| Dev "Rents" an XBLA Slot
Charming platformer, Pid, is sneaking onto XBLA without a publisher.
While self-publishing is all well and good on Steam and PSN, it's a difficult prospect on Xbox Live.As per Microsoft's policies, self-published titles are dumped into the Xbox Live Indie Games section. Considering the Indie Game section is a horrific, whirling maelstrom of Minecraft knockoffs and hastily thrown quizzes with boobs on their covers, it's not an ideal marketplace for offbeat, co-op platformers like Pid. Not to say that the service doesn't have any good games. It certainly does, they're just difficult to find behind walls of crud like Baby Maker Extreme and Try Not to Fart.
Rather than make a deal with Microsoft, which chances are would require some degree of exclusivity, Might and Delight have instead "rented" and XBLA slot. As PA Report explains it, developers or publishers sanctioned to sell games on XBLA get a set number of "slots," each of which is good for one game. Not all developers use all of their slots, and some have taken to selling their extra slots to third party developers, usually for a share of whatever profits those developer's games might make.
So not only do Might and Delight have to share some of Pid's profits with Microsoft, they also have to give the slot-owner their cut. That being said, according to Might and Delight, the cut the slot-owner takes is smaller than the percentage Valve takes for Steam games. And on the brightside, Pid will get the extra attention, and hopefully sales, that come with being an XBLA game, without being restricted to the 360 platform.
It's quite clever, really, but also indicative of the ludicrous hoops a developer has to go through so much hassle just to get their game onto Microsoft's digital service.
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| That's cool, Pid looks like it will be deserving of all the extra attention it'll get from being a xbla title. I suppose if they make a sequal they'll probably just get their own spot (if Pid is succesful) and will get ALL THE PROFITS from that one. |
| So I'm going to be listening to jazz for the rest of the night. Good night, everbody. |
| Well if it's any constellation Pid, Microsoft also "rents" out it's Xboxes. |
| DVS BSTrD:
Well if it's any constellation Pid, Microsoft also "rents" out it's Xboxes.
Stellar pun. Your future is bright. |
| "Try not to fart" looks like an amazing title. I don't know why people are complaining. |
| I don't know why devs even bother, I mean for the most part it seems like indie games have more luck on the pc, so jumping though all those hoops seems like a waste of time. |
| There's no way that Microsoft's share plus the slot owner's share is less than Valve's cut.
It seems like a really stupid comparison. |
| Worgen:
I don't know why devs even bother, I mean for the most part it seems like indie games have more luck on the pc, so jumping though all those hoops seems like a waste of time.
Considering how widespread consoles are, it is a gamble worth taking. Getting one of those coveted slots means Pid stands out more, and if it is a good game, that means more money for the developer. What should be asked is is their cut more or less than if they opted to just go through a publisher to get an XBLA slot that way? If it is still less, then score! If not, then it is possible they did waste their time. |
| DVS BSTrD:
Well if it's any constellation Pid, Microsoft also "rents" out it's Xboxes.
Come to England already, there are newspapers that are in dire need of this kind of punsmanship. |
| subtlefuge:
There's no way that Microsoft's share plus the slot owner's share is less than Valve's cut.
It seems like a really stupid comparison.
The slot-owners cut is smaller than Valves, but the article states that Microsoft takes a cut of the profits as well. It doesn't state how much, but I'm guessing it's the same or more than Steam.
REcaptcha: heated debate |
| In all seriousness, Baby Maker Extreme is pretty good. It just has an utterly stupid name and theme. |
| This is all very well and good. But that game looks fantastic! |
| Grey Carter:
they're just difficult to find behind walls of crud like Baby Maker Extreme and Try Not to Fart.
Does someone watch Two Best Friends Play? |
| Where there is a will there's a way.
Worgen:
I don't know why devs even bother, I mean for the most part it seems like indie games have more luck on the pc, so jumping though all those hoops seems like a waste of time.
I think Castle Crashers wants a word with you. |
| bjj hero:
Where there is a will there's a way.
Worgen:
I don't know why devs even bother, I mean for the most part it seems like indie games have more luck on the pc, so jumping though all those hoops seems like a waste of time.
I think Castle Crashers wants a word with you.
Well considering it never showed up on the pc, I don't think it really counts. |
| subtlefuge:
There's no way that Microsoft's share plus the slot owner's share is less than Valve's cut.
It seems like a really stupid comparison.
That sounds an awful lot like blind faith.
bjj hero:
I think Castle Crashers wants a word with you.
One game refutes the notion that indie games have more luck on PC? |
| Struggles like that should be rewarded. |
Dev "Rents" an XBLA Slot
Charming platformer, Pid, is sneaking onto XBLA without a publisher.
While self-publishing is all well and good on Steam and PSN, it's a difficult prospect on Xbox Live.As per Microsoft's policies, self-published titles are dumped into the Xbox Live Indie Games section. Considering the Indie Game section is a horrific, whirling maelstrom of Minecraft knockoffs and hastily thrown quizzes with boobs on their covers, it's not an ideal marketplace for offbeat, co-op platformers like Pid. Not to say that the service doesn't have any good games. It certainly does, they're just difficult to find behind walls of crud like Baby Maker Extreme and Try Not to Fart.
Rather than make a deal with Microsoft, which chances are would require some degree of exclusivity, Might and Delight have instead "rented" and XBLA slot. As PA Report explains it, developers or publishers sanctioned to sell games on XBLA get a set number of "slots," each of which is good for one game. Not all developers use all of their slots, and some have taken to selling their extra slots to third party developers, usually for a share of whatever profits those developer's games might make.
So not only do Might and Delight have to share some of Pid's profits with Microsoft, they also have to give the slot-owner their cut. That being said, according to Might and Delight, the cut the slot-owner takes is smaller than the percentage Valve takes for Steam games. And on the brightside, Pid will get the extra attention, and hopefully sales, that come with being an XBLA game, without being restricted to the 360 platform.
It's quite clever, really, but also indicative of the ludicrous hoops a developer has to go through so much hassle just to get their game onto Microsoft's digital service.
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