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[shinobi602]

Edit: Confirmed

Via jbug617:

Good stuff.

Another unpopular Microsoft policy appears to be heading for the history books. Sources tell Game Informer that the company is reversing course on its publishing requirements. This will allow independent studios to access digital distribution without a publishing partner.

Additionally, we have learned that Microsoft is drastically overhauling its certification process. The company will use a model similar to iTunes and is targeting a 14-day turnaround for an approvals. Instead of extensive code checking, the company will be looking for terms of service violations and significant bugs.

We've also been told, but cannot confirm, that every Xbox One unit can be converted to a debug console. Instead of specific hardware units, Microsoft can authorize a console ID to play pre-release code. This is in line with information we've received about a new process for beta tests. They will be run via hardware provisioning on Xbox One, with the process reportedly to be enabled for up to 25,000 users per test at launch. Given the ability to provision for beta testing, the ability to enable retail hardware for pre-release code seems feasible.

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/...er&utm_content=buffer8dd0a&utm_medium=twitter

"Our vision is that every person can be a creator," Marc Whitten, corporate vice president at Xbox said in a statement. "That every Xbox One can be used for development. That every game and experience can take advantage of all of the features of Xbox One and Xbox LIVE. This means self-publishing. This means Kinect, the cloud, achievements. This means great discoverability on Xbox LIVE. We'll have more details on the program and the timeline at Gamescom in August."

http://www.polygon.com/2013/7/24/4553946/microsoft-details-xbox-one-indie-self-publishing

Seems like Xbox One retail becoming a dev kit is real.
http://twitter.com/scxzor/status/360137169827950592/photo/1

 

[shandy706]

Cool

I'll still buy any (cross platform) Indie game on the PS4 and X1 on the PC, but options are never bad.

 

[JaggedSac]

Good news.

EDIT: And this is pretty neat as well. Any dev can provision 25,000 people to beta test.

They will be run via hardware provisioning on Xbox One, with the process reportedly to be enabled for up to 25,000 users per test at launch. Given the ability to provision for beta testing, the ability to enable retail hardware for pre-release code seems feasible.

 

[Dead Prince]

how many days did this take since the last talk about microsoft and indie publishing.

 

[TheBioLover]

Copying Sony and 180ing again, lulz.

 

[Cidd]

It's about time.

 

[Killthee]

We've also been told, but cannot confirm, that every Xbox One unit can be converted to a debug console. Instead of specific hardware units, Microsoft can authorize a console ID to play pre-release code. This is in line with information we've received about a new process for beta tests. They will be run via hardware provisioning on Xbox One, with the process reportedly to be enabled for up to 25,000 users per test at launch. Given the ability to provision for beta testing, the ability to enable retail hardware for pre-release code seems feasible.

Wow!

 

[jwk94]

So this is still a rumor?

 

[dallow_bg]

I'm glad everyone is coming around on this stuff.

 

[Avallon]

fezinating

 

[Guevara]

And if you don't like this new policy, just wait a few weeks.

 

[Archaix]

CBOAT put some details out in the thread about the rumor of a Kinect-less model in 2014. According to his post self-published indies will be put on the Windows 8 store and be limited in the amount of memory they can use.

yuh

.INDYianaJONESTHAPOOR wil graci8uos alloowd tpoo publishjthru the Wni8 store geto

butBUT

wait4it


limted to 3gigs mem,nt full. sory!

comnce to yeling atme, xbotz

 

[dugdug]

Every Xbox One being a debug unit is pretty cool.

 

[Uno Venova]

So this is the real indie publishing and not Windows store section 3GB games?

 

[Silky]

Motherfucking CBOAT.

 

[erpg]

Would be nice if it comes through. Still - it must suck for fans and developers to essentially have to throw tomatoes at these guys for months in order to reverse a bone-headed decision. Hope this won't be a recurring theme with Microsoft throughout the whole generation.

 

[Kyoufu]

Will this mean we'll finally hear the end of the "I like Microsoft's way, it means it won't have turds like PSN" argument from fanboys?

