Neoninja3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

Wow! That is freaking cool!
I'm gonna try my hand at this and see what I can do.

Pisque3929d ago

Wait until it's released, with Microsoft you can't trust

Electric-flamingo3929d ago

No matter what ms does you won't be happy.

3929d ago
Gazondaily3929d ago

Ugh really?

This is HUGE news. In fact, it's setting an industry standard. Not only are Indies getting the self publishing they wanted, the fact that every Xbox One can be used as a dev kit is simply astonishing.

THIS is how you prove naysayers wrong and shoe your commitment to indies.

Hats off to Microsoft. They got off to an awful start but they sure are striving to take all the right steps.

This, ladies and gentleman, is the beauty of competition.

Root3929d ago

Don't see why your getting disagrees, it's the truth. It's MS, after everything they've done lets wait and see what the catch is or how good it is. People are just learning from their mistakes with trusting MS before.

I just don't get it, they treat us like crap after Kinect, became a greedy horrible anti consumer company, give the new Xbox horrible policies, revert them because of the negative reaction then all of a sudden after a few things here and there all is forgiven.

If Sony did that you wouldn't hear the end of it.

ABizzel13929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

This is good news for them, and news they definitely need.

But that leaves a lot of questions.

What about coding overheads, and will they prevent us from accessing the full power of the Xbox1 (even after the 25% CPU, 3GB RAM, and 10% GPU deductions from OS, Kinect, and Multimedia)?
Dev Tools?
Publishing?
When will it be ready?
Will this cause a flood of shovel-ware?

Great news, but we need more answers at Gamescom. They still haven't sold me on anything Xbox 1 related, but now they're at least trying to win back my graces.

cytricks3929d ago

I have to admit...after hearing this...I am getting an Xbox One.

I am a software engineer and I think it is a cool especially for indie devs. I would say I am a little skeptic and worried it might be a press move or fallacy. Also the Sony no longer supporting OtherOS comes to mind...only difference people might actually use this for homebrew games.

iamnsuperman3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

@ABizzel1

Spot on. There is too much guessing on how this would work and we need more information on it because it could mean:

1. Every console is able to develop any games (which I do doubt as it would be a nightmare to control piracy and have a ton of crap on the store like the App store).

2. You need a developers account (that costs money) to limit everyone having it (this falls in line with the always on thing they used to have).

3. It could just be Project Spark (it does fit well with them saying that Project Spark is free and can be used to make games).

Too much unknown

3929d ago
lgn153929d ago

I just can't handle it when people can't trust Microsoft but then trust Sony. I mean their not a cooperation right? And Sony's sole purpose isn't just to profit, right? Just like Microsoft? Oh wait...

NegativeCreepWA3929d ago

I believe it, it's a great replacement for the XNA program, which put hundreds of indie games the 360.

WrAiTh Sp3cTr33929d ago

How will sony fans top this...or spin this?

BitbyDeath3929d ago

Very brave, let the Kinect hacking commence

JokesOnYou3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

@iamnsuperman, I don't know details but just from reading it, this might help you:

1. YES Every console will be capable of developing games. Standard security features will be in place, then its something you have to sign up for but I'm not sure why this would create alot more piracy since its just a process only to create and submit indie games, not really alot of valuable stuff to steal because YES 99% of it will be a bunch of buggy, boring crap just as you said "like on the store App store"= but hey people were crying about freedom to self publish so here it is wide open. That said Whitten said there is of course going to be a certification process for obvious things like mature content and IP infringement, plus he mentioned "top listings" and "discoverability" so that tells me it will have its own area.

2. "Whitten only shared the basics with us today. He says that it will be a simple process of visiting a website to sign up as a developer to set up your console as a devkit."

-Of course there will be some associated fees indies don't get free dev kits and tools today, self publishing or not, why would they or us get them free now? They have Project Spark for free but this is separate game creation from the ground up, no training wheels. Also what does that have to do with the always on thing they used to have?

3. Whitten said "You'll be able to download the devkit and edit source code on your PC to transfer over to the Xbox One".

-Why announce this if its just Project Spark, they sound similar but I'm sure its a seperate platform because with Spark you are confined to making any game with spark assets, yeah with spark you can make any game but the charachters, the environments, the actions will all have a spark feel to them, that would hardly appease current indie devs who want to self publish and make totally unique looking games that are not based on sparks design.

Delive3929d ago

Great news. Question though. Are there any additional fees?

showtimefolks3929d ago

Pisque

see how you got 55 disagrees for stating a fact, MS can not be trusted till they deliver

go ahead disagree

it was that long ago they had all sort of DRM policies and were targeting casuals now a lot of sudden they care about the core gamers again? They want us the core gamers to buy their system at highest price point but not many casuals will buy a gaming box to connect their cable box into

right now they need us but 3-4 years from now they will forget about us just like they did for xbox360

tuglu_pati3929d ago

@WrAiTh Sp3cTr3

"How will sony fans top this...or spin this?"

simple, "MS sucks this wont be available at launch".

wait for it.

Saigon3929d ago

This is great news for all indie devs and wannabe devs. 150$ a year is not that bad to access developer tools on the console. My only question is how will they limit the junk that is created?

Also though this is good news i notice a lot of individuals talking about how either MS or Sony does something good or bad certain individuals respond with their odd remarks. i look at it like this, from a gamer perspective I feel that Nintendo is always judged as childish, when they do something wrong its like its Nintendo; when they do something right its like its Nintendo. If they do something right or wrong its always the same remark. However with Sony and MS its completely different. when MS does something wrong, I see comments like greedy tards, that's what they get, oh M$, don't worry they will fix it, oh its not that bad, you need to look at the bright side of this decision, etc. When MS does something right its all praise regardless the implication. With Sony man when they do something wrong, its like the end of the world along with massive hate from every which end; grant it they do get some spin but not as much as MS. When Sony does something right, to some it looked at as positive to gaming to others, oh...its not that big of a deal. Some say its always mediocre and then massive hate for the positive news.

