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Adam Sessler talks to Chris Charla about ID@Xbox

The Flash

Banned
*LOCK IF OLD*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbAeO9FHKFw

Chris Charla - Director of Independent Developers @ Xbox (ID@Xbox)
- formerly the Portfolio Director of XBLA
- was a VP and Executive Producer at Foundation 9 Entertainment
- was Editor in Chief of Next Generation Magazine
- was a launch editor of IGN

Personal video game blog
http://incrediblystrangegames.com/


Video Summary:
- Microsoft waited until Gamescom to discuss ID@Xbox because they had a lot to talk about
- Developers wanted an additional way to get on to Xbox in addition to having a publisher or publishing through Microsoft Studios so it just seemed like the right thing to do
- The process works very similar to how it does now. Developers set whole sale price, Microsoft sets retail price.
- Retail Xbox One units will eventually be able to be used as development kits. The vision is to make Xbox One a great place to create games in addition to playing them. ID@Xbox have received tons of applications and Microsoft has begun sending out devkits to developers who have signed up. Microsoft is starting out with experienced developers at the moment to work out the kinks in the system but they want to open it up as broadly as possible as quickly as possible.
- Trending and Game DVR will be used in tandem with a traditional marketplace set up to promote discoverability
- They are not looking to be censors but will make sure that really objectionable content doesn't get on the platform. Games will have to go through certification because gamers want to know that those games will perform as expected.
- When asked about a comparison between their program and Sony's, Charla says that they want to do what's right for developers
- They want to make a sustainable ecosystem for developers; it's not just a flash in a pan or a fad. They want to have a platform that independent developers can be successful on for years and years to come.
 

hawk2025

Member
Lococycle is $20?!?


I'm sorry, but "we had a lot to talk about" is complete BS. I don't buy it for a second, and we would have heard about its existence from devs before.
 
Most popular independent developers were upset about Xbox not having a program for indies like they have now. If they were talking with developers for 'really a long time' about their plans I wonder who they were actually talking to.
 

kaching

"GAF's biggest wanker"
No time to watch the vid. Is there any followup on this part:

- They want to make a sustainable ecosystem for developers; it's not just a flash in a pan or a fad. They want to have a platform that independent developers can be successful on for years and years to come.
Specifically, if they wanted to be "sustainable" why didn't they just keep building on what they originally started on 360 in the earlier years?
 
Guess I understand why Lococycle is $20. :(

Isn't loco published by MS?

And I still say waiting until Gamescom was a terrible idea (assuming they are telling the truth and it wasn't another 180). By publicly denying self-publishing around E3, they gave more positive press to Sony. By keeping a number of notable indie developers (Lanning, Blow, Fish) in the dark, they garnered further negative press around their platform and delayed development of many projects past the launch window.

I can't think of any way that this was a good thing for anyone except the developers of the handful of xbla games releasing this year, who have less competition (but may face a smaller userbase).
 

jond76

Banned
Lococycle is first party right?

Lets not let facts get in the way of negativity.

Sounds like a good plan.

I mentioned in the Bossman thread that MS sponsored that indie megabooth that Kyle visited. Hopefully that means some of those will head xbox's way.
 

Coxy

Member
non answers and vague promises of a vision of maybe offering at an unspecified point in the future a service equivalent to what everyone else is doing now?

exciting. would be even more exciting if their current requirements werent worse than nintendo's were when nintendo had a bad indie policy
 

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
Most popular independent developers were upset about Xbox not having a program for indies like they have now. If they were talking with developers for 'really a long time' about their plans I wonder who they were actually talking to.

I question that a lot.

By any account I've seen (on Twitter), they started reach out after E3 or thereabouts.

In post-reveal interviews in May when asked about indies and publishing and all that, they stated they were happy with how things were working already on 360.

I believe this new program came together pretty recently indeed, and was reactionary.
 
Most popular independent developers were upset about Xbox not having a program for indies like they have now. If they were talking with developers for 'really a long time' about their plans I wonder who they were actually talking to.

There were also indies that were happy with the way Microsoft handled their interactions and cautioned that things were in the works for X1, some of which post here.

I'd also point out that some of the most vocally critical indies have not changed their tune after the program was announced. So even if MS had been talking to developers about this program, some indie dissatisfaction with MS goes beyond the ability to self-publish.
 

Tripon

Member
I don't think MS is nimble enough to offer price drops fast enough for Indie games on their system to take advantage.

If steam is offering a game at $3.75 vs XBOX One is still at $20, they're going to lose a boatload of sales.
 

nib95

Banned
Can Sessler get interviews with Sony and Nintendo guys as well or are Microsoft just being especially lax with him regarding interviews?
 

