Neoninja3918d ago (Edited 3918d ago )

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

Pisque3918d ago

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

Electric-flamingo3918d ago

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

3918d ago
Gazondaily3918d 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.

Root3918d 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.

ABizzel13918d ago (Edited 3918d 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.

cytricks3918d 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.

iamnsuperman3918d ago (Edited 3918d 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

3918d ago
lgn153918d 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...

NegativeCreepWA3918d ago

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

WrAiTh Sp3cTr33918d ago

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

BitbyDeath3918d ago

Very brave, let the Kinect hacking commence

JokesOnYou3918d ago (Edited 3918d 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.

Delive3918d ago

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

showtimefolks3918d 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_pati3918d ago

@WrAiTh Sp3cTr3

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

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

wait for it.

Saigon3918d 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.

slampunk3918d ago (Edited 3918d 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....

hazardman3918d 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.

JokesOnYou3918d ago (Edited 3918d 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.

hazardman3918d 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.

gaffyh3918d ago (Edited 3918d 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.

miyamoto3918d ago (Edited 3918d 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.

NegativeCreepWA3918d 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.

badz1493918d ago

@tuglu

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

nukeitall3918d 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.

moparful993918d 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...

awi59513918d ago

@Septic

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

nveenio3918d 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.

DonFreezer3917d 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.

3917d ago
indysurfn3917d 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.

kupomogli3917d ago (Edited 3917d 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.

jimbobwahey3917d 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 3917d ago
AngelicIceDiamond3918d 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.

Gazondaily3918d 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.

rainslacker3918d ago (Edited 3918d 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.:)

unicron73917d 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.

Gildarts3918d ago (Edited 3918d 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.

Neoninja3918d ago

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

Godmars2903918d ago (Edited 3918d 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.

bicfitness3918d ago (Edited 3918d 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".

Bigpappy3918d ago (Edited 3918d 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.

sourav933918d 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.

rainslacker3918d 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.

Machiavellian3918d 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.

moparful993918d 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..

jimbobwahey3917d 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 3917d ago
Anon19743918d ago

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

GameCents3918d ago (Edited 3918d ago )

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

Kanzes3918d 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

Anon19743918d 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.

PSVita3918d ago

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

whoyouwit043918d ago

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

PSVita3918d ago (Edited 3918d 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.

ExCest3918d 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.

PSVita3918d ago

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

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3918d ago
bicfitness3918d 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.

MicDude3918d 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.

hazardman3918d ago

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

PSVita3918d 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.

theWB273918d 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. -_-

StoneyYoshi3918d 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.

PSVita3918d ago

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

StoneyYoshi3918d 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.

FamilyGuy3918d 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

greenlantern28143918d 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.

2v13918d ago

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

SilentNegotiator3918d ago

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

moparful993918d 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...

MazzingerZ3918d 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

3918d ago
DiRtY3918d ago

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

Veneno3918d 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.

Cuzzo633918d ago (Edited 3918d 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

Cuzzo633917d ago

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

avengers19783917d 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_null3917d 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!

Pain3917d 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

LogicStomper3917d 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?"

Pain3917d ago

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

spin spin spin fall over and puke...

3917d ago
3-4-53917d ago

Great idea..... on paper.

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

MechaGear3917d ago (Edited 3917d 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 3917d ago
MariaHelFutura3918d ago (Edited 3918d ago )

This is great news for those buying the Xbox One.

darthv723918d ago (Edited 3918d ago )

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

It seems incomplete without that caption.

NegativeCreepWA3918d ago

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

MariaHelFutura3918d ago

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

Cherchez La Ghost3918d ago

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

3918d ago
JokesOnYou3918d ago (Edited 3918d 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.

GameCents3918d ago

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

Kanzes3918d ago

This is the alternate universe

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

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 3918d ago
cl19833918d ago

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

Muerte24943918d ago (Edited 3918d 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.

