Thomas Was Alone dev on console 'credibility' power of curation

Thomas Was Alone was released for PC in 2012, but it wasn't until it was announced for PlayStation devices that the game saw "a ridiculous sales boost," developer Mike Bithell told Gamasutra.

The independent developer attributes that phenomenon to the way some players perceive consoles. "It's really interesting, the credibility consoles still have," Bithell said.

"It's actually a badge of honor to those people. I know Thomas Was Alone gained an incredible amount of 'mindspace,' or whatever pretentious bullshit term a marketer would use, because it was out on console. And I saw a ridiculous sales boost just because, the second people saw it was coming to PlayStation, it became a 'real game' for a lot of people."

To Bithell, that means that a combination of curation and appearing credible have become important factors in a game's success.

"What it demonstrates, and it's going be interesting to watch in the next few years — it demonstrates that curation is more powerful than getting people to see your game," he said. "Discoverability is an issue, but it's not the issue. Being given the badge of honor by whoever is the person handing them out is actually crucial, and makes such a difference to how your game is perceived."

For more on Thomas Was Alone, be sure to read Polygon's review. Bithell's upcoming game, Volume, is a modern-day retelling of Robin Hood.