Microsoft Allow Any Game To Be Self-Published On Xbox One

Microsoft has said that it will allow indie game creators to self-publish their games on the new Xbox One console, something that is not available on the current Xbox 360.

The company has also said that the Xbox One could be used as a development kit, allowing developers to create and test games on the console, saving them thousands of dollars on hardware.

“Our vision is that every person can be a creator,” Marc Whitten, corporate vice president at Xbox said in a statement to Polygon. “That every Xbox One can be used for development. That every game and experience can take advantage of all of the features of Xbox One and Xbox LIVE. This means self-publishing. This means Kinect, the cloud, achievements. This means great discoverability on Xbox LIVE. We’ll have more details on the program and the timeline at gamescom in August.”

In April Microsoft waived the expensive patch fees which developers had to pay if they wanted to ship out an update to their game via XBLA. Now, if indies want to see their games on Xbox Live Arcade, then they have to partner with a publisher that already has boxed games on the shelves of retail stores.

These new features from Microsoft could be a way for them to keep up with competitors like Sony for example, which has promoted just how easy it is for indie games to appear on the PlayStation 4. During Sony’s E3 presentation, several indie games were featured alongside tripe-A titles. Even its booth displayed a banner saying “We [heart] Indies.”

What do you think about Microsoft’s decision? Share your comments.

[Image via metro.co.uk]

SOURCE: http://mashable.com/2013/07/24/microsoft-xbox-one-indie-games/