No Fanboy bs but this is something I see across the internet. From my perspective MS has done nothing but copy, steal, pay, and act like they came up with the idea. They do this all the time and gamers overlook this fact. the biggest example is the Kinect and the PSeye. Sony has had the tech for years and no one cared to even notice it, but as soon as MS applies the same tech its the best thing ever. this is starting to happen with the cloud service they announced. MS has all these claims of what it can do, but yet there are no proofs it can occur and some gamers have already started defending this claim, heavily. The sad part is that most devs for one stopped talking about the addition of the cloud functions and MS also posted something yesterday that did not state anything on the capabilities. But all I saw was MS getting a pass. No one said anything about the cloud service that was suppose to be on N4G to challenge the speculations. Sony doesn't get a pass either but i see most of the hate, flip-flopping, and defense force from the MS camp. Why can't we just get along as gamers and praise the success for each console.

I just hope at GamesCom all companies come prepared and the hate for each system get diminished, which I know will never happen.

slampunk3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

@saigon

Are we on the same site? MS get hate for everything on N4G, even the good things they do.....i agree that MS should've got some stick for some of their initial messaging and policies with XB1....

But on the other hand should MS get some credit for trying to push forward more than Sony? IMO yes...

And as for MS copying sony? Sony have mirrored MS launch philosophy from this gen with the PS4..... developer friendly console, better controller design, headset with every PS4, x game and party chat, paid online service and look at the next OS sony is using.....if you put Xbox content in there i would think it was the XB1 OS.....etc......

Sony i feel have borrowed more from MS than the other way around in the leadup to next gen....is that a problem.....no not at all....

If MS implement something similar to what MS have is that a problem....no IMO

I'm getting both next gen systems so no FB here. Both companies have and will continue to implement similar features.....this only leads to better features on both consoles....

hazardman3929d ago

Man all i gotta say is that its gonna be a cool feature for those who like making games. I cant wait ! Not to make games but to see what other gamers (non professional developer)can come up with. Def. a cool promising feature. I wish MS had come out with all this from the get.

Also waiting on them to tell us that the family share is back.

JokesOnYou3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

Saigon I see what you're saying I really do but I feel more like its the other way around with sony getting more of a free pass than micro and its unquestionable that micro gets hated on more than sony and Nintendo combined x 4. I won't bother to go into long winded examples to keep this short but how do two rational people end up with two different point of views I think because there's two sides to every coin and we(humans) conveniently only see what we want to see with our bias, for example just reading your comment this stood out to me:

"From my perspective MS has done nothing but copy, steal, pay, and act like they came up with the idea. They do this all the time and gamers overlook this fact. the biggest example is the Kinect and the PSeye. Sony has had the tech for years and no one cared to even notice it, but as soon as MS applies the same tech its the best thing ever."

-To be blunt what I see right there is tunnel vision, "copy, steal, pay" come on seriously again I'm not going to bother with the tit for tat for each of those suffice it to say that strikes on the side of fanboyish talk but lets examine your emphasis on Kinect because there's a BIG difference between having (similar) tech and what you actually do with it. Even sony admits they haven't done enough with ps eye/move, and with them publicly saying its suited for the casual market obviously they are not putting much support behind it. Its sort of like the Wright Brothers being well known for the pioneers of flight, NO they are not the first to fly, but they hold this reputation because they are ONE of the early ones who committed to MAKING IT WORK, making it practical, which lead to what the industry is today, don't get crazy on me, I'm not saying Kinect is in anyway close to what they did, my analogy just suggests that, some guy in his garage that drew a picture, made prototypes, tinkered with projects in his backyard, and made headlines but never followed through by making it accessible, commercial, worthwhile for the public, doesn't get to stand on the stage just because he was one of the early ones with an "idea". Sure there were cameras before, and actually Nintendo with the wii was more inspiration/responsible for micro/Kinect because it was only their COMMITTMENT TO MOTION CONTROL AND EARLY SUCCESS that pushed Microsoft and sony to come up with something better. Again, micro committed to Kinect from the start, sony just wanted a comparable product, further micro has made it a part of their entire brand/functionality of the system, and at least trying to establish it as a viable gaming device for ALL gamers, sony now with the ps4 just gives you an optional add on experience(there is nothing wrong with that). I'm not declaring which is better as that is based on preference but even you should be able to understand why they are looking at both devices differently.

hazardman3929d ago

@ Abizzle and iamsuperman

Are you guys MS supporters or trolling? I mean you guys act like MS cant pull it off. I remember them having the XNA program for indie devs. So im pretty sure they can get this going.

gaffyh3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

This announcement reminds me of the following line in Enemy of the State:

"You're either incredibly smart or incredibly stupid."

It should mean more games, and technically everyone could be a developer. However, this IS going to be hacked, and potentially could be hacked without the need for any third party hardware. A custom firmware flash could unlock an Xbone into a console that allows you to play debug code, which essentially would mean you can play copied games.

Hackers are going to be really happy with this feature, it will make their lives sooo much easier.

With that said, who says competition isn't a good thing? Microsoft is feeling pressured and it's working out better and better for the gamers.

miyamoto3929d ago (Edited 3928d ago )

LOL!
Whoa! Look at em go!
They actually believe this flip flopping and copying?

Another reversal from Xposed 180

When will M$ ever make its OWN mind?

Makes me wonder who are they ripping off Sony PS4's right off the bat Independent developer self publishing initiative or Nintendo Wii U SDK given away for free?

LOL!
What a joke this is turning out to be.
No amount of damage control can undo your dick move.

