Microsoft drops update fees for XBLA games. Could they be courting indie developers?

If you lot follow our Xbox Windows Phone editorial coverage, so y'all know I've often been disquisitional of the Xbox certification procedure. Microsoft created a gear up of certification policies dorsum in the Xbox 360's early on years that were intended to ensure the highest quality game releases and discourage the release of buggy games. These aforementioned policies were then extended wholesale to subsequent Xbox platforms, including Games for Windows Live (PC), Windows 8, and Windows Phone.

Problem is the aging and restrictive policies weren't designed to reverberate the irresolute nature of the games industry, and certainly non to account for the differences in development between consoles and platforms like Windows Telephone. Modernistic game development isn't about shipping a game and then trying not to ever update it. No, games these days (whether they take In-App Purchases or not) are updated continuously throughout their life spans.

Indie hits like Minecraft and top smartphone games similar Aroused Birds and Cutting the Rope would never have remained every bit relevant as they are without the constant stream of updates and support from their developers. And the Xbox certification policies dating back to 2005 take been aught but an impediment towards that kind of support. BUT it turns out that Microsoft discreetly relaxed their policies towards updating games before this twelvemonth – on the Xbox 360, at to the lowest degree.

Cost prohibitive

Double Fine's Atomic number 26 Brigade for GFWL couldn't exist updated due to both the restrictive Xbox certification process and its costs.

The existence of title update fees first came to public light at the beginning of 2022 when Tim Schafer of indie developer Double Fine revealed to Hookshot that Microsoft charged approximately $40,000 for game updates:

"Only the indie customs is now moving elsewhere; nosotros're figuring out how to fund and distribute games ourselves, and we're getting more than control over them. Those systems as neat as they are, they're still closed. You lot have to bound through a lot of hoops, even for important stuff similar patching and supporting your game. Those are things we really want to practise, but we can't do it on these systems. I mean, it costs $40,000 to put up a patch – nosotros can't beget that! Open systems like Steam, that allow us to ready our own prices, that's where it'due south at, and doing information technology completely alone like Minecraft. That'south where people are going."

Consider that many XBLA games sell less than 20,000 copies and a sales figure of 100,000 copies is considered a boom hit. Whether a game sells for $x or $fifteen, Microsoft automatically takes a slice of xxx% or so off the top (equally does whatsoever digital market), and and so the publisher which Microsoft requires for games to fifty-fifty go Xbox status takes some other chunk of the change. So a $10 game that sells 20K copies only brings in well-nigh $100,000 for the developer. Spending forty percent of your profits to fix a few bugs merely doesn't make sense in that scenario, and then many games become without updates.

XBLA opens up

Yesterday Eurogamer reported that Microsoft has stopped charging for Xbox 360 title updates. Spokesperson Larry Hyrb (AKA MajorNelson) soon provided fractional confirmation via Twitter:

"FYI for those asking: Microsoft eliminated fees for Title Updates on Xbox 360 Arcade games in April 2022"

So far, it looks like the removal of updating fees applies only to XBLA games, not retail Xbox 360 titles. Much remains unclear about the policy alter, such as whether information technology applies to games published before April or not.

Phil Fish, developer of XBLA hit Fez (pictured higher up), famously declined to issue a 2d Fez title update last year when a relieve information corrupting bug slipped through in the game's get-go patch. Since then he has get an outspoken critic of the Xbox certification policies every bit well as the lack of promotion Microsoft provides for third-party games information technology publishes. He has, however expressed interest in producing the long-desired second update to Fez IF the lack of update fees retroactively applies to existing XBLA games.

Tight lips can sink ships also

Day Z might come to Xbox 1 if Microsoft drops update fees on their new panel as well.

Dropping XBLA update fees was unquestionably a smart move, simply Microsoft dropped the ball slightly by not publicizing the change. Put simply, nobody (who hadn't submitted an update during that time) knew nigh the modify for three months.

Xbox platforms are widely perceived as unfriendly to indie developers, and advertizing a friendlier update policy for downloadable titles could only improve that perception. Developers who take previously chosen to avert Xbox or leave it backside might fifty-fifty be swayed to come up onboard. And bold the change is retroactive, existing games in need of updates like Fez could have been patched by now.

The delay in acknowledging the update policy change is evidence of two bug nosotros've been lamenting for a good while now:

One, the culture of secrecy within Microsoft means that its staff is ofttimes too afraid to reveal meaningful information outside of the company fifty-fifty when there is no conceivable harm in doing so. Yeah, information technology's perfectly logical to endeavor to obscure information that would help competitors or make the company await bad in some way. Information that makes Microsoft look good, though? They should desire those details out in that location, working in their favor.

Secondly – and this sort of grows out of the outset problem – Microsoft's gaming-related PR needs a lot of improvement. I've explained at length the weaknesses in their promotion of Xbox Windows Phone and Windows 8 games. And just think of the Xbox I DRM policies that received and then much ire from the panel reveal outcome all the manner through E3.

Those Xbox One policies actually carried some innovative benefits to internet continued consumers, simply Microsoft did very little to sell the benefits to the media or consumers. The public discussion focused on the policy's negatives (no arguing how bad the cyberspace requirement would've been for certain users) when it could accept centered on the advantages of disc-free installs and a generous family unit sharing programme.

Ripple effect

One effect of all that secrecy is that we still don't know how the modify in title update policy affects other parts of the Xbox ecosystem. Nosotros tin can't say for certain whether or not retail Xbox 360 title updates nevertheless require a fee, though it seems likely they practise since Major Nelson only mentioned downloadable Arcade games in his tweet.

Information technology wouldn't surprise me if the alter either currently applies or volition soon apply to Windows Phone and Windows 8 games also. Games for Microsoft'south mobile platforms are inherently downloadable and basically the equivalent of XBLA games in about ways. Microsoft could have eased restrictions on their Xbox telephone and tablet games already without telling anyone. We'll do a little prying and see what turns up.

At this phase, the platform that stands the most to do good from relaxed update policies might simply be the Xbox 1. Remember, Sony has come out very strongly in favor of indie developers on the Playstation 4, wooing away developers like Phil Fish and 17-BIT, the makers of Skulls of the Shogun (that's their PS4-exclusive Galak-Z to a higher place). Meanwhile, the perception that Microsoft is unfriendly towards indie developers has caused other small developers similar the creators of Day Z (who specifically mentioned barriers towards updates) to favor Playstation 4 over Xbox One equally well.

If Microsoft opens the Xbox One up more than for indies – including dropping title updates fees (which actually benefits game makers of all sizes), they can get-go repairing some of the bridges that take burned downwardly in recent years. And launch consoles need all of the software support they tin can get. We don't want Playstation 4 getting praises for its stiff indie offerings and variety of software while the Xbox 1 sits by with a smaller arsenal of games.

Source: Eurogamer; Thanks to Jigar for the tip!

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft-stops-xbla-update-fees

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