Microsoft announced earlier in the year that it is making strides to improve game publishing on Xbox with its Independent Developers Publishing Program, or ID@Xbox. Now, it has a growing list of developer support to show how successful it’s been in inviting studios to develop for Xbox One.
Since the creation of ID@Xbox, Microsoft has won over dozens of studios, many of which are listed below:
- Behaviour
- Bongfish
- Born Ready
- Capybara Games
- Comcept
- Crytek
- Definition 6
- Double Eleven
- Double Fine
- Drinkbox
- Gaijin Games
- Half-Brick
- Happion Labs
- Hidden Path
- High Voltage Software
- Inis
- Iron Galaxy
- Jackbox Games
- Nicalis
- NinjaBee
- Other Ocean
- Panic Button
- Signal Studios
- Slightly Mad Studios
- Team 17
- Team Colorblind
- The Men Who Wear Many Hats
- The Odd Gentlemen
- Vlambeer
- Way Forward
- Zeboyd Games
- Zen Studios
Some of the above studios are known for their games released on Xbox 360, where they paid expensive fees and dealt with a rigorous publishing process. That’s a thing of the past now that publishing is free and streamlined. Microsoft has even sent out dozens of development kits just to help invest in the studios.
Studios like Crytek and Capybara Games are extremely promising, and have the potential to make hits. Microsoft is doing well to support them heading into 2014.
Sony might have marketed its indie support better than Microsoft, but the Xbox One is taking bigger steps going from last-gen to next-gen. These thoughtful changes will mean gamers will have more games to play, and development teams can explore their creativity without as much burden.
