Microsoft’s problems with indie developers and problems regarding getting its games on Xbox Live have been well-documented.
One such developer, Oddworld Inhabitants has expressed criticism against the company before, and now boss Lorne Lanning has criticized it yet again. Lanning revealed how he and several other designers had been banned from talking about their games when the first Xbox launched.
Lanning stated that from a business level, Microsoft isn’t acknowledging people like them and they actually don’t matter to them and are not on their radar. He thinks that Microsoft believes that they are little guys and according to him none of the little guys are on the radar.
Lanning praised Sony for letting them show their game during the press conference but he does not see any indication of that foresight up in Redmond. He thinks Microsoft does not seem to be listening to their audience.
He is actually not sure who they’re listening to. He believes that Microsoft should start firing all their marketing and PR and hopes there should be a big, mass firing and they should publicize that.
Microsoft’s Xbox One has also come under criticism for the lack of self-publishing for indies on the new Xbox Live.