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Tag: ID@Xbox

  • Here Are Some Of The Indie Games Coming To The Xbox One

    When the Xbox One was first unveiled, it was decidedly lacking in indie games. The reason was that Microsoft was keeping its old publishing guidelines around that required indie games to have a publisher before being allowed on their platform. Microsoft quickly removed that requirement, however, when it saw that Sony and Nintendo were allowing indies to self publish on their platform. Since then, Microsoft has welcomed indies to the Xbox One through its ID@Xbox program.

    Microsoft released a video showcasing some of the indie games coming to the Xbox One through its ID@Xbox program. The games are all self published and free from any of the shackles found in the old indie publishing program. With ID@Xbox, developers have the freedom to pursue whatever they want on the Xbox One and it shows in the games on display in the video.

    One of the more promising games you’ll see below is Super Time Force – an arcade shooter with a time traveling twist. As players make their way through fights, they can spawn in a different version of themselves from the past or future. This allows players to have multiple versions of themselves running around in levels fighting enemies.

    Another interesting game is FRU – a title that uses both a controller and the Kinect. It’s a puzzle platformer where the player’s silhouette as captured by Kinect reveals hidden paths and doors in the environment. It’s certainly an interesting concept and is the best use of Kinect I’ve yet seen on the Xbox One.

    At GDC 2014, Microsoft showed off 25 indie games coming to the Xbox One through ID@Xbox. It says that there’s even more on the way so Xbox One gamers shouldn’t be starved for content in the coming months. In fact, things will likely get even better as more developers hop on board as Microsoft makes it even easier for developers to create games for the Xbox One.

    Image via xbox/YouTube

  • Microsoft Teases Indie Developers for ID@Xbox

    Last February at its big console unveiling, Sony surprised many gamers by devoting a significant portion of its presentation to indie game developers. The company kept the momentum going at E3 and now stands poised to offer new PlayStation 4 games each week until big next-gen games such as Infamous: Second Son begin to show up in March.

    Microsoft’s Xbox One, in the other hand, does not seem to have the same level of indie support. Microsoft is working to fix that, however, and the company announced its ID@Xbox initiative back in August. The program is a self-publishing platform for indie studios to get their games on the Xbox One.

    Today Microsoft announced that the ID@Xbox program is in full swing. Program Director Chris Charla stated that Microsoft has shipped Xbox One development kits to more than 50 studios. He also name-dropped 32 different developers that are currently enrolled in the program, including well-known studios such as Double Fine, Team 17, and Capybara Games.

    The full list of confirmed studios includes Inis, Comcept, Vlambeer, Double Eleven, Slightly Mad, Born Ready, Crytek, Happion Labs, Definition 6, Team 17, Panic Button, Double Fine, Drinkbox, Team Colorblind, Signal Studios, Zen Studios, Bongfish, Half-Brick, Ninja Bee, Zeboyd Games, Nicalis, The Men Who Wear Many Hats, Iron Galaxy, Jackbox Games, High Voltage Software, Capybara Games, Behavior, Hidden Path, Gaijin, The Odd Gentlemen, WayForward, and Other Ocean.

    Judging from Microsoft’s list, it appears that many of the indie games already announced for the PlayStation 4 will be ported to the Xbox One. Games such as The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, Cosmic Star Heroine, Zen Pinball 2, Wasteland Kings, Project CARS, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, and Mighty No. 9 are just a few of the titles these developers are already working on for PlayStation 4 and other platforms. Now the only question remaining is when these titles could appear on the Xbox One and whether Microsoft can catch up to Sony’s early lead with indie games. Charla’s announcement stated that ID@Xbox games will begin to appear on the system “early next year.”

  • All Indie Developers On Xbox One Get Free Unity Licenses

    In an effort to get indie developers to make Wii U games, Nintendo offered free development tools, like a Unity license, in exchange for games. Now Microsoft’s indie program – ID@Xbox – is offering the same deal.

    Unity CEO David Helgason announced today that Microsoft has reached an agreement with the indie friendly engine to offer free Unity licenses to all members of its ID@Xbox program. In other words, indie developers who join Microsoft’s indie development program will get a free Unity license to use in developing indie titles for the Xbox One.

    Here’s the relevant part of the announcement:

    Unity and Microsoft will now be working together to bring the Xbox One deployment add-on to all developers registered with the ID@Xbox program at no cost to the developers. This is huge news and means that everyone that’s part of that program, not just partners to Microsoft Games Studios, will be able to take advantage of Unity to create awesome gaming experiences for the Xbox One. On top of this, a special Xbox One version of the Unity Pro tools are also being made available for these same developers at no cost.

    The Xbox One is a powerful platform and we’re building powerful tools to take advantage of all of the features that make it so special like the Kinect and SmartGlass. Production is well underway and is progressing faster than originally anticipated! Very early testing phases will begin soon with a broader beta program in 2014.

    It should be noted that the free Unity license will come in two forms. If you already have a Unity license for another platform, like Android, then the Xbox One license will be unlocked on your account upon your admission into the ID@Xbox program. If this is your first Unity license, you will be given an Xbox One-only license, and all other licenses for other platforms will be sold at a comparatively low cost like usual.

    It’s actually the latter license agreement that’s actually the most exciting for developers. Unity is a great cross platform engine, but developers do have to buy licenses for platform-specific tools. By releasing on Xbox One first, the developers may earn the money necessary to purchase the other licenses and port their titles to other platforms, like iOS, Android and other home consoles.

    The ID@Xbox self-publishing program on Xbox One is not yet live, but you can apply to be admitted into the program right now. Microsoft is currently giving preferential treatment to developers who have shipped a game, but it will open the program to anybody who has an Xbox One in the future. At that point, the free Unity license will come in handy for the thousands, if not millions, of gamers who want to dip their toe in the waters of game development.

    [Image: Xbox]