GDC Microsoft Keynote: XNA User-Created Games on XBLA

By: Derek Yu

On: February 20th, 2008

Chris Satchell, Microsoftâ€™s developer group general manager, announced during his keynote (Kotaku) this morning that Microsoft will soon allow users to create games using XNA and then distribute them on XBLA using a “democratized distribution system:”

Using a peer review system to filter out copyright infringement and objectionable content, Microsoft plans to put game development and initial approval into the hands of its Xbox Live community, not to mention money into the hands of homebrew developers.

The company expects it can double the number of games on Xbox Live Arcade by the end of year with the addition of community developed software.

Also, check out a “visual walkthrough” of the interface (also on Kotaku).

Posted in Community, Developers, IGF / GDC, Xbox 360

Tchernoborg

Nice, can’t wait to see a lot of prime indie games on XBLA.
PHeMoX

Good stuff! Yes, we need more Xbox live games and we definitely need more prime indie games on Xbox live. :)
Julius

The XNA is going to rock more cock then a cock rockin’ cockler.
Fishy Boy

I have a feeling morons are going to abuse the whole “mark as bad” feature, though. Sounds cool though.
MrBig

This all sounds good in theory, but I doubt it’ll do much in practice. Microsoft isn’t well known for “giving” anything. I do believe there are people within Microsoft that would like to see the marketplace, XBLA, and LIVE grow but for whatever reasons (perhaps some sort of internal struggle within Microsoft between the Marketing Devision and the Development Devision) there are more roadblocks and rhetoric involved with the evolution of Xbox Live than actual changes for the better or results that the average paying member can benefit from. So until something actually happens I’ll file this under “More marketing BS!”
Mike Hawk

No Fishy boy, the greater danger is that people will start abusing the “mark as good” button.

If they want more games, they need to throw developers a better bone, and when I say “bone” I mean money or clams or whatever you want to call the source of financial reinforcement.
deadeye

All the comments on that Kotaku site make me want to vomit on them.

“ok, so now Microsoft expects us to pay to [play] Amateur games that were made in some guys basement in about 5 days that is worth about 10 minutes of play time”

Faggots.
BeamSplashX

Deadeye, instead of complaining, you can now just use the “Mark for Death” button!

Don’t abuse it… yet.
GirlFlash

Well I know what happens when something unique hits up a teen boy hotspot with user moderation, if it hasnt got explosions it gets blammed and marked as ‘gay’.

the xbox demographic wants new indie games like they want to be spooned by a hunky guy at night.

…umm, bad metaphor, all I’m saying is that halo kids dont like stuff that doesent have explosions, cars and chicks.

I do like the idea, and it makes me more inclined to pick up this xna stuff. and I have a little more respect for microsoft than before for trying, but its not going to work out too great, at least not at first. if you are looking for a welcoming, cultured audience xbl is not the place to find it.
http://www.mawsoft.com/blog Impossible

That’s all nice, but what about Gears 2!
MrBig

This looks like a Cave Story Rip-Off!
O,,O~

Anyone actually tried the games they have up on there yet? They are to be blunt…crap.
MrBig

@ GirlFlash,

No you’re wrong, Halo kids no nothing about chicks. You were probably right about the explosions and cars though. Just listen to some of the kids that talk about Halo, you’d think it was the second (or third) coming of Jesus Christ. Not to mention most young women (even the ones that play Halo) wouldn’t bother with these kids that play it, except for the ones (and this is not intended to offend anyone) that have absolutely no self-esteem.

Anyway that’s off topic…

This looks like a Cave Story Rip-Off!
http://0xdeadc0de.org Eclipse

i think XBLA is great, but why the fuck i need to use C# and XNA??
I want a real X360 devkit so bad now :(
I am Bungle

This all sounds brilliant.. except for calling people on XBoxLive my “peers”… The day some pre-pubescent racist who likes nothing more than the sound of his, castrati-like, voice shrieking, barley coherent, homophobic drivel is considered my peer I’ll dip my self in tarmac, paint a white stripe up my middle and go for a little lie-down in the middle of the motorway.