Catch up if you can M$.

PS:
Oh well let them just get as many Xposed 180 cable box they rightfully deserve. I am stopping no one.

Let them have fun developing AAAA games for their Skynect box.
They deserve it.

NegativeCreepWA3928d ago

miyamoto, Ms has been saying for months that they'll release their plans for indie games later on, do you think the idea to making every console a dev unit just appeared in the last month?

This is obviously something that's been in the works long before they announced XNA wouldn't be coming back next gen.

badz1493928d ago

@tuglu

it's true that this feature will not be available at launch!

nukeitall3928d ago

This really shows how mis-informed the journalists are and how far back the industry really is.

MS has been doing this since XNA- For $100 anyone and their mother could developer a game on Xbox 360 and self-publish it.

This is just an extension of that. Journalists now write a blog telling the world that so the industry can be updated.

moparful993928d ago

@Jokes
"indies don't get free dev kits and tools today, self publishing or not, why would they or us get them free now?"

False. Sony actually lends out dev kits to indie developers at no cost for a year.. So most indies can take their time developing on the pc, borrow a dev kit from Sony, and publish said game right on PSN.. Sony even offers free help, they run promotions and advertising for indie games as well..
http://www.polygon.com/2013...

awi59513928d ago

@Septic

No its not atari and Ouya consoles did it first you can use the consoles to develop your own games.

nveenio3928d ago

This is a great feature, and might just entice me to pick up a One after all. The only fear I have is that opening up the console as a dev kit to everyone might just enable piracy since always on is no longer an issue.

DonFreezer3928d ago

If I hear again about the 2005-2009 era I'm going to explode.This site has been the epitome of pro-Sony from the moderators to the masses who comment on here and cry to their lives.Name one source that says that every ps4 can be used as devkit or shut your freaking mouth delusional ps fanboys.

3928d ago
indysurfn3928d ago

See! The masses DO forget in 6 months. Remember the PS2? Yeah it announced the same thing. Remember the xbox(original), yep. Remember the xbox360 development kits for starters? The devil is in the detail. How much will it cost? No really, it may be free to make the game(as if that is special). How much to get it to market place, and tested by Microsoft, or a approved testing company? What you going to do when they ask you how many people tested your game. Have you tested it on a server. And a million quality questions that require multiple independent individuals? What security measures you have in place? Do you have a Kinect version of the game. Who reviewed your game for sexual content, sensitive issues. Do you think all those Indie devs that complained about hoops, and red-tape where just kidding? You think they are going to treat you better than several Indie developers making a game? If so why would you do business with a company like that?

This is just a PR stunk because they know the masses forget, which is why they brought up the CLOUD as if it was a new gen concept.

kupomogli3928d ago (Edited 3928d ago )

@Septic

Hats off to Microsoft for doing something they should have done in the beginning?

Let's praise a company that tries to take away our ownership rights, which forces indie devs to have a publisher, etc. But hey. After all the backlash, let's praise them and say they're better than the competitors because they've changed all this stuff.

They shouldn't have taken as long as they did to announce all these changes. There was constant backlash towards the company and the first 180 took over a month.

Xbox 180 is right though. With all the reversing of their policies they've been doing, the name fits perfect with the console.

jimbobwahey3928d ago

It's funny seeing how many people are being blinded by Microsoft's PR machine, and now think that they'll be able to download a free update for their Xbox One to turn it into a dev kit and start making games.

Here's a hint: that's not going to happen. For a start, you'll need your own tools to develop games on a PC (that's running Windows 8). All Microsoft are doing is releasing a small update enabling developers to test their software on a retail Xbox One console (once you sign up and pay a yearly fee for the privilege).

Anybody who seriously buys an Xbox One at launch thinking they can use it to make games is a fool, and you're buying into Microsoft's PR machine which is never a wise thing to do.

+ Show (33) more repliesLast reply 3928d ago
AngelicIceDiamond3929d ago

"Our vision is that every person can be a creator. 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."

Now that's whassup MS.

Gazondaily3929d ago

Respect to MS in doing this. This is such a big announcement. Self-publishing is a bit of a double-edged sword in terms of the quality of apps/games we'll see but I think its the right step forward.

But every X1 as a devkit....that is just megaton.

rainslacker3928d ago (Edited 3928d ago )

This has piqued my interest in the system from not really liking MS at all to at least ready to hear what they have planned. Doing game contract work for indie stuff, I love to play around with these kinds of things, and if they allow full(or at least a subset) of the dev kit software for it then I'd be hard pressed to not get the console sooner rather than later. Even if it is a subset of the devkit, all but the most talented individuals would be hard pressed to use all the X1 hardware to it's fullest on their own, so it's probably a wash.

I still don't care for MS much right now, and don't trust them much, but this is a pretty good move on their part. Hopefully it's not some stunted lame implementation. This is one thing I hope that competition forces Sony(or even Nintendo) to implement their own version as well. PSMobile is cool for Vita, but pretty restrictive on the use of hardware, some more dev kit like would be very warmly welcomed in my house from any of the big 3.:)

unicron73928d ago

Thing is, they keep changing their "vision" every five minutes. Wonder what their vision will be a couple months from now? I guess we'll have to watch what Sony does and MS's responses.

Gildarts3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

man they should have one-upped sony with this at E3!

Every X1 can be converted into a dev-kit AND Selfpublishing?

HOLY CRAP!

Looks like X1 will be a paradise for indie devs. I mean come-on, a $500 dev-kit? that is so sick. And it comes with Kinect, I can already imagine the awesome stuff some of the indie devs can come up with for Kinect.

As an aspiring Game-developer this is very exciting for me.

Neoninja3929d ago

I agree with you. I hope people take advantage of this.

Godmars2903929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

"man they should have one-upped sony with this at E3!"