 

[Hot Coldman]

Next up: Microsoft to allow Xbox One to play PS4 games.

(OK, this is good news. Should have been a common sense, stage one decision, though.)

 

[Black Republican]

i wonder how many potential customers they've lost in the last months though. Some might come back interested again others not so much i guess.

 

[Raymo]

As always the good news comes out first and then the bad news follows upon closer examination.

 

[seb]

Every Xbox One being a debug unit is pretty cool.

Seems like a disaster waiting to happen security wise. I hope they really thought this through.

 

[udiie]

Would be nice if it comes through. Still - it must suck for fans and developers to essentially have to throw tomatoes at these guys for months in order to reverse a bone-headed decision. Hope this won't be a recurring thing throughout the whole generation.

Kind of makes me think they're actually listening to people though... or at least gives the illusion.

 

[Tiktaalik]

Great news but I wonder if it's too late for a big impact in the post launch. At this point the indie mindshare is PS4/Vita and they're currently working toward porting or developing their titles with PS4/Vita in mind. A lot of these shops are super small outfits that are really going to only be able to do one thing at a time. Xbox ports are going to have to come later.

If you like indies it still seems like at this point you should be buying a PS4 (though Below does look incredibly good...).

 

[V_Ben]

CBOAT put some details out in the thread about the rumor of a Kinect-less model in 2014. According to his post self-published indies will be put on the Windows 8 store and be limited in the amount of memory they can use.

It's better than nothing, but still has bizarre limitations.

 

[R3TRODYCE]

Eh, I'm warming up to Indie games following the Steam summer sale games that I picked up but I still don't see the big hubbub.

 

[Gorillaz]

Every Xbox One being a debug unit is pretty cool.

Depends ...


It is nice tho

 

[jwk94]

CBOAT put some details out in the thread about the rumor of a Kinect-less model in 2014. According to his post self-published indies will be put on the Windows 8 store and be limited in the amount of memory they can use.

So how much will that impact the games?

 

[jaypah]

Sounds pretty cool but I need some more details. Specifically whether or not it's the 3GB App store access like some are saying.

 

[udiie]

Great news but I wonder if it's too late for a big impact in the post launch. At this point the indie mindshare is PS4/Vita and they're currently working toward porting or developing their titles with PS4/Vita in mind. A lot of these shops are super small outfits that are really going to only be able to do one thing at a time. Xbox ports are going to have to come later.

If you like indies it still seems like at this point you should be buying a PS4 (though Below does look incredibly good...).

Those ports will be rather easy to do; the consoles share very similar architecture

 

[JWong]

Next up: Microsoft to allow Xbox One to play PS4 games.

(OK, this is good news. Should have been a common sense, stage one decision, though.)

Then... Xbox 180 to be sold without the Kinect.

 

[Tripon]

So what's the catch?

 

[dmr87]

Good news of course, but I don't care personally, all these '180s' only shows what Microsoft would have done without competition.

 

[teraMEL0S]

Copying Sony and 180ing again, lulz.

These are some of the smartest moves they can pull right now. I will be VERY glad if these changes come to fruition. Indie games are insanely important to a strong ecosystem. Developer friendliness is where it begins.

 

[KalBalboa]

Next up: Microsoft to allow Xbox One to play PS4 games.

Gold.

 

[benny_a]

Is the author sure it isn't the same rumor that was around a month ago where they were supposed to announce this at BUILD?

 

[mollipen]

The debug rumor would be HUGE for us in the gaming press. The whole system with debug units is a real pain, and I've been saying that I'd love to see Microsoft and Sony provide a means to just authorize specific retail consoles to be able to play pre-release code. It can't be hard to do in this day and age, so I really, really hope that not only is this rumor true, but that Sony is doing something similar.

 

[JaggedSac]

Great news but I wonder if it's too late for a big impact in the post launch. At this point the indie mindshare is PS4/Vita and they're currently working toward porting or developing their titles with PS4/Vita in mind. A lot of these shops are super small outfits that are really going to only be able to do one thing at a time. Xbox ports are going to have to come later.

