, “If you love Earthbound, you’ll love this game” — was announced as coming to PS Mobile.
- Two brutally difficult platformers — VVVVVV and N++, the definitive version of N+ — were also name-checked as coming to Vita.
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Cosmic Star Heroine, a retro sci-fi RPG by Zeboyd Games will be landing on PS4 and Vita.
- The gorgeous janitor combat game DustForce is heading to PS3 and Vita.
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SpryFox — makers of Triple Town — are bringing the beautiful cartoony Road Not Taken, their next game about rescuing lost children, to PS4 and Vita.
Comments
19 responses to “Sony’s Latest Shot At Microsoft Comes On A T-Shirt You Can’t Get [Update: Microsoft Is Amused]”
The ” link=”lightbox” size=”xlarge” align=”center” nocrop=”true” clear=”true”] monster strikes again!
It might be Kotaku’s new standard greeting. The full greeting also includes making a left bracket sign with your left hand and a right hand bracket sign with your right.
As far as I’m concerned, Sony owned Microsoft for quirky fun indie games just by virtue of publishing Flower, Journey and The Unfinished Swan. They need to find a That Game Company for the PS4…
Why can’t That Game Company be the That Game Company for PS4?
It could, but it is big enough and well known enough that it wouldn’t want to miss the multiplatform sales, and those sales would be big enough that Sony would have to pay a lot to keep exclusivity, even if TGC agreed. I believe Jenova Chen stated that whilst he was happy with how things had gone with Sony, he wanted to reach a wider audience.
Adam Boyes is a pretty alright dude, it’s good to see someone like him making an impact at a place as enormous as Sony.
I like it when they can have good nature jabs at each other and both sides actually have fun with it.
Totally agree. I think its the reason why we like some indie devs, because they seem more real. when people have to hide behind corporate bullshit, its difficult to see the real personalities. i thought this was all in good fun.
Kind of wish it was like this all the time
this just feels really juvenile.
Fun, though.
I can only hope the Vita version of VVVVVV comes with the level editor that is present in the PC version but sadly lacking on the 3DS version.
Seriously there is only so many times you can play through the main game before you get bored of it. . .
I like when people just do away with the “business” pretense and act like human beings. Games are games and I don’t want to have to view every comment, every ad, every movement a company makes with cynicism or pessimism. I’d rather just feel like… they’re people and not business experts like us.
I hope Phil Spencer’s good natured reception simmers Sony’s penchant for these childish pokes. Sony absolutely nailed it with their guide to lending games to friends video and it feels like it went a little to their head. It was hilarious at first but now they’re a bit a comedian running a joke into the ground.
I dunno to be honest, this whole ribbing between Sony and Microsoft seems to remind me of the whole ‘Genesis Does’ snarky ads Sega and Nintendo levelled at each other in the early to mid 90’s, and I like it.
Hold on, Dustforce is coming to Vita?? Best news of the day right here.
I’m buying a Vita at lunchtime today! 😀
Meh, this is all light hearted fun.
This is what happens when people who lived through the SNES/Mega Drive schoolyard ‘wars’ grow up and become part of the industry.
It’s natural progression, and I’m okay with it.