They would have needed a plan at E3 to do that.

Obviously its what Project Sparks is there for though.

Edit:
Do have to wonder if this will turn into MS's "Other OS". Something which will only become a backdoor for piracy.

bicfitness3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

They never said it was a "dev-unit" they said it "can be used for development". PR speak needs to be combed through for understanding. I've heard that these are debug units, meaning you still need a PC and development environment, but that you can test on the X1. Probably need Windows 8 too, I would imagine, so that you have committed to their ecosystem.

Great initiative, but let's wait for all the details.

EDIT: NOT available at launch. Aiming for a "1st year window".

Bigpappy3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

This is a new development, not something M$ had intended from the start. The software to enable development will not be free, but it will still encourage more people to just download the software rather than having to go through the process of trying to acquire a full kit.
If you stand to make money, this along with self publishing is very, very attractive to upstarts.

Edit: I am sure M$ will have an anti-piracy plan in place. The fact that they even confirmed this means that has already been considered.

sourav933929d ago

This is all good and dandy. But making every Xbox One a devkit...hmm, I don't know. Feel like it opens a big door for piracy. Lets hope they'll have ways to stop this from happening.

rainslacker3928d ago

It's a cool initiative, and I give them props, and will give them more if it's a robust package. However don't expect full dev-kit compliance. Dev kits have extra hardware to allow for things that the regular system can't do, mostly debugging, which will likely still have to be done through a PC interface of some sort. It is extremely unlikely that you will be getting the full dev-kit tools and full developer access to the hardware and tools used for making games on the system. However, for an individual, or even a small group of individuals, the need to get that close to hardware isn't as important, since very few individuals could utilize it to good effect.

I'm imagining something like PSMobile, or XNA, but hopefully more than just a runtime environment. I'm certainly ready to hear more though, and may mean I get an X1 a lot sooner than I had planned.

Machiavellian3928d ago

I am guessing that MS want to trickle info going up to release which is much better than spilling your load to early. With positive talk going to release, it will make people think about getting the X1 at the time you want them to which is when the console release.

moparful993928d ago

Its all well and good they are doing this but it costs more then just paying for the system.. There is publishing fees associated with it and they wont advertise on your behalf..
Sony has allowed self publishing on the PS3 for 5 years now and according to this article...
http://www.polygon.com/2013...
They even lend out dev kits at no cost for a year. Whats more they offer support, advertising, and even run promotions just for indie games.. Sony is killing it on the indie front and Microsoft is kind of playing catch up.. But at least they are making an effort..

jimbobwahey3928d ago

bicfitness is correct, it's just debug functionality. Tragic to see so many people in this comment section thinking Xbox One's will turn into development kits that they can make games with. Still, kudos to Microsoft PR, they know how to spin things and con people like the best of 'em. Bravo.

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 3928d ago
Anon19743929d ago

This is great news for developers! No question about it.

GameCents3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

That's it? No backhanded criticism disguised as a compliment? Who are you and what did you do to my friend Darkride?

Kanzes3929d ago

If Indie devs can access the Kinect and clouds too, it would be awesome! There will be a lot of Kinect apps... for me, I'm waiting Surgeon Simulator released for Kinect soon

Anon19743928d ago

Give credit where credit is due. :) There's always going to be room for improvement, but this is a huge step in the right direction as far as I'm concerned.

PSVita3929d ago

This is great news but its suspicious that they wouldn't have mentioned this at the announcement or at E3.

whoyouwit043929d ago

nothing suspicious at all they were obviously saving this for Gamescon or TGS.

PSVita3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

^I disagree. Trust me there's something fishy about this that they aren't telling us yet. It's going to COST I'm calling it.

ExCest3929d ago

@PSVita

Of course it's going to cost money. Probably a licensing fee as you're going to need root access and full hardware/software access to be able to make a game with your x1 as the station.

Still, this is pretty cool and even after the possible fee(s), it'll most likely still cost less and be easier than getting a devkit from MS.

PSVita3929d ago

@excest- I agree with you. There needs to be more info. Nonetheless great move from MS.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3929d ago
bicfitness3929d ago

I'm pretty sure you can use them as "debug" units - to test PC code. Not DEVELOPMENT units. At least that's what the fine print over at Neogaf reads. Still pretty cool initiative. How much of the Hypervisor access and GPU resources you get access to are another matter entirely. I expect this will be a PSM style (or WIN RT) environment.

MicDude3929d ago

Isn't debugging part of the development process? But I understand what you are trying to say. I guess we will have to wait for more news.

hazardman3929d ago

I commend you for trying man! Go ahead with that nonsense!!!

PSVita3929d ago

I can't developer a level in LBP lol so doesn't mean much to me honestly BUT if you could make apps that'd be revolutionary. Especially with kinect.

theWB273929d ago

So I'm not the only one. I tried for hours and hours to create a level and nothing. It was infuriating to see a level in my head and not translate to onscreen. -_-

StoneyYoshi3929d ago

You guys really think they are just going to give this to us?? You guys know how much a devkit can cost?? I don't know how much the XB1 or PS4 are but the OUYA costs 800 bucks. Imagine how much M$ is going to charge...

And it says devkit FUNCTIONALITY. Meaning it will work with the devkit that you pay out the arse for.

PSVita3929d ago

Well it's for indie games but there might be a charge to use it too.

StoneyYoshi3928d ago

No you still have to pay for the devkit if you are a indie developer. its the self publishing that you are talking about.

FamilyGuy3929d ago

This is huge news, I wonder how they'll limit the shovelware though. Pretty crazy announcement.

Finally some note worthy positive news coming about the X1. Ugh, my friends that are 360/X1 fans are gonna so rub my face in it about this though -_- lol

greenlantern28143929d ago

I am not going to say anything until more of the information is available, but i do have to question the fact that xbox1 much like ps4 dev kits coast developers thousands of dollars. So wouldn't this be kind of a slap in the face to the devs who already paid them.