The voting system could be far too influenced by idiots: fanmade Sonic/Castlevania/Streets of Rage/whatever/ clones will attract thumbs up from kids with no idea about IP/Copyright/Etc… While perfectly well polished and executed games will receive damnation if some idiot just downloaded them and didn’t like the genre or playstyle despite the game being perfectly executed and probably half-decent if your a fan of the genre.
I know its the only way MS will ever be able to grant the sheer volume of games that will be submitted distribution on to XBLA.. but if you have ever played public games online using XBL then I’m sure your as full of dread about this voting system as I am.
haowan

This idea is nice in theory but in practice:

1. devs can’t self-fund often
2. not only would we have to self-fune but we’re also expected to SUBSCRIBE to the service in order to get a game on there?
3. no achievements or leaderboards or any other services XBLA games get

basically they can FUCK OFF with this PIECE OF SHIT idea.
MrBig

@ I am Bungie,

There’s nothing wrong with with fanmade Sonic/Castlevania/Streets of Rage/whatever/ clones as long as those clones don’t suck shit! Aside from that Microsoft is promoting this as a means for everyone to participate in uploading shitty little games when we know that’s actually bull. Besides all of that, I have little faith in Microsoft or their service, or customer service, or product, or ability, and the fact that if I ever need technical support I have to speak with someone from India (nothing against east Indians – but a mundane technical issue should not take a couple of hours to remedy). Aside from all that, this sounds cool. ;-P

@ haowan,

Right on! You go girl!
http://www.bruceongames.com/ Bruceongames

At one stroke Microsoft have removed all the barriers to game development and more importantly to game publishing. We will have a flowering of innovation and creativity beyond anything the game industry has ever seen before. Probably beyond what any creative industry has ever seen before. The last explosion in gaming creativity was the bedroom Sinclair Spectrum coders in the 1980s (we have been going downhill creatively ever since), this will be thousands of times bigger. The possibilities are infinite.
Jeff Weber

A lot of the details surrounding this new service are being discussed over[url=http://forums.xna.com/thread/46558.aspx]here[/url]

Many of the concerns I see in the comments above have already been anticipated my the XNA team.
Cas

Yep, bollocks to this idea, I’ve already found a massive open distribution platform. I have decided to call it TEH INTARNETS.
Dan MacDonald

Wow Bruce, you really do sound like a veteran games industry marketer.
skaldicpoet9

While the idea sounds good I am still apprehensive about it’s execution. Not that I’ll be able to find out…I own a Wii and it seems like Nintendo has a disdain against anything that is not developed by a team of “professionals”.
MrBig

@ Bruceongames,

I’m sorry Bruce, but if news such as this gets you lactating I’d have to assume that you’re a virgin (or you work for microsoft – both are sad), but even if that was true then it would be premature lactation.

In all honesty I think you have been deprived of some of the great leaps that gaming has made over the years to say that this is simply the best thing since KY Jelly.

Sorry but I’m skeptical until I see actual results… good results at that.

It wouldn’t be wrong to assume that this news might make some people happy, but I think the majority are cautious and curious if not doubtful about the intentions behind the news.
I am Zippy

@ MrBig there is somthing VERY wrong with Sonic/Castlevania/SoR rip-offs and the way this service will work….regardless of shit sucking.

They will infinge on IP and giving them a good rating just because it’s a fan-made clone of a game you like will cause the voting to be a complete farse.

When people who don’t understand what the whole voting system is tying to weed out (illegal IP infringment to name but one!) vote for somthing just because they like it the whole process will turn to crap.
MrBig

@ I am Zippy,

Then people should stop making clones all together. This would be unfortunate however, since games like Aquaria would have never been born. I believe one must think before they speak. You obviously haven’t put much thought into your comment.

As for the whole voting system, if you’ve read my comments you’d realize that I never mention once whether or not I even like the idea of the voting system, just that this entire process and “marketing scheme” is a way to try and get wannabe and would be developers to pump out as much crap as possible for XBLA Marketplace in a feigned attempt to revitalize Xbox LIVE. It serves as a slight distraction to perhaps smooth over the lousy service and issues that were occurring on a regular basis over the holidays, or perhaps because so many people are bitching that there are never any new games to download on XBLA. So sure, this may act as a great distraction becomes some people may in fact like the idea of developing their own. I’m just skeptical about the intent and little suspect about what Microsoft really hopes to achieve. Are they hoping that thousands of naive gamers who with great game ideas but no knowledge in programming or game development purchase an XNA membership knowing full well that there are no refunds and more often than not most gamers/wannabe developers will lose interest or become overwhelmed by the process only to say “Fuck it!”… after they’ve paid for the membership of course. I don’t really know for sure, but given Microsofts history and track record, I have to be suspicious.

As for the so-called voting system, there’s a cure, just don’t let anybody vote. Then you won’t be able to complain, will you? Simple.