Microsoft details long-awaited Xbox One self-publishing plans
Full access to Xbox One services; no fees for game updates; MS will set price for titles
Microsoft has finally detailed its independent self-publishing service for the Xbox One, allowing developers to create, sell and market games through the new home console.
All developers accepted for the scheme will receive two Xbox One development kits free of charge, as well as access to the full range of services on offer to games development teams - cloud services, Kinect and the Xbox One toolset, which includes Smartglass, multiplayer, Achievements and Gamerscores.
In order to help with the discoverability issues that trouble all self-publishing stores, Microsoft is promising that all games will feature in the regular Xbox One store and be supported by voice search.
On top of that the store will also feature trending games reflecting what the community and friends are playing, recommendations based on a consumer's playing habits, spotlighted games and the ability for developers to set community challenges, as well as support the Xbox One's Game DVR and Upload services.
"It feels like Microsoft is interested in not only removing roadblocks for indies to get their games on Xbox One, but they're also genuinely interested in finding ways to bring new and innovative indie games to their platform"
Chris Hecker
Speaking to GamesIndustry International in an exclusive interview published today, Phil Harrison, corporate vice president at Microsoft Europe's interactive entertainment business, revealed that Microsoft will set the price of self-published games after developers have established their wholesale price and that developers are likely to receive an industry standard 70/30 split in their favour.
"The developer can set their own wholesale price and we act as the retailer. So Xbox Live acts as a reseller, and Xbox Live Store will be setting the ultimate retail price to the consumer. That's the way in which our store has always been structured," he said.
Developers will have access to a global support team headed by Chris Charla and a team of community managers, with Microsoft looking to establish physical events for developers in London, Seattle and San Francisco starting this autumn.
"Microsoft has a heritage of enabling developers to do great things and that support continues today," said Charla. "The independent development scene has matured and changed a ton in the past couple of years, so we are acting on that to meet the needs of the development community."
Independent developers who have already given their support to Microsoft's new initiative include Chris Hecker, The Behemoth's John Baez, Paul Wedgewood from Splash Damage, Other Ocean's Mike Mika, Team 17's Debbie Bestwick, The Odd Gentlemen's Matt Korab, Ripstone's Phil Gaskel and Dlala Studios.
Applications for the self-publishing service, named ID@Xbox, are being accepted from today, with Microsoft stating that priority will be given to developers with a proven track record in shipping games on console, mobile, PC or tablets.
There are no application fees for certification or for title updates. While applications are being curated to begin with, Microsoft has said that eventually it hopes that every Xbox One will become a development kit for self-publishing purposes.
"It feels like Microsoft is interested in not only removing roadblocks for indies to get their games on Xbox One, but they're also genuinely interested in finding ways to bring new and innovative indie games to their platform to help games reach their potential as an art and entertainment form," offered Chris Hecker, developer of Spy Party.
The full interview with Phil Harrison, Microsoft's corporate vice president of the interactive entertainment business in Europe, can be read here.
Still, it's an exciting prospect.
Also, not everyone can handle the skills or budget to develop for a big console platform, including age ratings, localization, QA, and so on.
For me, it seems quite fair to get experienced teams first. It seems fair from developer perspective, but also from gamer perspective.
Microsoft have seen what works best and then they have ignored it.
It is difficult to understand their OCD.
They should trust the market and curate lightly, giving publishers commercial and artistic freedom. But they seem to be stuck in the past.
If the developer sets the "wholesale price" at say £7 and MS genuinely acts as a retailer and just sets the "retail price" then surely it's up to MS if they want to (a) Get the full 30% by selling at £10; (b) Use it as a loss leader and set the retail price between £0 and £7 or (c) Get a better deal for themselves by setting the retail price at over £10. In any event the developer gets the same £7 per unit distributed.
The developer gets a fixed sum per unit and you as a consumer have no idea how much of the retail price goes to the developer or to MS. Not saying that's a bad thing, or indeed a good thing, but it's doesn't sound like a 70/30 rev share split with MS setting the price.
How is it fair from the gamer perspective if he's been fed games from pre selected devs instead of choosing them himself?
Someone needs to tell Microsoft that the 1980's called and they want their business models back.
Has anyone managed to submit an application?
Sending 2 devkits to some small indies it's awesome. Do you imagine Apple sending some iMacs and iPads to small developers for free? For me, Microsoft is clearly lowering barriers.
From gamer's perspective, I think getting quality games is much prefered versus getting tons of garbage. That helps good developers, as games will get discovered easily and not buried behind tons of new content. Also, there are other markets to sell games, such as the AppStore, PC or Android. Microsoft has its platform and its rules, that's all.
But for me, its pretty fair right now, and I'm sure they will open the platform any time soon.
I do think it's fair to look at track records when launching a new platform. MS need to find a way to support new talent, but it's got to be in a step by step method to ensure stability AND originality.
Edited 2 times. Last edit by Petter Solberg on 20th August 2013 4:40pm
I'll hold judgement til I see what their indy strategy actually looks like.
It could be that there is a program fee equal to our greater then the traditional cost of two dev kits.
Again, ill wait to judge til i have all the detailos.
I'm hard pressed to find logic in a curation system that evaluates a game's worth by looking at the developer's past games.
btw, I'm not saying devkits need to be free (just don't charge $20000 for something which is basically a PC)
Edited 1 times. Last edit by Ruben Monteiro on 21st August 2013 12:15am
Thanks but I got it sorted late yesterday...
Also, a mutual friend of ours has emailed you about the programme, have you seen that email yet? ;)
Stewart