Gildarts3918d 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.

n4rc3918d ago

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

Less and less for the haters every day

N4g_null3917d ago (Edited 3917d 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-Namikaze3918d 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.

gamertk4213918d ago

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

rainslacker3918d 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".

mark134uk3918d 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 ;)

ape0073918d ago (Edited 3918d ago )

hmmmmm Mod support?

FanboyCrusher3918d ago

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

ape0073918d ago (Edited 3918d ago )

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

Grand Theft Auto

AngelicIceDiamond3918d ago (Edited 3918d ago )

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

Cherchez La Ghost3918d 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.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 3918d ago
iconic563918d 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?

iamnsuperman3918d 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-BRASIL3918d 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.

Show all comments (356)
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?"

purple1012d 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 ☝️

Zeref1d 18h 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.

DarXyde1d 17h 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.

PhillyDonJawn1d 16h ago (Edited 1d 16h 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.

Einhander19721d 15h 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.

MrBaskerville1d 14h 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.

shinoff21831d 7h 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.

Profchaos1d 6h 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 1d 6h ago
isarai2d ago

Is that why Hellblade 2 is digital only?

Zeref1d 18h 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.

MrNinosan1d 17h ago

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

mkis00722h ago(Edited 22h ago)

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

Einhander19722d 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.

2d ago Replies(3)
Einhander19722d ago

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

2d ago
2d ago
Zeref1d 18h 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.

DarXyde1d 17h 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.

Einhander19721d 16h 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.

Einhander19721d 16h 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.

BehindTheRows1d 16h ago (Edited 1d 16h 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.

Zeref1d 14h ago (Edited 1d 14h 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.

Chevalier1d 13h 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.

Tacoboto1d 15h 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.

shinoff21831d 7h ago

Yay steam

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

Tacoboto1d 4h 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 1d 4h ago
Hofstaderman1d 19h 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?

crazyCoconuts1d 15h 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.

Xeofate1d 11h ago (Edited 1d 11h 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.

crazyCoconuts17h 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

FinalFantasyFanatic1d 1h 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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370°

Could Xbox Soon Become The Next Dreamcast?

Microsoft's future in the video game space is murky right now, so let's break it all down.

Read Full Story >>
thegamer.com
ApocalypseShadow14d ago (Edited 14d ago )

Not anytime soon. But they're on that path.

One thing not mentioned in the article is Microsoft's money bags. If Sega had Microsoft's money, they would have still been around as a hardware manufacturer. Xbox as a platform only survives because of the money bags. They can continue making consoles for the core and port to PC.

The multiplatform strategy is only the result of arrogance and misguided leadership that blew up in their face. They thought gamers would jump on Xbox in droves if they knew that many of their favorite games would be only on Xbox. But that's not happening at all. Sales didn't increase. They decreased. Why? Because the dumb asses thought giving away these expensively made games in a cheap service would also turn the tide.

Gamers on other platforms are willing to buy quality. They don't need to be handed nearly free games in a service that aren't even finished and sometimes average in their development. Gamers buy Nintendo games. They buy Sony games. Microsoft groomed their base to not buy games. Even the quality ones. It has always been their plan to go digital. But most gamers still like single player gaming. Still like physical releases.

Microsoft's problem has always been that they don't produce high quality games at the same output as Nintendo and Sony. Actually, they should be producing quite a lot more because they're worth over 2 TRILLION. How they don't have more is ridiculous and no excuse. Buying publishers to take away from competition only backfired. Because it still takes millions of dollars to continue to make those games from the publishers they snatched. Their only choice was to crawl back to their competitors to help sustain those developers because Nintendo and Sony platforms were the ones buying games.

