Develop for Xbox Live Arcade!
I've read a few articles praising Microsoft on their Xbox Live Arcade platform, which supposedly allows "independent" developers a platform on which to release their games. The process is supposedly simple: developer submits a completed game to Microsoft, and they put it through the typical software testing paces, making sure everything is up to standard. It sounds like a dream come true.
I guess there's more to it than that. Some people are claiming that the testing phase costs money, although that will be deferred into the actual profit you'd make from selling it on Arcade. Now, I heard from somewhere you get to keep something like 60% of the profit, but after hearing how much the testing phase costs, it's probably unlikely that you'll see ANY money until it sells through some great amount. This reminds me of every advertising scheme that Google runs -- I'm only 1/4 of the way to seeing a cut check from my Google Ads earnings, and it's been most of a year since I started the account...
Ooh, I just compared Microsoft to Google. If Steve Ballmer were dead, he'd be rolling in his grave.
(what does that "turn" of phrase even mean, anway?)
((oh, and a pun! I'm just full of surprises and multiplpe entendres today))
So even if the software checks out, apparently you don't get the Live development kit unless Microsoft approves your (probably shitty) game, at which point you have to enter a new development cycle to make the software compatible with Xbox, etc. etc. That's not so bad, but it takes time and money, so it's good for small existing developers, and not so much for those just getting their start. Sad. :(
But there are a couple of really cool things:
1) To this end, Microsoft recently released the XNA Studio, a development suite that allows a very codified way of streamlining the development process and subsequently making ports between the PC and Xbox 360 much easier -- which you'll probably never see unless you a) have a development kit costing thoussands of dollars, or b) you're awarded it by having a kickass game that Microsoft approves. And the REALLY cool part about this? It's created in a specialized version of the .NET engine, which means you can use C# to create your games.
CRAZY.
And just about as cool:
2) The corded Xbox 360 controllers are just USB devices. Ever try to plug one into your computer? Apparently it will try to download the proper drivers fron Windows Update, and you'll be able to use the related API to program games (on the PC) to use the controller as an input device. HOW COOL IS THAT? You can also get an emulator for a few bucks, but I actually have a 360 controller.
Failing all of this, I'll just create a Dreamcast port...
~Sean
I guess there's more to it than that. Some people are claiming that the testing phase costs money, although that will be deferred into the actual profit you'd make from selling it on Arcade. Now, I heard from somewhere you get to keep something like 60% of the profit, but after hearing how much the testing phase costs, it's probably unlikely that you'll see ANY money until it sells through some great amount. This reminds me of every advertising scheme that Google runs -- I'm only 1/4 of the way to seeing a cut check from my Google Ads earnings, and it's been most of a year since I started the account...
Ooh, I just compared Microsoft to Google. If Steve Ballmer were dead, he'd be rolling in his grave.
(what does that "turn" of phrase even mean, anway?)
((oh, and a pun! I'm just full of surprises and multiplpe entendres today))
So even if the software checks out, apparently you don't get the Live development kit unless Microsoft approves your (probably shitty) game, at which point you have to enter a new development cycle to make the software compatible with Xbox, etc. etc. That's not so bad, but it takes time and money, so it's good for small existing developers, and not so much for those just getting their start. Sad. :(
But there are a couple of really cool things:
1) To this end, Microsoft recently released the XNA Studio, a development suite that allows a very codified way of streamlining the development process and subsequently making ports between the PC and Xbox 360 much easier -- which you'll probably never see unless you a) have a development kit costing thoussands of dollars, or b) you're awarded it by having a kickass game that Microsoft approves. And the REALLY cool part about this? It's created in a specialized version of the .NET engine, which means you can use C# to create your games.
CRAZY.
And just about as cool:
2) The corded Xbox 360 controllers are just USB devices. Ever try to plug one into your computer? Apparently it will try to download the proper drivers fron Windows Update, and you'll be able to use the related API to program games (on the PC) to use the controller as an input device. HOW COOL IS THAT? You can also get an emulator for a few bucks, but I actually have a 360 controller.
Failing all of this, I'll just create a Dreamcast port...
~Sean