PlayStation Hero Projects
{{Short description|Incubator program for game developers}}
The PlayStation Hero Projects are initiatives that provide financial support and mentorship to video game developers from underrepresented regions, helping them bring their games to a global audience. The project started in 2016 in China and has since expanded to India, the Middle East and North Africa.
History
= China Hero Project =
After China partially lifted its ban on gaming consoles in January 2014,{{Cite news |last=Carsten |first=Paul |title=China suspends ban on video game consoles after more than a decade |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-gamesconsoles/china-suspends-ban-on-video-game-consoles-after-more-than-a-decade-idUSBREA0606C20140107/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230407152519/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-gamesconsoles/china-suspends-ban-on-video-game-consoles-after-more-than-a-decade-idUSBREA0606C20140107 |archive-date=2023-04-07 |access-date=2025-05-11 |work=U.S. |language=en-US}} Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) launched the PlayStation 4 in the country in March 2015.{{Cite web |last=Ahmad |first=Daniel |date=2017-05-17 |title=Sony PlayStation in China – Two Years In |url=https://nikopartners.com/sony-playstation-china-console-game-market/ |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=Niko Partners |language=en-US}} However, the company struggled to gain a foothold in the Chinese market due to its decade-long absence and a user base that differed significantly from overseas markets.{{Cite web |last=Dexing |first=Xue |date=2025-01-20 |title=Eight years on, has Sony's China Hero Project delivered on its promise? |url=https://kr-asia.com/eight-years-on-has-sonys-china-hero-project-delivered-on-its-promise |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=KrASIA |language=en}} To address this, SIE laid out three policies at the 2016 PlayStation China Press Conference in Shanghai: "1) localizing excellent overseas titles and promoting community activities, 2) enhancing domestic Chinese titles, and 3) improving game development capabilities in China by promoting the China Hero Project." It was further explained that the project's goal was to support Chinese development studios in creating games for home consoles and bringing them to the global market, with backing from development tool providers, such as CRI Middleware and Silicon Studio. An initial example was also presented: Project Boundary, a multiplayer first-person shooter set in outer space. Further applications could be submitted starting on August 15, 2016.{{Cite magazine |last=中村 |first=彰憲 |date=2016-07-29 |title=中国ではSIEがVRの時代の到来を創り出す！ "2016 PlayStation Press Conference in China"詳細リポート【ChinaJoy 2016】 |url=https://www.famitsu.com/news/201607/29112079.html |access-date=2025-05-12 |magazine=Famitsu |language=ja}} In March 2017, SIE presented the ten games, out of over 400 applications, that were accepted for the China Hero Project.{{Cite web |last=Nelva |first=Giuseppe |date=2017-03-22 |title=Sony Announces "PlayStation's China Hero Project," Including Lost Soul Aside and Many More Games |url=https://www.dualshockers.com/sony-announces-playstations-china-hero-project-including-lost-soul-aside-many/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=DualShockers |language=en}} On March 7, 2019, SIE announced the second phase of the China Hero Project, which included 7 new titles.{{Cite web |last= |date=2019-03-13 |title=Sony's China Hero Project shines a positive light on console gaming |url=https://nikopartners.com/sonys-china-hero-project-shines-a-positive-light-on-console-gaming/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Niko Partners |language=en-US}}
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the project came to a standstill, until a third phase was announced in November 2022. Bao Bo, Sony's director of China game production, declared that "the scale of the third phase [would] far exceed the previous two" and that each game would receive at least 1 million yuan.{{Cite web |last=Ye |first=Josh |date=2022-11-22 |title=Sony to expand Chinese game incubator in Microsoft head-to-head |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/sony-expand-chinese-game-incubator-microsoft-head-to-head-2022-11-22/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Reuters}} The first three titles were revealed in May 2023 during the 2023 Sony Expo: Awaken: Astral Blade, Exiledge and Will-less.{{Cite web |last=Romano |first=Sal |date=2023-05-24 |title=PlayStation China Hero Project phase three titles EXILEDGE, AWAKEN: Astral Blade, and Will-less announced |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2023/05/playstation-china-hero-project-phase-three-titles-exiledge-awaken-astral-blade-and-will-less-announced |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=Gematsu |language=en-US}} The next three titles were revealed in July of the same year, ahead of Chinajoy 2023: The God Slayer, The Winds Rising and Daba: Land of Water Scar.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-07-28 |title=［CJ2023］中国のコンシューマゲーム開発力はここまできた。SIE上海による「China Hero Project 第3期発表会」に登場した優秀な3作品を紹介 |url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999903/20230727038/ |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=4Gamer.net |language=ja}} A year later, once again right before Chinajoy, three more titles were announced: Unending Dawn, Kroraina (Loulan) and Project: Jinyiwei.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2024-07-26 |title=中国から世界へ。クトゥルフや楼蘭，武侠......世界が注目する「China Hero Project」第3期は，新たに3作を発表［CJ2024］ |url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999903/20240725053/ |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=4Gamer.net |language=ja}}
= India Hero Project =
During the India Game Developer Conference in May 2023, Sony announced the India Hero Project.{{Cite web |last=Mathur |first=Moulik |date=2023-11-03 |title=PlayStation Developer Event in India Announced |url=https://in.ign.com/ps5/197139/news/playstation-developer-event-in-india-announced |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=IGN India |language=en-in}} Five games that got accepted were announced in March 2024. Each of the developers are eligible to receive at least $100,000, as well as mentorship and access to SIE's internal resources. The funding is only payed out after the developers have hit certain milestones and have passed a review process.{{Cite web |last=Mathur |first=Moulik |date=2024-02-28 |title=PlayStation: First Five Games for the India Hero Project Reportedly Revealed [Update: Official] |url=https://in.ign.com/ps5/202905/news/sony-playstation-first-five-games-for-the-india-hero-project-reportedly-revealed |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=IGN India |language=en-in}}
= MENA Hero Project =
In August 2024, SIE announced a Hero Project for the Middle East and North Africa, more specifically for developers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia.{{Cite web |last=McEvoy |first=Sophie |date=2024-08-23 |title=Sony announces incubator program for MENA developers |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sony-announces-incubator-program-for-mena-developers |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en}}
Games
= China Hero Project =
= India Hero Project =
| class="wikitable"
!Title !Developer !Status !{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| Requital: Gates of Blood
|Holy Cow Productions |in development | |
| SURI: The Seventh Note
|Tathvamasi Studios |in development | |
| Meteora: The Race Against Space Time
|Big Boot Games |in development | |
| Fishbowl
|imissmyfriends.studio |in development | |
| Mukti
|underDOGS Studio |in development | |