Am I sorry for Microsoft? Hell no! They deserved last place for putting in the least effort. They deserved the fallout for buying up the industry and didn't make a single blip on the radar against their competitors where they now need those same gamers they took away games from to support them. Part of it may have been to cash in on their competition. But the result is the slow death of their platform. They may go 3rd party. They may keep making hardware. I don't give a shit about them to worry about it. I only give a shit about the destructive nature of their industry moves that only negatively affect gamers. They could sell and drop out of the industry and I wouldn't blink. Probably laugh. But not blink. They deserve whatever comes to them. At least Sega put in the effort when it came to games. They just had poor leadership. Microsoft has poor leadership and barely makes memorable games. That's a killer combination. And not in a good way.

Cacabunga14d ago

That would be an insult to Dreamcast.. it had a crazy line up of legendary critically acclaimed games.

Crows9014d ago

I was thinking the same. Dreamcast had incredible games in such a short amount of time. It was truly exceptional.

darthv7213d ago

...and yet all those great games were not enough to sway people from the looming release of the PS2 at the time. Sony just has that kind of brand loyalty.

Cacabunga13d ago

Darth

I do not agree.. Sony had even better games thanks to an unprecedented 3rd party support..
DC had amazing lineup but 90% were arcade games..

88313d ago

@darth:
And Sony showed off "The Emotion Engine" and their real time demos that made everyone think they would miss out on REAL next gen 128bit magic if they jumped in before PS2s polygon pushing monster (and early lack of anti-aliasing with a healthy heap of shimmer + DVD playback) stepped up. PS2 was a fantastic system though with amazing games.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 13d ago
blacktiger14d ago

That's not true. Just because Microsoft has the money doesn't mean Microsoft can allow xbox to bleed entire Microsoft money. It doesn't work like they. Also SEC will be watching and investor won't allow it. Lot of reasons why Microsoft can not continue even if they wanted to. SEC regulations is expensive.

fr0sty14d ago (Edited 14d ago )

Exactly this... Microsoft is a publicly traded company, mostly owned by their shareholders (Approximately 59.24% of the company's stock is owned by Institutional Investors, 7.73% is owned by Insiders and 33.03% is owned by Public Companies and Individual Investors.). Their shareholders call the shots on the business decisions, and their shareholders want one thing and one thing only, for their stock price to go up. Losses do not make stock prices go up... so if the division continually posts losses on hardware, but shows profits on software and services (which has been the case with Xbox its entire lifespan, for over 20 years now), the shareholders are going to grow impatient and demand they stop making hardware and focus on the only thing that has ever made them money, software and services.

When Microsoft bought Blizzard and Activision for almost 100 billion, I knew that was the nail in the coffin for Xbox as a console... as the shareholders were going to expect a quick return on that investment, and when it didn't materialize, they were going to be out for blood... out to force Xbox to sell those games on as many consoles as possible, "and while you're at it, sell those first party exclusives that aren't selling well on other consoles as well... hell, just stop making consoles and sell games."

If there is another Xbox console generation, it will definitely be the last, but I doubt there even will be one at this point. I think the Xbox division planning on it just in case, but I don't think the project has been greenlit from Microsoft itself. The rumors that they have not yet even secured the chips needed from the chip fabrication facilities ties into this.

shinoff218314d ago

While I usually agree with you . Alot of what was said can just also be asked before any of that.

How long will the shareholders wait? It doesn't appear long at all

Babadook713d ago

I think I get your point. Like just because MS has money does not mean they are content to throw it away on a dying ecosystem. Xbox has to be profitable or “what’s the point?”

ifinitygamer13d ago

Money bags, yes, but are we ignoring that Xbox actually makes a profit on games and GamePass? Hardware is often a loss leader, and they're probably making profit 4 years into the life cycle, but games and services revenue have been very profitable while other parts of Microsoft's business is struggling. Say what you will about the quality of those games, of course, but this is kind of a reverse Dreamcast situation, where the console was dragging down the company and put it at risk of shuttering entirely. Killing that console saved the business and allowed it to continue to make games on multiple platforms. In this case, the service is very profitable, as are the games, and they're also double-dipping into Multiplatform to extend this further, while their hardware is just sort of what they believe to be the best for gamers and their own titles (whether that is the case or not...)

fr0sty13d ago (Edited 13d ago )

The issue is, they aren't selling enough hardware to make their exclusives profitable, and now that they've bought half the gaming publisher/dev industry, they have no choice but to go third party to make a profit... and that is making their shareholders take a real close look at their hardware division under the microscope... why keep making the hardware if the software is all that is making them money, and they continually, generation after generation come in dead last with hardware sales?