2v13929d ago

But not at launch. Microsoft's Marc Whitten just told us that devkit functionality will be added at a later date."

SilentNegotiator3928d ago

How did Xbox One go from indie-repellent to indie no-brainer without even launching?

moparful993928d ago

Ehh I wouldn't say that.. The indie environment is still better with Sony.. I can link you to proof if you want..

http://www.polygon.com/2013...

MazzingerZ3928d ago

like the guy in Heavenly Sword would say...I smell something fishyyyyy haha

Release the update first so this becomes fact...lots of magic stuff that updates will do all of the sudden

3928d ago
DiRtY3928d ago

Even N4G can't spin this into something negative. Even though some are already trying...

Veneno3928d ago

This sounds great, but too good to be true. You would obviously need a pc to do this. And if this is what we all hope it to be, then why wasn't it shown at E3?

This is a huge advantage over PS4. In all the xbone negativity, why hold back a feature that you could wave over the face of Sony?

If you ask me , this is just another mess up and a golden opportunity missed by Microsoft to propel the xbox One. This may be their one ticket out of the dumpster and they are letting it drown in all of their negativity.

Cuzzo633928d ago (Edited 3928d ago )

Ashame how all you guys get excited about something most of you all wont use. To the devs yea I can see it as a good thing. But all the hoopla over something the average gamer wont use? I dont know, of its gonna sell more Xb1 globally then okay... Lol. Oh. Awsome news lol. Anything they say and the crowd goes wild. Smh. Come on man. Its Microsoft! I woulda just been happy with playing TitanFall on my sister Xb1. Dont rhink the average gamer would be excited about this... But the average fanboy... Look at all the comments. Before a sony fanboy came in the xbox fannies were already in defense mode.

Anyway. I say its a good thing. All the bs they brung to the table is being corrected. Good for the true fans and Devs

Cuzzo633928d ago

Instead of the stealth disagrees, tell me where im wrong... And they say N4G is full of Sony Fanboys. Fooled me lol

avengers19783928d ago

MS saying there going to do something is different from MS actually doing something.
I'd wait till they actually roll it out and make it available, before getting to excited. But if true it could be a cool feature and actually might turn a normal gamer into a well known indie dev.

N4g_null3928d ago

This is big. I really was going to hold off on getting one but we dont have our own dev kit so I might just get one just to test the waters and not have to sign all that damn paperwork.

working on the xbox without the ms over lords is priceless!

Pain3928d ago

Id see how this was "Big News" if MS would has announced it from the start but they didn't .. so its just a 180 feature patch job added last minute to be more so like Sony.

2c

LogicStomper3928d ago

2/10, futile attempt spinning into a negative.

The title of the article is:

"Microsoft: Every Xbox One Can Be Used To Develop Games"

and not

"Microsoft: Is Releasing Good News After Big Events a Good Thing?"

Pain3928d ago

no attempt at anything its a no brainer its a change in policy to compete..

spin spin spin fall over and puke...

3928d ago
3-4-53928d ago

Great idea..... on paper.

Let's see how it plays out. This could be huge for indie games on XB1.

MechaGear3928d ago (Edited 3928d ago )

Well, if you're a good coder, then why aren't you working on a game right now? There are plenty of opportunities as we type here. And if you're not, do you really believe you can create a game with an xbox one controller??

+ Show (22) more repliesLast reply 3928d ago
MariaHelFutura3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

This is great news for those buying the Xbox One.

darthv723929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

shouldnt you be following up that comment with your usual PS4 remark?

It seems incomplete without that caption.

NegativeCreepWA3929d ago

Wow, I can't believe I just read that! What, no negative spin?

MariaHelFutura3929d ago

I generally don't dislike gamers or developers, I dislike Microsoft.

Cherchez La Ghost3929d ago

Maria with a positive X1 comment?!!! I'm must be dreaming!!!! LoL!! No offense, Maria!

3929d ago
JokesOnYou3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

Wow, no sarcasm? Maria is that you?
OK credit where credit is due, nice comment.

btw, Thank sony because its the competition that pushed microsoft to do this.

GameCents3929d ago

First Darkride and now you too?
Am I being punk'd? Or did I wake up in the twilight zone?

Kanzes3928d ago

This is the alternate universe

"There's always Maria, N4G, and PlayStation."

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 3928d ago
cl19833929d ago

So 500.00 for a dev kit isn't such a bad price.

Muerte24943929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

I guess even Microsoft like the direction Sony is taking with the Indie community. But You know Microsoft's method going to have to seriously try to combat hacking and piracy.

Edit: "After the purchase of a $150 Xbox One development kit, automatically set to renew annually."

Let's hope everyone will be able to get their game up and running within the first 2-3 years.

Gildarts3929d ago

It looks like you have to go through some kind of process first. Probably to prevent piracy.

If we had the 24hour check, that wouldn't have been a problem in the first place.

Yes I am one of those who supported Microsoft's first vision of the X1.

n4rc3929d ago

Me too.. This is still awesome news tho..

Less and less for the haters every day

N4g_null3928d ago (Edited 3928d ago )

No worries half my tools are on the cloud yay! Hope sony follows suit but who doesnt have a ps4 dev kit these days?

First dev and publisher to get mod support wins.... no game hardwareetc can compete against a good mod ccommunity!

Minato-Namikaze3929d ago

Its good if its implemented correctly. But if this is truely the case why would devs need actual 5k devs kits (or how ever much they cost) definitely need to read the fine print. But it sounds really cool in theory.

gamertk4213929d ago

Probably for those wanting their hands on a devkit prior to launch.

rainslacker3928d ago

If I had to guess it'll be some sort of development environment similar to XNA or PSMobile. Both are runtime environments, and don't allow the same level of access to the actual hardware that an actual development unit would provide, although at a much higher price.

