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Microsoft to announce indie self-publishing, new certification process [Confirmed]

dmr87

Member
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?

Their own sources as I understand it.

W6s.png
 

chubigans

y'all should be ashamed
This sounds a lot like what CBOAT was talking about- publishing Win8 app games through XB1. The 14 day cert, pick your release date and price things sound like App Store guidelines.

Note to MS: if this is actually the case, then this is not reversing your position on anything. This is still a crap solution.

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 this is a Windows 8 app store solution. Indies would get access to 3GB shared memory on the XB1 and confined to App guidelines and cert processes.

Again, I really really hope this is an actual full access pass for indies to build on XB1, and not some backdoor app publishing program that is akin to XBLIG.
 

Tiktaalik

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

That's a great point, but there's still the big difference in TRC requirements between the platforms for certification (ie. achievements for xbox, adding high scores for XBL...) that can be a significant time suck
 

Flai

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

Well, Xbox 360 (kinda) has it already with XNA and the XBLIG games. Of course all XNA games run in a managed environment and have kind of limited API, but I don't know if that makes any difference.
 

MetatronM

Unconfirmed Member
The thing about every console being convertible to a debug unit almost sounds like a dare to the homebrew community. That's just begging to be exploited.
 
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?

Was thinking the exact same thing. I'm guessing if this turns out to be true, "marketplace integrity" will stop being a problem anymore for a few posters.
 

lantus

Member
Even if they were to revise their policies, it's still going to be some half-assed Microsoft approach that everything they do has.
 

cyberheater

PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 Xbone PS4 PS4
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 huge news. Really huge news.
 

JaggedSac

Member
This sounds a lot like what CBOAT was talking about- publishing Win8 app games through XB1. The 14 day cert, pick your release date and price things sound like App Store guidelines.

Note to MS: if this is actually the case, then this is not reversing your position on anything. This is still a crap solution.



Not if this is a Windows 8 app store solution. Indies would get access to 3GB shared memory on the XB1 and confined to App guidelines and cert processes.

Again, I really really hope this is an actual full access pass for indies to build on XB1, and not some backdoor app publishing program that is akin to XBLIG.


If they are relegated to using the non-game OS, then yes, that would prove to be an issue. Not so much with RAM, but with the limited GPU and CPU resources. But, if that were the case, it wouldn't be a reversal of policy as GI is claiming. That would just be what they planned on doing all along.
 
Will wait for confirmation that this is not Microsoft dressing up their WinRT App Store Ghetto as a self-publishing scheme.
 

Raide

Member
All units being debug sounds like a perfect reason to have an always online DRM check like they first wanted. Cuts out the chance of hackers getting hold of it if they have to certify and authorize each unit. "Should" also mean much cheaper for developers to get hold of dev kits.
 

adelante

Member
CBOAT's post should be in the OP.

Also, could the 3GB memory limit be due to them wanting games to have as wide a reach as possible, i.e. being able to run on moderately-specced Win8 PCs, hence the prerequisite of having them available thru Win8 stores?
 

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
If this is no strings attached, that's great news.

If it's limited to win-8-y software running in a sandbox...I'd almost find that more insulting than the current situation if it's supposed to be their answer for publisher-less indies.
 

Archaix

Drunky McMurder
So how much will that impact the games?


It can be significant, especially to the growth of indie games and to larger games. Though he's not exactly the go-to source on pro Microsoft opinions to begin with, Jonathan Blow said during a Giant Bomb e3 show that he had no idea how useful the extra memory would be until he had it, and I believe he implied that it wouldn't be easily moved to Xbox due to the console having less memory available for games already.

Realistically it wouldn't hurt most of the games that have already been released, but those games have been developed specifically with low memory of previous consoles in mind. The bigger impact could be if the Windows 8 store is separate from the normal games marketplace. Less visibility means less incentive to sell your game on Xbox over PC/PS4.
 

Barzul

Member
This sounds a lot like what CBOAT was talking about- publishing Win8 app games through XB1. The 14 day cert, pick your release date and price things sound like App Store guidelines.

Note to MS: if this is actually the case, then this is not reversing your position on anything. This is still a crap solution.



Not if this is a Windows 8 app store solution. Indies would get access to 3GB shared memory on the XB1 and confined to App guidelines and cert processes.

Again, I really really hope this is an actual full access pass for indies to build on XB1, and not some backdoor app publishing program that is akin to XBLIG.
I don't see how this is a crap decision unless you know exactly how this store will be handled on the Xbox One. Right now (to me at least) it seems your equating the way the store is handled on Windows 8 to how it will be on the Xbox. The Windows store on Xbox could very well be an integral part of the Xbox OS experience, and not a ghetto like it's Win8 counterpart.
 

jim2011

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

Let's be real, 99% of indie games won't require that kind of memory. Why? That's a ridiculous amount to ask for from people who casually play on their PC.

FACT: If they make a game that requires 7gb of ram to be free at all times, they have drastically reduced the amount of people that can play/buy it
 

JaggedSac

Member
CBOAT's post should be in the OP.

Also, could the 3GB memory limit be due to them wanting games to have as wide a reach as possible, i.e. being able to run on moderately-specced Win8 PCs, hence the prerequisite of having them available thru Win8 stores?

No, that would be due to the hypervisor only allowing that OS that amount of resources for use.
 

Iadien

Guarantee I'm going to screw up this post? Yeah.
Good for Microsoft not allowing their arrogance win out over these issues.
 

trmas

Banned
If you'd like to buy into the W8 ecosystem this is great news! However, nobody in their right mind would do so. Also, expect security issues from the debug feature to be an excuse to put DRM back in the console.

