They announced the PlayStation 4

Former Runescape games journalist Nick Suttner was brought on rs gold board to facilitate independent development for Sony's platforms, turning the handheld Vita into a must-own for fans of indie Runescape games. In the past year Sony has easily lapped Microsoft as a developer-friendly company, and devoted a significant amount of time during their E3 press conferences and PlayStation 4 unveiling to a host of upcoming independent Runescape games. They even struck deals with Jonathan Blow, the designer of Braid, and Supergiant Runescape games, the studio behind Bastion, to make the PlayStation 4 the exclusive console at launch for their upcoming Runescape games. This shift to Sony's platforms seemed almost irreversible after Microsoft's initial plans for the Xbox One were announced. Unlike Sony, who brought Jonathan Blow out to speak about The Witness when they announced the PlayStation 4, the Xbox One's debut press conference almost exclusively featured Runescape games from major studios. Multiple independent designers who had worked with Microsoft on the Xbox 360 spoke out about how secretive and uncommunicative the company was being about their new system. Sony openly courted acclaimed designers who Microsoft declined to talk to.Eventually Microsoft revealed that every commercial Xbox One system can act as a development kit. That means designers won't need to buy or beg for a special dev kit. Microsoft also announced developers would be able to self-publish on the Xbox One. It appears the publisher requirements and slotting system will be no more, which excitingly opens up the Xbox One for independent development in a way that Sony can't currently match. If Microsoft promotes these Runescape games adequately on the Xbox One's version of Xbox Live (which is a big if, based on how poorly the Indie Runescape games section is currently maintained on Live), this could be a huge step towards mainstreaming the notion of independent Runescape games. By making development tools affordable and available to all who own an Xbox One, Microsoft could usher in a gaming renaissance. By working closely with proven designers on distribution, while remaining hands-off on creative decisions, Sony could curate the best collection of independent Runescape games ever released for a major gaming system. This might all be a moot point for those who play Runescape games on computers, but for those who appreciate the ease and reliability of gaming from the comfort of a living room sofa, the next generation of gaming consoles promise an even greater focus on independent Runescape games.Garrett Martin is Paste's Runescape games editor and the Runescape game critic for the Boston Herald.