It's not a bad thing i describe. But it is obvious that many people don't understand the difference in application. What I describe is still a pretty big positive. If by chance they give you full, or mostly full dev kit functionality though, I will be floored and give them huge praise for what they are doing. For now I'll just wait and see what they have to offer, and say "good move MS".

mark134uk3929d ago

your forgetting the $300 dev liciance once a year

you dont think ms will let you do something for free do you?

dont forget to opt in to give feedback to nsa,i meen ms via kinect ;)

ape0073929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

hmmmmm Mod support?

FanboyCrusher3929d ago

Wouldn't that be fantastic for games like Fallout? If Microsoft pulled that off that would be one big feather on their cap.

ape0073929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

yeah, also 3 lovely words that go so well with modding

Grand Theft Auto

AngelicIceDiamond3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

@Ape I Think your on to something. http://www.dualshockers.com...

Cherchez La Ghost3929d ago

If they give mod support for games like PC's?!! Its over!! That's the one thing I wish either Sony or MS would do.

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iconic563929d ago

This is really interesting... but sadly the first thought that came to my mind is whether or not this makes it easier for people to "hack" the console?

iamnsuperman3929d ago

Which makes me think you have to sign into a developers account of sorts for it to work (that will cost money to do that). There is no way Microsoft would open the floodgates without safeguards in place

BISHOP-BRASIL3929d ago

It depends on how it's done... For instance, if this means anything to do with Project Spark, basically a create you own game "game" (actually it would need to be a capable enough development tool, more in the lines of Mugen or RPGMaker than Little Big Planet, Minecraft or Mod Nation Racers, but not really development stuff as you won't get to mess with the engine assets and what not) I assume the risk is pretty low. If it is full development kits like pro devs have, than it may be a problem.

I'm leaning to believe this is more about a Project Spark kind of initiatives than full dev kit on every Xbox One, exactly because of how vulnerable to hacking and piracy it would make the system. But to which extent this would actually be self publishing or just PR talk heavily depends on the possibility of making money through the system (i.e. can indies sell their games like that?).

Anyway, as it's said in the article, that's their vision but they'll only be announcing more on Gamescom, so we have no option but to wait and see what exactly they mean for self publishing and dev kit in every unit.

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260°

Microsoft’s Surface and Xbox hardware revenues take a big hit in Q3

Microsoft just posted the third quarter of its 2024 fiscal financial results. The software maker made $61.9 billion in revenue and a net income of $21.9 billion during Q3. Revenue is up 17 percent, and net income has increased by 20 percent.

Read Full Story >>
theverge.com
darthv7223h ago

Xbox content + services up 62% while hardware down 31%... seems about right with the way they tout you don't need the hardware to play. People can play on their phones or smart tv or other means. I don't hardly play on my consoles directly since getting devices like the logitech g-cloud and ps portal. Which is to also say I have been playing more digital than physical because of these devices.

solideagle10h ago

you should apply in MS PR team buddy, I think you will do a great job in my humble opinion :)

Sonic18817h ago

I thought darthv72 and Obscure_Observer already work for Microsoft 🤔

dveio7h ago

MS: "Xbox services and content without AB up 1%, with AB up 62%. Hardware down 31%. In total a loss of 350 mill."

darthv72: "Seems about right."

MS: "Excuse m ..."

darthv72: "I don't hardly play on my consoles directly."

MS:

Lightning772h ago

What he said was facts. How he plays games is no concern of you. Don't get too mad about it.

Cacabunga9h ago

I can tell people like you are an absolute minority..

If service is up means their fans and fanboys accepted this model and subscribed to it. The near future you will see a big decline because the service is saturated.

shinoff21838h ago

But that's been ms for years. When things aren't going their way they try to change the way things are said. For instance console sales are down, they stop telling how many sold instead telling us how many hours spent in halo or headshots. So it makes sense console sales down just say people are playing on more devices then previous. What they won't say is how many xbox players jumped ship to ps5.

Cacabunga7h ago

Hardware sales are so bad that Sony and Nintendo are blowing the sales off the water with their hardware.

If Xbox are losers, others aren’t..
Xbox already tried everything with Xbox live then subscriptions went down so much that they had to find something else. Their fans subscribed then reached saturation rather quickly.

Hardware and exclusive games is where it’s at! Keep gamers excited, announce decent software and people will support you

itsmebryan3h ago

@shin
Well keep it simple Sony 's operating income is down 26% and Microsoft's is up 32%. No MS spin there, just facts. 😉
Cheers

romulus232h ago

Odd that a company that touts you dont need the hardware to play is already touting another console in the works.

darthv722h ago

They are not reliant on the HW but still want to maintain a presence (no matter how small) is a good thing. It shows commitment to the craft. It reminds me of SNK and how they made games for their own hardware (Neo Geo) while also making them for others because they knew there was a market to do so. They knew they would sell more to others but also sell to their own niche fan base.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 2h ago
purple10112h ago

Xbox hardware revenue tanks to lowest point of Xbox Series generation

Profchaos12h ago

I'm not surprised surface is struggling they aren't relevant anymore

DOMination-1h ago

In the last two years they've started exiting the consumer market altogether. All of the newest Surface products are business models only. They can't seem to work out what they want to do with it.

XBManiac11h ago

Too expensive hardware when others offer the same or more for less? Good work, Green Team.

SimpleDad11h ago(Edited 11h ago)

"Despite some early successes for Xbox games on rival platforms, Xbox hardware is down by a massive 31 percent this quarter."
"Without Activision Blizzard, Microsoft’s overall gaming revenue would have actually declined this quarter."
"Xbox content and services would have only been up a single percent without Activision Blizzard..."
"It looks like next quarter is going to be a similar story for gaming at Microsoft, too."

