Gone Home Dev: Microsoft's ID@Xbox Multiplatform Rules are "Crazy"

[StewShearerOld]

Gone Home Dev: Microsoft's ID@Xbox Multiplatform Rules are "Crazy"

Gone Home's Steve Gaynor says Microsoft is asking indie devs to take on a "huge undertaking."

In case you've been living under a bee hive (bet you were expecting a rock) for the past few years, indie games have been growing to a position of greater and greater prominence thanks, at least in part, to their increasing presence on consoles. Sony, in particular, has earned a lot of praise from the indie scene for its <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/125431-Sony-Sends-Love-Letter-To-Vitas-Indie-Developers>arms-wide-open position toward small developers. Microsoft, perhaps hoping to put on a friendly face toward indies in the light of older <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124246-Microsoft-Dropping-Xbox-Live-Arcade-and-Indie-Games-Channels>unpopular practices, in turn launched its <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/128274-ID-XBOX-Not-a-Reaction-to-PS4-Indies-Says-Microsoft>ID@Xbox program to help draw independent developers back to its hardware.

That said, Microsoft earned new criticism recently thanks to a <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/130271-Ridiculous-Fishing-Dev-Criticizes-ID-Xbox-Launch-Parity>stipulation in the ID@Xbox contract that requires any multiplatform indie games in the program to receive a simultaneous launch on its Xbox One. Adding to the discussion about the policy in a recent interview, Gone Home developer Steve Gaynor described that requirement as "crazy" and potentially impossible for smaller developers lacking the resources to make same day multiplatform releases. "Especially if it's a game like ours that is a full 3D game and you're going to run into obscure rendering bugs and all this kind of stuff," he said. "It would be a huge undertaking."

An undertaking that Gaynor believes could make Sony again seem like the friendly destination for indie games. "If you're talking to Sony and Micosoft, and Microsoft is like, 'well you can't be on Xbox if you're on PlayStation first', but it's easier to be on PS4 because they have better terms, then you'll be like, 'okay lets just be on PlayStation'." While Gaynor does admit that some indie studios might be able handle the workload, he still says that it "sounds kind of crazy" to him.

Source: <a href=http://www.nowgamer.com/news/2244781/ps4s_better_terms_make_xbox_one_less_attractive.html>NowGamer




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[The Rogue Wolf]

It's just a clever way of trying to force indie developers to release on the XBox first, or at the very least keep a competitor from trumping them for a popular title's release. And like all Microsoft's sly little schemes, it'll backfire grandly in their faces, and they'll walk it back as if they meant to the entire time.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Does this mean I can play Gone Home on a console sometime in the near future? Please yes, as I have not had a chance to play the game because I don't play on a PC.

So is Microsoft saying that is has to be on their console first, otherwise they won't allow indie games to be published? Am I understanding that right? Because it seems rather...dumb.

 

[Lunar Templar]

Snip: A Love Story

Snip II: In Space

Snip III: The Snippining

Funny thing is ... this isn't new, they had something almost exactly like this for the 360 as well, though if memory serves it was more for everything release on that console and not just indie stuff. I think it evolved into that timed exclusive BS they where catching hell for, for a little while come to think of it.

 

[mirage202]

Does this mean I can play Gone Home on a console sometime in the near future? Please yes, as I have not had a chance to play the game because I don't play on a PC.

So is Microsoft saying that is has to be on their console first, otherwise they won't allow indie games to be published? Am I understanding that right? Because it seems rather...dumb.

No, they are saying Xbone at same time as everything else or they'll refuse to release it for Xbone period.

Microsoft once again saying my way or GTFO. Somehow I suspect more indies are going to opt in for GTFO and make their money from PS4 and PC instead. Hell I'd encourage that. Microsoft will soon change it's BS policies when it sees other people making money they aren't.

 

[Azahul]

You're not missing much. Please don't buy into the hype, you'll be crushed like I was. It lures you in with great presentation and then sucks shit.

Given that it's a story most likely to only appeal to a certain number of gamers, it's really only a game where a recommendation should be taken only if you really, really know the preferences of the person recommending you the game. Personally, I really enjoyed it, but I went into it knowing literally nothing about the game beyond the fact that one of my friends on Steam was playing it. He hadn't even told me it was good, just he was playing it, he normally plays games that I like, and it was on sale at that moment in time (and it was just pass Christmas so I had ludicrous amount of disposable income). So I bought it, played it, and genuinely loved it for what it was, rather than hating it for not being what I thought it was going to be. Unfortunately, it does seem that a lot of people like yourself were not that lucky in their approach to it.

And on topic: Given that PC is usually the console of choice for indie games, if Microsoft won't let people bring games from the PC onto the Xbox One then it does seem like they're intentionally limiting their possible haul.

 

[weirdee]

Man, there must be some sort of horrifying secret police that Nintendo employs to ensure that nobody ever explains specifically why they don't actually consider releasing games on their platforms.

 

[kanetsb]

This, and that "paying youtubers to advertise the xbone", is just a sign, that the new console is already doing a WiiU impression. I say, let's ditch the Nintendon't and the Xbone and just have a single console, made by relatively sane people. And I'm totally not saying that because I'm a PC gamer.

 

[josemlopes]

"Especially if it's a game like ours that is a full 3D game and you're going to run into obscure rendering bugs and all this kind of stuff,"

Because that shit wouldnt happen to any other game, no, its special to your special game.

These guys think so fucking high of themselfs.

Either way Microsoft wasnt so bad with smaller studios in 2013 (published 1 AAA game vs 9 or something smaller games), it still isnt that good to be that strict with their rules but at least its something

 

[MrHide-Patten]

So Microsoft dun shat the bed yet again, in other news; boobs are great!
Seriously Microsoft's run by baboons in suits, Nintendo's ran by children in suits, and Sony is like... Ned from Scrubs... in a suit.

 

[Roander]

And on topic: Given that PC is usually the console of choice for indie games, if Microsoft won't let people bring games from the PC onto the Xbox One then it does seem like they're intentionally limiting their possible haul.

They only seem to care if it was released on another console first. Either they like to pretend pc games don't exist, or they're ok with them because most gaming pcs are still running windows. Still, I think this says a lot about how microsoft views its customer base (as if the xbox one's initial policies didn't drop enough hints). If you only have an xbox and something gets released for the playstation first you're never going to get it; not necessarily because of technical limitations or because sony owns the rights to it, but because microsoft will refuse to let the developer put it on your system.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

Again, Microsoft. Again, you manage to have us part with a Slow Handclap in your favor. Well - *favor* is such a strong word...

It honestly feels like they're committed to the idea of driving themselves into the ground, along with Nintendo.

 

[Church185]

Because that shit wouldnt happen to any other game, no, its special to your special game.

These guys think so fucking high of themselfs.

Umm, what? He was explaining that most smaller studios wouldn't have the manpower for simultaneous release. He was implying that small studios making 3D games would have an especially hard time trying to make that happen. He used his team as an example because *gasp* they made a 3D game.

 

[jpoon]

What a shock...microsoft being greedy fucks as usual.

 

[Zipa]

Oh Microsoft one day you will learn your lesson. Seriously how many fuck ups is it going to take for you to figure out that maybe its you that needs to change.