Tough Times for Game Services: Funding and Deals Plummet for Indie Developers
• Indie developers at GDC 2024 report steep drops in funding offers from Microsoft's Game Pass and Epic's game store • Studios behind hits like Slay the Spire and Darkest Dungeon say Microsoft is approaching far fewer indies about Game Pass • Epic Games has scaled back its strategy of financing indies in exchange for store exclusivity • Cuts likely due to industry-wide economic challenges and the services themselves struggling to grow audiences • Despite progress, Game Pass and Epic Store haven't achieved hoped-for new subscribers or profitability