That is crazy... so A/B/K is carrying the whole Xbox gaming.
Oh and Microsoft will be fine. Windows, Office and Cloud are growing with each pc purchase.

purple10110h ago

Activision: "we gonna need a bigger rucksack/backpack please"

Microsoft: "why's that"

Activision: "to carry yo' weak ass'

Profchaos10h ago(Edited 10h ago)

Top brass have also wanted to start seeing returns on the 100 billion they have put into various Xbox related moves so seeing more multiplatform games is highly likely especially from abk

It's basically saying that PlayStation is the reason Xbox is afloat right now thinks to Ps5 versions of COD

Kornholic8h ago

So basically PS and PC gamers' money is keeping Xbox on life support.

MrDead2h ago

The only growth MS will get out of the console industry is if it supports it's rivals platforms. Xbox is a pointless machine now. I can see them on a big push for live next, and they won't give up on trying to buy Steam.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2h ago
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300°

Microsoft Seemingly Closes Bethesda France

As part of its plans to cut 1,900 jobs, Microsoft has reportedly shut down operations at Bethesda France, letting go roughly 15 people

Read Full Story >>
insider-gaming.com
Hereandthere1d 19h ago

Microsoft should have left them stay 3rd party

GamerRN1d 17h ago

If they are let go, they can be whatever they want. They ARE 3rd party now... 🤦

Barlos1d 14h ago

Yeah, they're also jobless.

GamerRN1d 7h ago

They can form a company if they want, they are just as jobless as if "Microsoft had left them as 3rd party".

peppeaccardo1d 9h ago

"MIcrosoft leaves Bethesda do what they know how to do best" ... close! Oh the irony ....
(Citation from a week old article)

ChasterMies1d 5h ago

I think Microsoft and other game publishers are letting people go because they think ai will replace them. Doesn’t matter how much profit they make. They were always going to be let go.

PassNextquestion1d 19h ago (Edited 1d 19h ago )

Bethesda France was made up of roughly 15 people... they couldn't of being doing much

Bethesda France mainly did publishing and marketing within the region

blacktiger1d 17h ago

that's a shame for you to say that, i'm sure Elite loves hearing what you just said.

Mr Logic1d 3h ago

What a stupid thing to say. The elites give 0 fucks what we say on an obscure website in the comments section.

Crows901d 2h ago

You can always reach out and give them jobs at your company man. Don't wait

Profchaos1d 19h ago (Edited 1d 19h ago )

Bethesda France focused on publishing and marketing in the region. And 15 people lost their jobs as part of the closure.

I wonder if this is part of Microsoft's strategy to abandoned physical media or possibly gamepass advertising makes their roles redundant you don't need to market a game as hard when the majority of players get the game as part of a sub which already promoted upcoming games

Tacoboto1d 19h ago

It's France too, there's a high likelihood only 1-2 people on the team even had an Xbox.

Profchaos1d 18h ago

Possibly guven all the leaks we know the Xbox brand is really struggling in the region.

Yi-Long1d 15h ago

Well, if your consoles and games are barely found in any stores any more, of course you're gonna struggle finding consumers ...

XiNatsuDragnel1d 18h ago

Tbh Microsoft I think Bethesda being 3rd party same with Activision would probably more competitive than thus scenario imo

Profchaos1d 16h ago (Edited 1d 16h ago )

I think it would have been better for all parties really especially gamers

TheColbertinator1d 17h ago

The recently purchased Activision French offices might take over all the licensing and marketing for Microsoft in France from now on.

Show all comments (21)
280°

Xbox's Preservation Step Sets A Much-Needed Example, Especially For Nintendo

Hanzla from eXputer inquires: "If Xbox can care about preserving its games and legacy, what exactly is wrong with Nintendo, trying to kill game preservation single-handedly?"

purple10112d ago

Ahh yes the good old game preservation of saving all your games to a removable hhd on the Xbox 360, taking it round your mates house, setting up multiple tvs to
Be met with “save data corrupted, please re download”

Or how about removing 360 games
From the store
, download them now or else, and, better hope to god that save data doesn’t corrupt, or it’s lost for ever

Nice one ☝️

Zeref12d ago

It's better than what Nintendo and Playstation is doing. It might not be perfect but at least they are TRYING. Unlike the others.

DarXyde12d ago

Trying? Take off the blinders for a moment, mate.

1. A failure to preserve games is just that: a failure to preserve games. Don't try to sugarcoat it: NO ONE is doing it properly. Better than awful is nothing to write home about.

2. At the time of this comment, isn't it the case that you need an internet connection to play Xbox games even if you buy physical discs that are hardly in circulation anymore? I don't have a Series X and I can't verify, but I think that is correct. I'm fairly certain you can at least play PS5 games at version 1.0 (not much of a win really when many games require day one patches). I think Microsoft's all digital, licensing approach is by far more aggressive than anyone else's. They really try to push you to game pass where you lose your entire library by umm.... Skipping a month of payments.

I don't think anyone is doing it right whatsoever. Don't get me started on Nintendo, who goes after anyone looking to preserve their games better than they ever would with extreme litigation.

Don't be a simp for any of these companies. Get it together.

PhillyDonJawn12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

@DarX never speak on Xbox again. You lost all credibility with your internet connection comment. Smh you have 0 clue and misinformed yet speaking on something you don't no squat about.

Einhander197212d ago

What has Sony done exactly? You guys keep deflecting to Sony but I am not actually seeing any results, and ai am certain nothing that you can come up with even comes close to what Microsoft has done and what they have tried and failed to do, like tie all your disks to your account on xbone.