You'll see DRM again before the end of 2014, for "security" reasons.
 

dmr87

Member
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.

The hacker community.

X6s.gif
 

PG2G

Member
It can be significant, especially to the growth of indie games and to larger games. Though he's not exactly the go-to source on pro Microsoft opinions to begin with, Jonathan Blow said during a Giant Bomb e3 show that he had no idea how useful the extra memory would be until he had it, and I believe he implied that it wouldn't be easily moved to Xbox already due to the console having less memory available for games already.

I remember Jonathan Blow just saying the extra memory was good because it mean he didn't have to spend development time on doing memory optimizations, not necessarily that it couldn't be done with less memory.
 

adelante

Member
No, that would be due to the hypervisor only allowing that OS that amount of resources for use.

Has it been confirmed that indie games only have access to the OS memory partition? Either way, the side effect of having that "little" ram accessible potentially allows for games to run on a lot more PCs than it would have with higher spec requirements.
 

MCD

Junior Member
I took a psychology course in college and we talked about a dating experiment during one of our classes. It was performed to test the level of attractiveness females had for other males. The were four groups of males: one that were attractive to females, one that were unattractive to females, one that was initially unattractive to females but over time grew to be attractive, and a control group. The results showed high levels of attractiveness for the attractive group and low levels for the unattractive group. What was interesting though is that the group that became attractive over time resulted in much higher level of attraction than the group that was initially attractive. I always thought this experiment was pretty interesting and I feel it applies here. Long story, Microsoft might be total geniuses.
 

jim2011

Member
I remember Jonathan Blow just saying the extra memory was good because it mean he didn't have to spend development time on doing memory optimizations, not necessarily that it couldn't be done with less memory.

Correct. It is coming out for iOS. Good luck on 5gb of ram there hahaha
 
I don't see how this is a crap decision unless you know exactly how this store will be handled on the Xbox One. Right now (to me at least) it seems your equating the way the store is handled on Windows 8 to how it will be on the Xbox. The Windows store on Xbox could very well be an integral part of the Xbox OS experience, and not a ghetto like it's Win8 counterpart.

Nah, it'll be a ghetto because it'll be shoved into the corner like XBLIG, with zero discover-ability.
 

Kibbles

Member
Can we go back to calling it the xbone? The 180 thing is just weird to type and say and hasn't been funny.
 

PG2G

Member
BTW, there is nothing new here. This 'rumor' goes a long perfectly with what has been said all the time... a Windows 8-like store on Xbox One.

This does not indicate that these games will have full hardware or service (XBL) access like today's XBLA games do.
 
Makes sense the W8 rumour and 3GB of RAM available for development on the shelf models.

I don't know how you'd turn a shelf model into a devkit without it being paired back.

Still a good plan.
 

PG2G

Member
Why would there be a 3GB limit? Multitasking with XBLA games?

Because it is probably running on the Windows 8 part of the OS. A full game could conceivably be using the other 5 gigs at the same time in a suspended state.

I don't think the memory is a big issue, as long as the games/apps have full access to the GPU/CPU.
 

harSon

Banned
Making it so that retail Xbox One's can be transformed into a Dev Kit is pretty ingenious. Instead of loaning out a Dev Kit, you're basically forcing Indie Developers, should they want to develop for the Xbox One, to purchase an Xbox One. So they're getting a developer and a consumer in one clean swoop.
 

Archaix

Drunky McMurder
I remember Jonathan Blow just saying the extra memory was good because it mean he didn't have to spend development time on doing memory optimizations, not necessarily that it couldn't be done with less memory.


Oh definitely, that's what I meant by "easily". It's doubtful that most games, even bigger releases, couldn't be made to run on lower specs. Hell, Watch Dogs is being released on everything short of digital thermostats. But Watch Dogs has 1,000 people at Ubisoft behind it. Smaller teams might not want to deal with the extra work to port a game, especially if the app store is sectioned off from where the majority of customers will be looking for games.
 

jwk94

Member
It can be significant, especially to the growth of indie games and to larger games. Though he's not exactly the go-to source on pro Microsoft opinions to begin with, Jonathan Blow said during a Giant Bomb e3 show that he had no idea how useful the extra memory would be until he had it, and I believe he implied that it wouldn't be easily moved to Xbox due to the console having less memory available for games already.

Realistically it wouldn't hurt most of the games that have already been released, but those games have been developed specifically with low memory of previous consoles in mind. The bigger impact could be if the Windows 8 store is separate from the normal games marketplace. Less visibility means less incentive to sell your game on Xbox over PC/PS4.

Thanks for the clarification. I hope the 3GB rumor isn't true.
 

Barzul

Member
It can be significant, especially to the growth of indie games and to larger games. Though he's not exactly the go-to source on pro Microsoft opinions to begin with, Jonathan Blow said during a Giant Bomb e3 show that he had no idea how useful the extra memory would be until he had it, and I believe he implied that it wouldn't be easily moved to Xbox due to the console having less memory available for games already.

Realistically it wouldn't hurt most of the games that have already been released, but those games have been developed specifically with low memory of previous consoles in mind. The bigger impact could be if the Windows 8 store is separate from the normal games marketplace. Less visibility means less incentive to sell your game on Xbox over PC/PS4.
I don't get how the witness can be made on iOS yet not on Xbox. I just can't see RAM limitations being a problem at this stage of next gen.
 
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