Look at a game like Spiderman 2... if it had been an Xbox exclusive, with the amount it cost to develop, it would have been a huge failure... simply not enough consoles out there to sell it on. They would have been lucky to break even.

ifinitygamer13d ago

@fr0sty agreed completely, which is why they're hedging by releasing other games to multiplatform, plus they have PC to make up for the difference in a lot of ways, which is why their games are not complete money pits. It brings up the question of whether or not those exclusives would drive sales of consoles, though. Let's say Spiderman 2 was an Xbox exclusive, it would certainly have pushed console sales, though who's to say how much is anyone's guess.

fr0sty13d ago

That's why you can't rely on just one exclusive, Sony has always delivered on a wide range of solid exclusives, even this generation (even if they haven't been strong on the first party exclusives, they've made up for it with third party). They don't rely on just one "system seller", they have a portfolio of them.

13d ago
JBlaze22613d ago

ApocalypseShadow To be honest Sony has more of a chance to go 3rd party because like you said Microsoft has money, Sony does not. Sony does not have games, Only games they have come from 3rd party. Sony has been losing money for years and you. Saying Microsoft has been putting the least effort just proves you have no idea what's been going on. All Sony has done is repeat and recycle, never innovating or doing something new. All Sony has is brand loyalty nothing else and it shows.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 13d ago
LG_Fox_Brazil14d ago

Not sure about that. It's been two decades and I still think about Power Stone, Shenmue, Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Seaman and others, but I'm not sure I'll remember Xbox Series X/S games in a few years from now... Maybe I'll remember about the franchises that the Xbox brand spawned, but I don't believe that the Xbox Series lives up to the late Dreamcast or even to the Xbox name itself. I do have great memories about the 360 with Blue Dragon, Gears 2 and Lost Odyssey though

isarai14d ago

Nah, sega actually makes good games

Becuzisaid14d ago

No, Dreamcast was ahead of it's time and most still have very fond memories of it that had one. It also had some good games on it even in it's short lifespan. Xbox has none of these qualities.

Profchaos14d ago

I remember it coming out at the time in a really bad place they hit the market before the PS2 but it was during this transitional time when Sony was promoting the power of the PS2 and so many of the Dreamcast games were awesome but often third parties simply ported the PS1 version increased resolution and performance but rarely fully utilise the capabilities of the console.

I think in the end bad marketing done it in and like the GameCube so many people are fond of it now but at the time it was looked at in the lense of the day and it didn't stack up.

Personally I miss Sega in hardware they took risks that many companies won't

Becuzisaid14d ago

I never owned it, and got the PS2 right when it launched. But there were certain games it had that I was always jealous of that I didn't have access to - Sonic adventure, crazy taxi, power Stone, code Veronica, shenmue, skies of Arcadia. I always thought it was a really cool machine though. I've never heard a bad thing about it though from those that had it.

FinalFantasyFanatic13d ago

I only ever saw one Dreamcast, and that was one my friend owned, pity I never got to play it, I wonder what games he had for it?

It would be nice if some of those games got ported to modern systems.

Profchaos14d ago

Oh man sonic adventure on the Dreamcast made me so jealous as a huge sonic fan on the mega drive who also moved to PlayStation 2 I never got the chance to play it back in the day either. The Dreamcast in Australia where I am was always relegated to the smallest corner of EB Games it was kind of a strong first indicator that things were not going well at the time.

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80°

Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox and weekly streaks to be killed off soon

Microsoft has announced the Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox will be discontinued in April and has confirmed that weekly streaks will also be coming to an end.

Read Full Story >>
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