It might have taken Microsoft a few tries – and a lot of complaints – to finally revamp its indie games publishing and certification program. But with ID@Xbox, the Xbox One’s independent gaming programme, it will be looking to implement a far more open approach this time around. ID@Xbox head Chris Charla also felt that indie games could be system sellers, citing Minecraft as an example.
Speaking to MCV, Charla stated that, “There has certainly been system sellers that have been indie games – Minecraft is a system seller. Independent developers are hugely important for the entire industry ecosystem. I am massively excited by titles such as Titanfall and Halo. But I am equally excited when I see games like Papers Please, or Gone Home. Games can be hugely diverse. When you turn on your Xbox One, you see the broadest, most diverse spectrum of entertainment.”
When asked if it was Sony’s indie efforts that had Microsoft rethinking its whole approach (remember: earlier, indie devs couldn’t self publish games on Xbox Live, and had to rely on either Microsoft or a third party publisher), Charla stated that, “The origins of this goes all the way back to Xbox One’s architecture. We’ve been planning this for a long time. You can see where this started with 360’s indie titles. We haven’t even released a system yet, so I’d say it’s not a late announcement, it’s quite a timely one.”
Will it be enough to combat the PS4’s indie efforts which range from Hotline Miami 2 to The Witness? We’ll find out when the Xbox One launches on November 22nd with ID@Xbox beginning in 2014.