Independent developers have called Microsoft’s ID@Xbox programme “hugely important” to the games industry, and have singled it out as one of the easiest digital publishing platforms to work on across all platform holders.

Speaking to MCV at an ID@Xbox preview event this week, several developers were very warm in their praise of the platform, with Sumo Digital’s designer and PR analyst David Dino saying that the opportunity to obtain a free Xbox One development kit is vital for helping developers get their ideas out into the open.

“I think it’s great. All these different programmes, especially ID@Xbox, have been really good. Just allowing people to have dev kits when they don’t necessarily have the funds to purchase something like that, you get a lot of crazy ideas that people are brewing that they don’t necessarily have the ability to do straight out unless they have a set amount of capital, so a programme like ID@Xbox is amazing because it’s an amazing option for them.”

He continued: “Even five years ago, it was tough for people to really get into even a self-publishing route, or look for a publisher in that regard. But now there are so many different avenues and it’s good to have those choices as well. ID@Xbox has been super helpful in getting the visibility of [Snake Pass] and making that publishing process a lot easier as well. Thankfully, again, with Sumo Digital having worked on a lot of Microsoft titles, too, we’ve been able to leverage those partnerships.

“It’s been really awesome working with them. Doing our own self-publishing, trying to get that visibility, it’s still work that we have to do, but having the avenue that ID@Xbox has given us in order to get to this place, that’s something we wouldn’t have been able to be a part of [otherwise].”

Two-man studio Mad Fellows, whose rhythm action title Aaero is coming to Xbox One, PS4 and Steam this Spring, applauded ID’s extensive support network:

“They were just there when you need them, so if you hit a problem, you can get in touch with them and they’ll sort it out, or guide you in the right direction,” said technical director Dan Horbury. “With Steam, we found it less personal. We’ve worked with Microsoft on two projects now and on the first project we had account managers who spent their own time talking to us, to help us get it onto the store, to help with the US store.”

ID@Xbox is also a great opportunity for smaller developers to get the same kind of visibility in Microsoft’s Store and social media channels as the big triple-A studios, said Tequila Works’ producer Miguel Paniagua, who’s working on Rime:

“At Tequila Works, we’re almost 50 guys, but ID@Xbox is providing anybody with the chance of publishing their own project at the same level as the biggest teams in the industry.

“So being a big team, it’s like, ‘What?’, but as a small team and a new one, it’s like, ‘Wow! That’s a huge chance we have here.’ ID@Xbox provides the chance of publishing to almost anyone, so I think that’s a huge chance there.”

While Tequila Works isn’t publishing Rime itself, it is taking on publishing duties for Cavalier Game Studios’ The Sexy Brutale, which it also co-developed.

“With The Sexy Brutale, we’re self-publishing and the relationship with have with the ID team has been amazing. They’ve been very helpful and any time I had a problem I sent an email and I’ve had an answer in three minutes. It’s very quick communication. It’s our first time publishing a game and we were kind of lost at the beginning because we didn’t know that we had so many things to deal with. It’s a huge process, but I have to say that the submission process with Microsoft is the easiest one of all [platforms]. We’re submitting with PS4, with Xbox, with Steam, and ID@Xbox is the most helpful one.”

Cavalier itself also has nothing but praise for the programme. “It’s hugely important,” says founder and design director Charles Griffiths.

“Events like [the ID@Xbox preview] are enormously valuable. The opportunity to have the game played in a slightly more long-form way and in a good environment is great. It’s hugely important and valuable for us. ID@Xbox has been a great scheme and everyone involved with it has been really approachable, and Microsoft has also been very open to listening to our queries and finding any of the problems in the process and addressing them, so it’s been very good.”

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LukasTaves said:

Quite the turn around from last gen and 2013.

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gaming_noob said:

Any indies on neogaf who can verify?

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TheChewyWaffles said:

Phil Spencer doing his thing

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TheChewyWaffles said:

Phil Spencer doing his thing

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LewieP said:

Not really a good sample.

It's only devs on the program, I'd be interested to hear from developers that MS rejected. Especially given that everyone on the program signed an NDA, where they likely agreed not to criticize the elements of the program that they don't like (such as the release date parity clause which still exists).

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LewieP said:

Not really a good sample.

It's only devs on the program, I'd be interested to hear from developers that MS rejected. Especially given that everyone on the program signed an NDA, where they likely agreed not to criticize the elements of the program that they don't like (such as the release date parity clause which still exists).

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LewieP said:

Not really a good sample.

It's only devs on the program, I'd be interested to hear from developers that MS rejected. Especially given that everyone on the program signed an NDA, where they likely agreed not to criticize the elements of the program that they don't like (such as the release date parity clause which still exists).

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LewieP said:

Not really a good sample.

