Microsoft "kills" XBL indie games

[Zeether]

http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-ki ... 360-update

Read: they pushed indie games back with an update for the shitty Kinect and devs think indie games will die as a result. Which probably isn't happening.

[E. Randy Dupre]

Hell, it's not as if Microsoft showed any genuine interest in the Indie Games idea beyond the first couple of months of its life, is it? It surprises me that these developers didn't see this coming.

[njiska]

I feel sorry for people like Nathan who are trying to make a living off this service, but it's pretty clear that independent game studios were not what MS was looking for. By burying the service they essentially return it to it's roots as a place for the community to share their creations, but not a place to run a business. If you want to do they successfully then they're going to want you one XBLA going through the fees.

[dcharlie]

I think this is more a function of MS letting some brainless tool loose on the dash, allowing them to roll out a quite frankly amateurish new set up.

I don't think the XBLIG thing interest lasted "only" a few months, it's been pretty well pushed but some of the design choices in the new dash are absolutely horrific. What were they thinking?!?!

[t0yrobo]

That is a really odd change. I'm still confused why you have to be online just to play the indies you've bought, it makes no sense.
charlie, what are you're other gripes about the new dash? I installed it the other day but I don't have my 360 inline in my entertainment center because I don't want to shell out of a wireless adapter. Besides the lightness of the color scheme I'm rather liking the new dash for offline, It's much more streamlined.

[PepsimanVsJoe]

That is a really odd change. I'm still confused why you have to be online just to play the indies you've bought, it makes no sense.

It was done to get around the ESRB. Since the ESRB can't be held responsible for online content they also can't collect a fee for the games.
I'm probably wrong though.

[THE]

It was done to get around the ESRB. Since the ESRB can't be held responsible for online content they also can't collect a fee for the games.
I'm probably wrong though.

Yes it's about age certification. All XLBIG games are for mature audience/18 years old.

[Observer]

Well, there is always Steam and such right?

[DJ Incompetent]

Thanks for the misleading title, jackass.

I'm betting this move was intentional and things will probably go back to normal in 1-2 years, depending on Kinect sales.

It's all about Kinect right now. I'm pretty sure Microsoft is expecting a new wave of console sales for casual gamers. The idea is probably to simplify the content in the NXE menus they currently have without removing any of the ads. As this will be the first time many new players fiddle with a 360, Microsoft probably doesn't want the first experiences to be the "inferior content". So anything with great art or "for the family" takes up all the advertising channels and everything else gets buried. After new hardware sales trail off, the 2011 NXE will be "heyyyyy look, Indie Games are people tooooo!" and stuff.


$5 says (assuming Kinect tech is put in XNA), the first great use of Kinect will be from an indie game.

[agustusx]

sucks the tone on the XBIG forums are pretty down. WP7 is big for microsoft these days(at least they are trying to make it so), they are also pushing the devs in that direction.

whacksauce

[drauch]

What ever happened to Microsoft wanting primarily indie games for xboxlive, and not games like Radiant Silvergun?

This is silly.

[Lordstar]

becuase polished games like RSG or Monday night combat and KOF2002UM sell by the bucket load. home brew dont do shit. I think the avatar market makes more cash than the entire homebrew network does.

[agustusx]

becuase polished games like RSG or Monday night combat and KOF2002UM sell by the bucket load. home brew dont do shit. I think the avatar market makes more cash than the entire homebrew network does.

Pretty much. Avatar games sell better than non-avatar games as well. Sales between the two aren't comparable.

[xris]

I don't know about the games being unavailable for play when you are offline.
I would hardly say that the new dash board is gonna kill XBLIG. If any thing it's really going to help it along. There seems to be some complaint that it's been seperated from the main game section. If you notice that you need to move past the XBLIG slot to get to the Rock Band slot, then I really doubt people are going to have a hard time finding it. And, another HUGE improvement is the list of the 50 highest rated games for XBLIG. Go ahead and look through that, almost ALL of the games are really good. And, it has every XBLIG shmup worth mentioning all up in that list.
There is no way that MS is going to kill off something that is pure profit for them. You pay for the program to make the games from them, and they get a cut of the sales. Then the added attention of these games showing up in contests.
Of course a company is going to focus on their new product. To think or act otherwise is stoopid. If you are surprised by this, I do not want you anywhere near my money.
I think the new dash is allright, it does transition smoother. It seems to load my game list faster. I would like the option to alter the background colour on the guide button features, stark white is a little too bright at 3 in the morning sometimes.

[DJ Incompetent]

Yes I like the genre selections a lot.

[BulletMagnet]

Looks like they moved it back.