Microsoft has this policy wherein if indie developers want to release their games on the Xbox One, they would need to launch it alongside other platforms. If the developer has ever released the game on any other platform first, say the PS4, the game cannot launch on Microsoft’s console. However there have been a few exceptions to this case in the past but the policy is no doubt a deal breaker for smaller independent developers.
Speaking to Krillbrite Studios’ Adrian Tingstad Husby, GamingBolt asked whether there is a specific reason behind not launching Among The Sleep on the Xbox One.
“It’s mostly a question about resources. As a small indie team, developing for consoles can be very demanding, so we decided to focus our attention at the PS4 for now. Also, Sony have been very eager and pleasant to deal with,” he said to GamingBolt.
We also asked about his thoughts on the Xbox One parity clause for indie games and whether this will actually allow for better games on Xbox Live as the user won’t be simply overload with indie games good or bad. “Well, as a small developer working to release our first game, it’s [the policy] rather brutal. Simultaneously shipping is very challenging, especially for small indie teams. The clause (if enforced) means it might not be possible for us to release on Xbox One, even though we wanted to.”
Krillbrite Studios are currently working on the PS4 version of Among The Sleep.