If you like indies it still seems like at this point you should be buying a PS4 (though Below does look incredibly good...).

Given they are all x86, porting should be fairly straight forward between PC, PS4, and XBone. Which is a good thing for indie devs.

Sounds pretty cool but I need some more details. Specifically whether or not it's the 3GB App store access like some are saying.

The 3GB won't be the issue for indie devs, the limited GPU and CPU resources from that OS that would be a problem.

 

[Skilletor]

Will this mean we'll finally hear the end of the "I like Microsoft's way, it means it won't have turds like PSN" argument from fanboys?

That's a thing?

 

[Barzul]

Great news but I wonder if it's too late for a big impact in the post launch. At this point the indie mindshare is PS4/Vita and they're currently working toward porting or developing their titles with PS4/Vita in mind. A lot of these shops are super small outfits that are really going to only be able to do one thing at a time. Xbox ports are going to have to come later.

If you like indies it still seems like at this point you should be buying a PS4 (though Below does look incredibly good...).

Indies will be trying to reach as many people as they can. If they don't have a publisher, wouldn't it be in their best interest to make Xbox One ports. Since the consoles are running on similar architecture, I can't imagine it'd be that difficult.

 

[ironcreed]

 

[shandy706]

Fixed

If you like indies it still seems like at this point you should be buying a PC(though Below does look incredibly good...).

If people actually cared about Indies they would already have a PC.

Even a $300 Walmart PC can run most Indie games.

 

[Monty Mole]

This is great news for indie console gaming. The combo of XB1/PS4/WiiU may lure some indie devs away from iOS.

 

[erpg]

Kind of makes me think they're actually listening to people though... or at least gives the illusion.

We can only hope that listening eventually leads to learning.

 

[Kinyou]

Instead of specific hardware units, Microsoft can authorize a console ID to play pre-release code

"Halo 6 leaked 1.5 years before release"

Copying Sony and 180ing again, lulz.

Sony invented self-publishing?

 

[x3sphere]

Seems like a disaster waiting to happen security wise. I hope they really thought this through.

I don't see any risk really... your console ID has to be authorized by MS. Plus, all game code runs in userland anyway and doesn't have access to kernel-level functions that would enable someone to create a game loader or whatnot.

 

[Cidd]

We've also been told, but cannot confirm, that every Xbox One unit can be converted to a debug console. Instead of specific hardware units, Microsoft can authorize a console ID to play pre-release code. This is in line with information we've received about a new process for beta tests. They will be run via hardware provisioning on Xbox One, with the process reportedly to be enabled for up to 25,000 users per test at launch. Given the ability to provision for beta testing, the ability to enable retail hardware for pre-release code seems feasible.

Hackers are gonna have a field day...

 

[LukasTaves]

Kind of makes me think they're actually listening to people though... or at least gives the illusion.

Would be nice if it comes through. Still - it must suck for fans and developers to essentially have to throw tomatoes at these guys for months in order to reverse a bone-headed decision. Hope this won't be a recurring theme with Microsoft throughout the whole generation.

And if you don't like this new policy, just wait a few weeks.

Copying Sony and 180ing again, lulz.

And that's why Ms messaging sucks so hard. Xbone having its own store was their plan all along, it was heavily hinted and leaked through and through, but they failed so hard to come with a clean message that now it really seems that they are doing a 180 due all the backslash they got XD

 

[Marleyman]

This is great news.

 

[Raymo]

Those ports will be rather easy to do; the consoles share very similar architecture

Given they are all x86, porting should be fairly straight forward between PC, PS4, and XBone. Which is a good thing for indie devs.

Not if the cboat rumor is true claiming that these indie games are limited to 3gb of ram when ps4 allows 7.

 

[Alpha_eX]

Turning any off the shelf Xbox One into a debug unit is risky and will encourage people to try swipe hard drives at events.