As is always the case when an unpopular announcement is made; critics jump on the bandwagon with crazy rumours, speculation, and other methods of generally blowing matters out of proportion. The Xbox One was certainly a victim of this – one which may go down in history.
We’ve already wrote an article which explains why the U-turn on DRM and “Always On” functionality could in fact leave us with a worse experience – so we won’t go through that again.
What’s done is done, but one lingering rumour was Microsoft wouldn’t allow Indie developers self-publishing.
To anyone familiar, Xbox was one of the console pioneers in this space. Many community games on Xbox Live Arcade are very successful; released through independent development using XNA.
For the upcoming console, Microsoft has today announced a new self-publishing tool going by the name of ‘ID@Xbox‘ for which we’re sure you don’t need to be told what ID stands for – Independent Developers.
Not only is Redmond proving the critics wrong; they are really starting to embrace the community. If you have a “proven track record of shipping games on console, PC, mobile, or tablet” you can register now, for free. If accepted, you’ll be provided with two Xbox One development kits as well as access to a full suite of developer documentation, developer forums and more.
It’s easy to give access to documentation and forums, but where many developers say Sony and their rival PlayStation platform really shines is in their “hands-on” approach to releasing quality games, and helping to overcome any hurdles.
With the Xbox One, it looks like Microsoft is ready to take an even more personal take.
On the registration website, it directly quotes: “Submit a game information form so that we can understand what you are building and how we may be able to help with the development and discovery of your game.”
Also made clear is Microsoft’s wish to enable anyone to start developing independently, whether using a dedicated development kit through the program, or even a simple retail kit.
What do you think about the Xbox team’s commitment to Indie developers?