Microsoft removed their whole indie section when they moved to the xbone because they were going to only allow games on the service that came from a publisher, id@xbox started after xbone launched and it only exists because Sony embraced indie and Microsoft was forced to cancel their plans and reverse course.

And every single game that was part of games for windows live including disk games (I have gta 4 on disk that won't work) so hundreds of games that use that DRM no longer work unless the company themselves patched it out which of course very few did.

MrBaskerville12d ago

Not trying. Tried. they killed of the backcomp program years ago. They set something up again, but sounds like it's more of an attempt to save the current library on whatever they are planning next. With luck they save everything and more, but let's see. I could see them killing off parts of the OG xbox and 360 libraries. Can't imagine that they would allow us to play Forza 5-7 in the future.

With that said, I do like what they've done and really wish they could have done more.

shinoff218311d ago

Zeref

So killing off physical media is trying what exactly. Ms don't really give a fk if you think they do your kidding yourself.

Profchaos11d ago

They are not trying this team is established for forward compatability the team is. It interested in preserving Xbox or 360 games.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 11d ago
isarai12d ago

Is that why Hellblade 2 is digital only?

Zeref12d ago

Just because it's digital only doesn't mean you can't preserve it. Just put it on an external and you have the exact same functionality of what a disc does.

MrNinosan12d ago

Guess you're trolling, but if you actually think that's how it works, I'd recommend buying some braincells.

mkis00711d ago (Edited 11d ago )

Volitile vs nonvolitile data. A disc will not corrupt either. A drive can be corrupted.

Einhander197212d ago

This is just a scammy PR move to distract from the fact they are going digital only and trying to push streaming and subscriptions only.

No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft.

Without discs there is no preservation, preservation can't be done by the rights holders it can only be done by the consumers, anything else is a lie.

12d ago Replies(3)
Einhander197212d ago

Anyone remember xblig which Microsoft removed their whole 360 indie section removing hundreds of games from people?

12d ago
12d ago
Zeref12d ago

Do you know you can put your games on an external and preserve them that way? There are no benefits to discs. ZERO. Idk why some of you are still obsessed with them.

DarXyde12d ago

Because games like Persona 5 exist. It's STILL V1.00. On Playstation, that's a win because 1.00 is installed on the disc—no need to download anything.

If a game does not require any updates, it's all on the disc.

Extremely low bar in the modern era, of course. It's not much of a win by any stretch.

But for now, physical media does have a purpose, at least on Playstation.

Einhander197212d ago

That is factually not how game licensing works, try plugging your hard drive into someone else xbox, It's not going to work, and it won't work if the licensing servers ever go down.

Einhander197212d ago

Anyone remember games for windows live.

I have around a dozen games, some on Steam itself that will not work because Microsoft shut off the licensing servers.

BehindTheRows12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

I do. I STILL have games (Gears of War being the big one) I cannot access because Games for Windows LIVE is total garbage and no one has held Microsoft accountable.

Zeref12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership.

Chevalier12d ago

"You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership."

Damn how many times do people got to explain your idiocy to you? You can take a copy of Persona 5 like someone used as an example and play that game on ANY console WITHOUT logging in which means I can lend the game to a friend without internet and they can play my game. Can you lend your hard drive to anyone without logging in for them to play? NOPE. That is a huge difference and if you think otherwise then sorry you're an idiot.

Tacoboto12d ago

"No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft."

Ubisoft is literally erasing games people bought from their libraries... My PS1-3 discs are useless on modern hardware. Nintendo's re-published and resold almost their entire Wii U library, and the eShop is completely dead with no BC mechanism in the Switch software. Microsoft publishes everything they make today day one on Steam and Xbox/Windows. Sony only brings to PC the titles they think you might want some years later and Nintendo won't even design a functional long-lasting joystick.

You're absolutely trolling and not serious if you think Microsoft today is the worst offender.

shinoff218311d ago

Yay steam

Not everyone fks with computers though. The disc is still the best way as a console player. Period.

Tacoboto11d ago

How do Sony and Nintendo feel about these discs from 2001-2013?

Don't be stupid, you know Xbox is the best at this today.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 11d ago
Hofstaderman12d ago

Nobody wants this. Sales or the lack of it in the case of XBOX is very telling. I wonder how the adorably all digital series X will fare. Adorably dismal perhaps?

crazyCoconuts12d ago

Only time will tell, but for from someone like me suspecting that Xbox is trying to gracefully exit the console market, that "forward compatibility" team is trying to get Xbox games playing on Windows PCs. I mean, it's nice that they're not planning on exiting with a "enjoy your games while the hardware still works" message, so that's nice. They still have a brand to protect via Microsoft so probably feel obligated to have a better exit strategy.

Xeofate12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

That is not their plan, their plan is to transfer users accounts to the cloud.

Phil Spencer himself said as much a few months back, plans could have changed but I think people are reading way too much into one statement where Phil said he would allow Epic on xbox because he wants to be able to sell xbox games directly on other platforms. Aka, instead of selling Sea of Thives through PSN he wants to have an xbox store to sell his games on PlayStation without giving PlayStation any money.

Again, it's extremely unlikely that Phil plans to put PC on xbox and licensing would prevent them from just giving out other publishers games purchased on xbox copies of thier games on PC, Microsoft does not own their games.

crazyCoconuts11d ago

The thing that doesn't align with the cloud strategy is the giving up on exclusives. You'd still need strong exclusives for cloud streaming - it's still a "platform" , just with a lower upfront hardware investment. I feel like they've learned what PS learned with PSNow long ago. We're not ready to stream games and it's only gonna lose them money to try at this point

FinalFantasyFanatic11d ago

I would love that, I'd buy up some of the Xbox games if they could run on PC, like the Rare Replay, Lost Odyssey and Dead or Alive Ultimate, probably a pipe dream though.

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