It's only devs on the program, I'd be interested to hear from developers that MS rejected. Especially given that everyone on the program signed an NDA, where they likely agreed not to criticize the elements of the program that they don't like (such as the release date parity clause which still exists).

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vsaintlo said:

Awesome great to hear. I'll admit I slept on indies until I played Shadow Complex! Now I have to go back and play Guacamelee.

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LewieP said:

Not really a good sample.

It's only devs on the program, I'd be interested to hear from developers that MS rejected. Especially given that everyone on the program signed an NDA, where they likely agreed not to criticize the elements of the program that they don't like (such as the release date parity clause which still exists).

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Savantcore said:

The comments on this link over at /r/xboxone are quite funny. Didn't realise they hated GAF so much.

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LewieP said:

Not really a good sample.

It's only devs on the program, I'd be interested to hear from developers that MS rejected. Especially given that everyone on the program signed an NDA, where they likely agreed not to criticize the elements of the program that they don't like (such as the release date parity clause which still exists).

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LewieP said:

Not really a good sample.

It's only devs on the program, I'd be interested to hear from developers that MS rejected. Especially given that everyone on the program signed an NDA, where they likely agreed not to criticize the elements of the program that they don't like (such as the release date parity clause which still exists).

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Flintty said:

Lol what? 🤦🏻*♂️

This is good news and a massive turn around for MS and their previous stupid ID policy. Don't try and muddy it with your bullshit.

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travisbickle said:

It's just a PR piece. I'd prefer a press sneak fuck to find out if they've dropped all the restrictions they had previously.

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gschmidl said:

I thought every Xbox One was a devkit

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gschmidl said:

I thought every Xbox One was a devkit

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LewieP said:

Not really a good sample.

It's only devs on the program, I'd be interested to hear from developers that MS rejected. Especially given that everyone on the program signed an NDA, where they likely agreed not to criticize the elements of the program that they don't like (such as the release date parity clause which still exists).

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leeh said:

Do you have any evidence to say any developer is disappointed with the program? If not, take the article at face value and stop thinking that any praise towards MS is a bloody PR piece. It's embarrassing.

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LewieP said:

Not really a good sample.

It's only devs on the program, I'd be interested to hear from developers that MS rejected. Especially given that everyone on the program signed an NDA, where they likely agreed not to criticize the elements of the program that they don't like (such as the release date parity clause which still exists).

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MilkyJoe said:

There's over 1000 games in development, so clearly they all hate it and want off...

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Conduit said:

So, that means from now on till 2019 over 1000 games will be available ( or at least half of that ) on Xbone. Curious to see. If not, Chris Carla lied.

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TheChewyWaffles said:

Link?

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Conduit said:

So, that means from now on till 2019 over 1000 games will be available ( or at least half of that ) on Xbone. Curious to see. If not, Chris Carla lied.

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jaypah said:

I don't know why the arbitrary time limit of a year and a half to develop a game. Also I doubt the dude can see the future. Just because a game is in development doesn't mean it'll be completed and released. But if out of positive news all you can think about is whether or not you'll get to call Chris a liar 2 years from now then I guess I see where you're coming from.

Also nice edit.

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Kayant said:

That's good to see and hear i wonder if the coming to our platform late need dlc has changed.

There's some metric to what LewieP says as it will validate this stance more if Devs that were previously critical are now happy with the platform. I.e like what Vlambeer Studio's Rami Ismail or Sanatana Mishra developer of Assault Android Cactus stance is now that you're not automatically locked out of the platform without getting an explicit expection if you launched on competing consoles first.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...ie-twin-stick-shooter-cant-launch-on-xbox-one

Edit - To add it's not like they weren't Devs that were signing praise for the program before in some kind of way it more to do with the other side of the coin where if they had issues before have they now been improved?

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Conduit said:

So, that means from now on till 2019 over 1000 games will be available ( or at least half of that ) on Xbone. Curious to see. If not, Chris Carla lied.

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Paz said:

Lewie's a cynical guy but never really comes at these things from a place of malice at all, peoples responses to him are a bit weird really.

as far as my opinion changing I'd say the good and bad is much the same, the ID@XBox program is still leagues better than whatever non system they had before it existed, and the folks involved are pretty incredible (Chris Charla is as legitimate a person as you will ever find and I mean that in the best way possible). It still has its own set of requirements as you might expect from a platform.

I'm glad the devs quoted in the OP are having a great time working with them, I've never been opposed to the program or the platform, there were just particular limitations that meant we committed to other platforms and then those platforms ended up being very complicated/time consuming for too many reasons to get in to.

We did enroll in the ID@XBox program a long time ago (Though well into Cactus dev as it didn't exist at the start) and I'm not too sure what is/isn't NDA'd so I'll leave it at that.

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