They may be a little late to the indie party, but Microsoft has revealed that their focus on indie game developers has reaped some hefty rewards. Announced at GDC, the Xbox One will be receiving 25 new indie games via Microsoft's ID@Xbox program.
Microsoft launched the ID@Xbox program last summer. It has been described by the company as a means to reach out to developers and provide them with development kits for free. Developers would be able to develop a game using all of the Xbox platform's functionality, including Kinect and SmartGlass. Game updates are supposed to be free as well, a big change from the Xbox 360's update system that charged developers tens of thousands of dollars to patch their games.
“Since we first announced the program in August, we’ve been working closely with developers to bring a diverse array of independent games to Xbox One,” said ID@Xbox Games Director Chris Charla. “Our goal is to make the process as easy as possible so developers can focus on what matters most: creating the games you’re beginning to see today!”
“Our goal has always been to make Xbox One the best place to play games, and that means having a diverse portfolio for gamers to choose from,” said Phil Spencer, corporate vice president of Microsoft Studios. “We’ve worked closely with independent developers to bring their own brand of creativity and innovation to the platform and today is just the beginning.”
Whether you're an Xbox fan or not, this news is good as it shows that Microsoft is working on bringing indie developers to their platform, something that Sony has put an incredible amount of effort in this generation. No one loses when more unique games are available to play.
Microsoft has announced 25 games at GDC coming to Xbox One through their indie initiative. Popular hits like Divekick, Strike Suit Zero, and Contrast can be expected to hit the Xbox store in the future. The full list can be found below.
- “1001 Spikes” by Nicalis
- “Calibre 10 Racing Series” by Bongfish GmbH
- “CastleStorm” by Zen Studios
- “Chariot” by Frima
- “Chuck’s Challenge 3D” by Niffler
- “Contrast” by Compulsion Games
- “Divekick Addition Edition +” by Iron Galaxy Studios
- “Forced” by BetaDwarf ApS
- “FRU” by Through Games
- “Guacamelee Super Turbo Championship Edition” by DrinkBox Studios
- “Gunscape” by Blowfish Studios
- “Habitat” by 4gency
- “Hyper Light Drifter” by Heart Machine
- “It Draws a Red Box” by Other Ocean
- “Nutjitsu” by NinjaBee
- “Pinball Arcade” by FarSight Studios
- “Q.U.B.E. Director’s Cut” by Toxic Games
- “Riptide GP2” by Vector Unit
- “Roundabout” by No Goblin
- “Sixty Second Shooter Prime” by Happion Laboratories
- “Spectra: 8bit Racing” by Gateway Interactive
- “Strike Suit Zero” by Born Ready Games
- “Super Time Force” by Capybara
- “The Last Tinker” by Mimimi Productions
- “Wulverblade” by Darkwind Media
