Curve Studios On Xbox One Self-Publishing: "We Don't Want An Indie Ghetto"

Dealspwn reports: "Stealth Inc: A Clone In The Dark developers Curve Studios are cautiously optimistic about Xbox One's potential for self-publishing, but believes that Microsoft has a lot to prove, and a huge amount of work ahead to regain their standing as an industry leader for console indie games."

[FuzzyPixels]

We should definitely celebrate this as a positive step. But that's all it is currently: a step, not the end goal. More open platforms, more developer choice, these things ultimately benefit us consumers as we, by proxy, are able to reap the benefits of contented creatives and become empowered with a more wide-ranging array of consumer options.

Hopefully.

[Blues Cowboy]

We've also got to see what MS actually announces at Gamescom. I love XBLIG, but its potential was killed off by no real support from MS. If this sort of two-tier system happens again, it's going to hurt Microsoft in the long run.

[Kanzes]

This is just a little tease for the actual announcement at Gamescom

[HolyDuck]

What the heck? It's literally like everyone is after Xbox One.

I couldn't find one article blasting PS4's indie self publishing, and as soon as Xbox One does it, everyone comes out of the woodwork and starts stating it's a bad idea?

[Blues Cowboy]

They're not blasting Xbox One at all - they're saying that it's a great first step but Microsoft needs to go big or not turn up. They describe the idea as "awesome," but are worried about past form.

Hopefully GamesCom is going to knock it out of the park. This is a great idea for everyone.

[christocolus]

well...you are right,but you cant blame fans for being overly defensive and protective..alot of dangerous and hurtful things keep flying around on n4g

[Cmk0121]

yeh i mean sadly this indie devs 90% of them are trash and want to be catered to. MS and sony has done that and yet MS version of it is being crucified...lets be real nobody buys a console for limbo, or thomas was alone. they are bitching way too much after they got what they want IMO. its a positive step for them they should be happy and shut up until its proven to be a negative crappy PR stunt by MS if thats what they are thinking will happen

[Electric-flamingo]

It's just on n4g. Just remember that

[majiebeast]

Nah pretty much every major website including Neogaf nobody trusts microsoft and you cant blame those people.

[Utalkin2me]

You just think it is only on N4G, but boy are we blinded.

[Hicken]

One company has made efforts from the start to accommodate indies. The other has done quite a bit to alienate them in the past few years, and only recently announced something positive in regards to them.

Tell me, if somebody kept doing you wrong, and then said they were doing something nice for you, wouldn't you be a little skeptical?

It's not this "we love Sony and love to hate Microsoft" thing. It's more of a "fool me once, shame on you" kind of thing.

[Insomnia_84]

It's like a relationship with your bf/gf. She/he cheats on you once and the trust is gone forever.

I just don't get how some people still supports them so blindly and every single thing, be it restricctions/DRM or whatever, is good for them.

[ThanatosDMC]

It's Microsoft doing it to themselves. Same thing they did on E3. Everybody just watched MS shoot itself on the foot and stab itself with a rusty knife.

They do not seem to have a solid plan in mind for launch.

[worldwidegaming]

Hey, what the hell! I live in the ghetto!

[GhettoBlasStarr]

Did Somebody say GHETTO??

[NYC_Gamer]

MS needs to make sure that only quality titles get approved to be sold on the market place

[CYCLEGAMER]

I totally agree with this, (even though I am not really an Indie gamer anymore). I understand what MS is doing, but man PLEASE control the garbage games that are put out. I hate having to filter through 100 games b4 I find a decent one.

[devwan]

It's a fine line to walk - you shouldn't stifle creative and original thinking but you also need to know the difference between when that works out and when it doesn't.

So how do you propose they decide that?

[Galletto3]

They should allow the community to test and demo upcoming games. If the community supports and likes them (which indie games already rely on) then they get moved up to the front of the market place.

[DiRtY]

It is time for indie devleopers to be quite once for all.
Let's face it, 98% of indie games are trash. They don't deserve the slightest attention, let alone a pricetag above "free".

Somehow these nerds became so freaking vocal over the past years. It was MS with XBLA that gave them the chance to be on consoles. I loved the split between XBLA and XBLIG. The user knew right from the start where the potential really is. XBLA offered some cool experiences that got the attention they deserved. (State of Decay is awesome, go and buy it now!)

But something like 10 releases over a generation that almost took a decade to end, there is not much the indies brought up that was worth my time. Limbo, Braid, Super Meat Boy, Trials, Castle Crashers, Journey, Minecraft and yeah... that was it. Maybe I forgot one or two titles though.

Suddenly these indie "designers" (not even developers! I am looking at you Jonathan Blow) come up and want to have influence on the hardware design of the console. Who do they think they are? Their best selling games sell somewhere in the 200k - 500k region for $10 and those are celebrated like oh so successful titles. On the other hand retail releases selling 800k for $60 are called out for lackluster sales.

Jonathan Blow made one (in numbers: 1) game. Braid. And that was 5 years ago. Since then he talked so much nonsense about stuff he has no clue about. And that is just one example.

Look Phil Fish (The FEZ-guy) saying "your games suck" to Japanese developers. This guy is just embarrissing.

And those guys want to have an influence for a hardware that costs Sony and MS BILLIONS in R&D? They are living in an ecosystem Microsoft and Sony created ffs. They should be THANKFUL to release their games on these platforms.

IF you believe in your game, you should not worry that it won't stick out of the masses of indie games. It is a competitive market for everyone in this industry. Mobile developers, indie developers, major AAA developers, console manufacturers - why should indie games get another treatment?

I could go on and on, but I got to work...

[n4rc]

Well said.. Shares my viewpoint on it.

[CYCLEGAMER]

Totally agree with this. Indie devs need to take a chill pill now. They got what they wanted, even though they do not do much for the consoles themselves.