Begining of the end - consoles

[sinij]

X-box locking out indie developers.

http://blogs.watoday.com.au/digital-life/screenplay/2009/07/14/closedshop.html

local independent developers have expressed concern that they are being “locked out” of the popular Arcade Marketplace. While wishing to speak with anonymity to protect their relationship with Microsoft, several local developers have told Screen Play that Microsoft has dramatically reduced the number of independently-developed games it will publish on the Xbox Live Arcade service.

[Velorath]

I'm not seeing the connection here between the story and the thread's title.

[NiX]

It's like Kotaku is posting straight to our forums.

[Rasix]

Be nice guys, he's still recovering from Trammel induced PTSD.

[sinij]

You give anyone control over media delivery and platform and they engage in monopolistic behavior as soon as they get respectable market share.  The absolutely last thing we need is for EA to pump out more regurgitated crap they pretend can be called games and everyone else getting locked out. This isn't just bad for consoles, its bad for gaming in general.

[SnakeCharmer]

Don't buy the regurgitated crap?

[Velorath]

You give anyone control over media delivery and platform and they engage in monopolistic behavior as soon as they get respectable market share.  The absolutely last thing we need is for EA to pump out more regurgitated crap they pretend can be called games and everyone else getting locked out. This isn't just bad for consoles, its bad for gaming in general.

So... because MS isn't going to publish more than 35 indie games on LIVE Arcade per year (and I'd struggle to name 35 good/great indie games on LIVE that have been released up until now), all of a sudden EA is just going to take over the industry, because God knows that indie developers were all potential David's poised to take on all the big publisher Goliaths until MS just pulled out the rug from under them? 

I don't see that you have even the most basic understanding of the article you posted.   MS says "hey guys, we can't put up every indie game up on the XBLA Marketplace, because it would flood the market, and good games would have a hard time getting noticed in a sea of shitty or average games".  Your reaction is "NOoooooooooo, if you do that EA will win and release shitty games!!!!!".  I'm really not seeing what one thing has to do with the other.  Nor do I see why a selective "we'll put the best indie games up" XBLA is inherently worse than a free-for-all XBLA would be.

[Quinton]

There are plenty of alternatives between "publish only X indie games" and "publish everything on the same footing."  It'd be easy enough to have a couple tiers, topped by a "premium" tier that's well vetted and limited to 30-odd games a year or whatever msft feels is the reasonable amount, and levels below which are more free-for-all.

I'm unconvinced that limiting the market here has any significant benefit for indie developers or for consumers.  The "but people might publish crappy titles" argument is rather pathetic.  There's always a lot of crap out there, no matter what.  I consider the main problem with XBLA is that it's not open enough, not that it's too open.

It's an interesting move for msft, given that they were the first of the big three to open the doors to wider development and publishing options on a major console, and now they're apparently stepping back from that.  Good opportunity for Sony or Nintendo to step in and pick up the slack.

[sinij]

I don't think ether of console manufacturers or big game publishers interested in being more open. Both gain to win - consoles from guaranteed schedules and exclusivity fees and publishers from decreased competition.

[Modern Angel]

I suggest you boycott MS and Xbox products then. Send a message.

[NiX]

Amidst a shitty economy, Microsoft looks at controlling their overhead from products with little to no return. News at 11.

[bhodi]

An internet petition would be even better.

[schild]

To be fair, a lot of crappy indie stuff is on the 360. Particularly on that XNA marketplace. Not like those indies can't go to Steam or PSN anyway (whatwith Sony ramping that shit up and seemingly allowing more people in). Or hell, the Wii - I think I know of a few games on there that have blocks as full entities in games (lol dig at bit trip beat).

Also, this thread title is unbelievably stupid.

[Hindenburg]

Only the title?

[Quinton]

I suggest you boycott MS and Xbox products then. Send a message.

Never owned an xbox.  Not planning on buying one.  Lack of content that interests me and lack of desire on my part to support microsoft.

[Big Gulp]

lack of desire on my part to support microsoft.

Support Microsoft?  They're an unfeeling multinational corporation, just like Sony, Nintendo, or Apple.  In case you didn't realize it, these aren't Mom & Pop operations.  None of these companies give a shit about you.  If you want to keep up the MS rage, though, that's very slashdot of you.

[ahoythematey]

Maybe the idea is to not support a company that knowingly sold an extremely faulty product?  Apart from a similar lack of interest in most of their exclusives, I know that's a big reason why I still don't own a 360.

[Quinton]

lack of desire on my part to support microsoft.

Support Microsoft?  They're an unfeeling multinational corporation, just like Sony, Nintendo, or Apple.  In case you didn't realize it, these aren't Mom & Pop operations.  None of these companies give a shit about you.  If you want to keep up the MS rage, though, that's very slashdot of you.

It's not rage.  I'm not frothing about them being EVIL or ranting about "micro$oft" or other nonsense.  I'm just opting not to buy their products.  Primarily because I don't like their products, secondarily because I'm not fond of the company and their impact on the industry.

Of course they don't give a shit about me, the only thing the matters is the bottom line, and the only simple thing I can do is not give them money.  Also, I can work for companies building competitive products, which I do.

[NiX]

Maybe the idea is to not support a company that knowingly sold an extremely faulty product?  Apart from a similar lack of interest in most of their exclusives, I know that's a big reason why I still don't own a 360.

I always wonder why people aren't this bitter about car recalls or part failures...

[Brogarn]

I always wonder why people aren't this bitter about car recalls or part failures...

*blink*

You're kidding, right?

[Modern Angel]

This thread is amazing from all sides/

[ahoythematey]

Maybe the idea is to not support a company that knowingly sold an extremely faulty product?  Apart from a similar lack of interest in most of their exclusives, I know that's a big reason why I still don't own a 360.

I always wonder why people aren't this bitter about car recalls or part failures...

Wut?  Firestone tires + ford explorers ring any bells?  That's just a recent example, too.

[Yegolev]

I reckon you just need to find a car forum.  Personally, I tell everyone that GM sucks.  They, in fact, do.  Those vehicles piss me off in a fairly similar way to how the 360 pisses me off.  I'm a Nissan fanboi.  It just occured to me that my Altima is black with silver trim.

As for the thread title: bad.  It's not the end of anything, nevermind consoles or even the indie game scene (I almost wrote market instead of scene, ho ho).

[NiX]

Wut?  Firestone tires + ford explorers ring any bells?  That's just a recent example, too.

I'm well aware. I just thought I'd add to this thread with some more nonsensical claims.

[eldaec]

Console gaming is dead. PC 4 life.

[fuser]

Just a question how much QA/etc is placed on Microsoft for putting things on Live? The only mention I see is the requirement of peer review on the XNA creators site to publish content.

Considering theres a a fee to even develop for it (premium is $60 for 4 months, $120 for a year), fee to access it (xbox live gold), and the fee to buy it (points which microsoft takes a 30% cut)

Whats the harm in ~500 more at 50MB. There is a 450MB but tier it for developers or extra fee's to publish it.