The Flash

Banned
Can Sessler get interviews with Sony and Nintendo guys as well or are Microsoft just being especially lax with interviews?

Which of the three do you think actually needs to be more lax with interviews especially after everything that's happened over the last few months?
 

SJRB

Gold Member
Is Sessler the Aisha Tyler of Microsoft? Serious question, the guy seems embedded with Microsoft lately. Not a bad thing per se, but it's noticable.
 

Tripon

Member
Can Sessler get interviews with Sony and Nintendo guys as well or are Microsoft just being especially lax with him regarding interviews?

For whatever reason, Sessler has been more critical of Nintendo and Sony, and been supportive of MS.

I'm not accusing him of being in MS' pocket, just something I have noticed. Maybe he feels that MS is really is trying their best, while everyone is going overboard of their praise for Sony, while the Wii U makes Nintendo an easy whipping boy.

Still, just an observation.
 

nib95

Banned
he say he asked Sony and they didn't have anybody for him to interview.

That sucks. The Boyle vid by GI was decent, but it wasn't really an interview. Just Boyle talking. I prefer question and answer type stuff, that way the interviewer can pry to try and get some inside info or specific information. Perhaps about multiplatform variation between platforms, customisations in hardware, future first party efforts or third party relationships etc.
 
For whatever reason, Sessler has been more critical of Nintendo and Sony, and been supportive of MS.

I'm not accusing him of being in MS' pocket, just something I have noticed. Maybe he feels that MS is really is trying their best, while everyone is going overboard of their praise for Sony, while the Wii U makes Nintendo an easy whipping boy.

Still, just an observation.

Yup, it's gotten annoying now. I lost a lot of respect for him from his whole God of War overreaction and have lost the rest in the last few months with his constant defense of MS. I don't watch anymore of his videos. It wouldn't be so bad if he didn't actually claim he is unbiased which is just BS, it's clear where his bias is.
 
There were also indies that were happy with the way Microsoft handled their interactions and cautioned that things were in the works for X1, some of which post here.
I remember Notch alluding to something, but that kind of talk still happened well after E3. I might be missing others, but I haven't seen much to say this has been in the works for a really long time.
 

timlot

Banned
So when is Sessler going to interview some Sony people for once?

If I was Sony I wouldn't have any PR people out there. They already got the majority of hardcore gamers on their side. Let these 70 days or so go by. Launch your system, sell million and ride off into the holidays. Nobody needs to rock the boat.
 

Kuro

Member
he said he asked Sony and they didn't have anybody for him to interview.

Okay that's understandable then. People must be busy on both Nintendo and Sony's side and Microsoft still have a lot of PR to do to fix their image.
 

jond76

Banned
So when is Sessler going to interview some Sony people for once?

As stated, they don't have anybody for him to interview. Maybe Sony thinks that shouting "Suped up Playstation!!" is all they need to get people to buy. A little bit of that Sony arrogance creeping back in ;)
 
If I was Sony I wouldn't have any PR people out there. They already got the majority of hardcore gamers on their side. Let these 70 days or so go by. Launch your system, sell million and ride off into the holidays. Nobody needs to rock the boat.

Resting on laurels is never a good idea.
 

The Flash

Banned
Anyone else think that Charla looks like Mozzie from White Collar?

Mozzie_White_Collar.jpg
 

hipbabboom

Huh? What did I say? Did I screw up again? :(
no-one and neither are they

Actually... only MS.

To clarify, I mean the XNA initiative has been out since 2008 (I think) which allows you to use your retail xbox to make console games. Granted you are in a walled garden that natively coded XBLA and Retail games aren't but none the less, you get the hardware to work and a distribution channel to sell your stuff. I like to think about their XB1 indie initiative as an evolution of that except there are no more walled gardens on the development and digital retail front.


I still have to imagine devs have to pay for their own ESRB license and things of that nature.
 
Wait, so console-as-devkit is something they're planning to eventually introduce, and won't be there from the get go?

Wonder how long that's likely to take.
 

sangreal

Member
The wholesale thing was confusing to me since they obviously use a royalty model. I looked it up and apparently they pay the publisher 70% of the higher of the wholesale price and retail price.
 

The Flash

Banned
Wait, so console-as-devkit is something they're planning to eventually introduce, and won't be there from the get go?

Wonder how long that's likely to take.

Yeah they said that it wouldn't be available at launch a long time ago. Plan is to have experienced developers work out the kinks in the program and then they'll start opening it up to Joe Schmoe. The devkit program will be something that you have to sign up for I think.
 
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