Microsoft: Bedroom Coders to Get Paid
Price structure for community games confirmed
Chris Satchell
Microsoft has confirmed that bedroom developers using its XNA Game Studio tools will be able to charge for games. This will be through what is now officially called 'Xbox LIVE Community Games', a service dedicated to distributing community-developed games, when it launches later this year.
Microsoft even goes so far as to state in an announcement that it “will allow anyone to turn the hobby of game-making into a full-fledged career”.
To be more precise, Microsoft says that creators will be able to chose from three “suggested” price points, ranging from 200 to 800 Microsoft Points. Those making their games available will receive “up to” 70% of the revenue generated by their games.
Microsoft is apparently anticipating a lot of content through its Community Games platform. In the announcement, it states, “When the service launches for consumers this fall, community-created games on Xbox LIVE are expected to double the size of the Xbox 360 video game library”.
Breaking down the numbers to show just how Xbox Live Community Games could turn bedroom developers into professional developers, Chris Satchell (newly appointed chief technology officer of Microsoft’s interactive entertainment business group) said of the 70% revenue share†, “That means at 400 Microsoft Points ($5), you're getting 280 Points ($3.50).
“It's hard to do the exact translation to dollars, but three and half dollars, something like that, per unit. You don't have to sell many units before that becomes pretty meaningful, imagine if you sold 10,000. That's close to $40,000 right there, a good piece of money already.”
He also points out that creating a well-received XNA game could result in a publisher picking you up or a job at a professional studio.
The creator share of revenues will be “up to” 70% because in situations where titles are highlighted by Microsoft on Xbox Live or the community website, the platform holder will also take a marketing fee ranging from 10% - 30%, depending on performance.
Speaking about revenue models for the service, Satchell said, “we thought transactions were the way to start. We're not ruling out anything."
Microsoft also mentioned that it will hold another Dream-Build-Play game development contest this year, with a prize fund totalling $70,000 and an Xbox Live Arcade publishing contract up for grabs.
The XNA toolset was first announced back in 2006, but until the full platform for distribution to the 360 community at large goes live, they will only be available to members of Microsoft’s XNA Creators Club.
SPOnG recently caught up with Chris Satchell for a chat. You can catch the interview here.
†Source: 1up
Microsoft even goes so far as to state in an announcement that it “will allow anyone to turn the hobby of game-making into a full-fledged career”.
To be more precise, Microsoft says that creators will be able to chose from three “suggested” price points, ranging from 200 to 800 Microsoft Points. Those making their games available will receive “up to” 70% of the revenue generated by their games.
Microsoft is apparently anticipating a lot of content through its Community Games platform. In the announcement, it states, “When the service launches for consumers this fall, community-created games on Xbox LIVE are expected to double the size of the Xbox 360 video game library”.
Breaking down the numbers to show just how Xbox Live Community Games could turn bedroom developers into professional developers, Chris Satchell (newly appointed chief technology officer of Microsoft’s interactive entertainment business group) said of the 70% revenue share†, “That means at 400 Microsoft Points ($5), you're getting 280 Points ($3.50).
“It's hard to do the exact translation to dollars, but three and half dollars, something like that, per unit. You don't have to sell many units before that becomes pretty meaningful, imagine if you sold 10,000. That's close to $40,000 right there, a good piece of money already.”
He also points out that creating a well-received XNA game could result in a publisher picking you up or a job at a professional studio.
The creator share of revenues will be “up to” 70% because in situations where titles are highlighted by Microsoft on Xbox Live or the community website, the platform holder will also take a marketing fee ranging from 10% - 30%, depending on performance.
Speaking about revenue models for the service, Satchell said, “we thought transactions were the way to start. We're not ruling out anything."
Microsoft also mentioned that it will hold another Dream-Build-Play game development contest this year, with a prize fund totalling $70,000 and an Xbox Live Arcade publishing contract up for grabs.
The XNA toolset was first announced back in 2006, but until the full platform for distribution to the 360 community at large goes live, they will only be available to members of Microsoft’s XNA Creators Club.
SPOnG recently caught up with Chris Satchell for a chat. You can catch the interview here.
†Source: 1up
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Comments
DoctorDee 23 Jul 2008 13:53
1/1
This has to be one of the best pieces of news the industry has had in an age.
When people played games on the same machines used to write them, and it was easy to self publish, we lived in a golden age of creativity. Maybe this will help recapture some of that.
When people played games on the same machines used to write them, and it was easy to self publish, we lived in a golden age of creativity. Maybe this will help recapture some of that.