In the midst of the rush of gamers and geeks magnetised to the halls of this year's Eurogamer Expo in London, PocketGamer.biz managed to track down Mike Bithell - designer of the award winning Thomas Was Alone  to have a chat about his forthcoming PS Vita stealth game Volume.As passionate and quick-witted as ever, Bithell's focus was on detailing the inspiration behind his latest project, why he's chosen to go with Sony's handheld on day one, and the dangers of mythologising his - and other indie studios' - success stories.Bithell describes Volume as the "Metal Gear Solid 3 I would have made". It's completely non-violent, with just one move that can directly knock out your opponent for a very short period of time."Killing unbalances a stealth game," he asserts, adding that he wanted to make a game that's less about taking out opponents one by one, and more about using high strategy to evade them.VolumePointing to the works of Kojima, Bithell notes that the Konami man's stealth titles effectively had gamers "a bag full of cool gadgets and you just use the silenced pistol". He wants to change that.But perhaps one of the most interesting elements of Volume's take on stealth is that, for the second game in a row, Bithell will have delivered a title that isn't about killing.Indeed, Bithell jokes that he's aware that he's fast earning a reputation for being "Mike Bithell: the pacifist", but insists that's not his aim."It's not a moral crusade," he states. "It's just [killing is] the only thing that's done [in stealth games]. It can't be the only way..."When tasked on why he's bringing Volume to Vita, Bithell's reply is just as forthright. "They've been awesome," he says of Sony. "I can talk shit about them and they don't care".Indeed, this is a sentiment that appears to be spreading across the indie scene  especially in the UK  with Sony's fast growing reputation for being upfront with indies and, by and large, giving them a free reign with want to achieve with their games paying dividends."I love my 3DS - we'll get to other consoles," Bithell adds, nothing that he's "had a meeting with Nintendo".One of the main reasons both Volume and Thomas Was Alone aren't on The Big N's platform, however, is because 3DS does not yet support Unity - the development platform of choice for most independent studios.Ultimately, he concedes, he wants his games on as many platforms as possible. "You don't benefit from picking a side", he states. "Six month exclusives are over, they're just not on the table anymore".Aside from the openness of PlayStation's approach, he says that one of the primary reasons behind initially launching on a limited number of devices was that he "didn't want to target five platforms on the same day".Of course, Bithell doesn't rule out launching Volume on smartphones and tablets at a later date  even microconsoles are on his radar, albeit not necessarily for this particular release.On that subject, Bithell notes that while there are "still some questions that should be asked" about the recent debacle over Gridiron Thunder and Ouya's wider treatment of indies, he will "make something for it"  believe it or not - because he lost a bet.So, aside from supporting platforms on the basis of lost bets, what changes when you're a successful indie studio?"You're aware of being watched," he responds. Success, of course, also gives Bithell's games the added exposure they need to ensure a certain level of sales, but he acknowledges that the trust between consumer and creator is a fragile one."My next game will sell well on the first day," he notes. "If it's good, it'll sell the second day, too."There's every reason for this confidence of course. Sales of Thomas Was Alone have hit the 700,000 mark and, aside from strong commercial performance, the game was roundly praised by critics.Eyes are therefore on Bithell to produce another top-drawer effort, though he admits that "these 'overnight successes' are rarely overnight"."We love the rags to riches story," he states, but there's "a danger we mythologise the [game creation] process". Indie studios like his must "work their asses off" for the plaudits they earn.Such humility continues as he talks about the differences between big platform holders working with indies as opposed to major publishers: "We don't need ridiculous amounts of money, we need a bit of lunch and for them to remember we're vegetarians. We're not out to get rich."Whether or not he's looking to find his fortune, eyes will be planted firmly on Bithell as he gears up to release Volume on PlayStation 4 and Vita in 2014.Thanks to Mike for his time.