In this week's Steam Machine announcement, one of the biggest core strengths of Valve's massive PC store operation was often overlooked in the discourse.
The Steam Machine looks like it won't be as powerful as the PS5 or Xbox Series X on paper, but it honestly doesn't matter. Its biggest strength is arguably the Steam store itself, whose mature dev tools and open publishing practices has delivered a stream of mega-viral indie hits that PlayStation and Xbox often only enjoy delayed access — if indeed they get access at all.
Indeed, one of the key criticisms I often hear from game devs trying to work with Xbox revolves around how difficult it is to actually get things published on Microsoft's platforms. Microsoft has heard the feedback loud and clear, and announced the start of a variety of changes aimed to solve this gap.
Microsoft revealed today that it is making its publishing critieria public for the first time, since its inception over two decades ago. The new Xbox Game Publishing Guide will offer developers a variety of information about how publishing on Xbox works, all without the NDAs and embargos of yesteryear.
"By opening our Game Publishing Documentation, we’re removing barriers to learning and making it easier for teams of all sizes to understand what it takes to ship a game on Xbox," Microsoft's Ed Stewart explained."Whether you’re a first-time independent developer or a seasoned publisher, you can now browse the guide freely, share it with your team, and reference it throughout development. "
Microsoft says that improving access to its documentation allows people to plan, learn, and research processes around Xbox console and Xbox PC development without the headaches of signing up and getting approved access. The more open approach should also lead to an upswing in content on sites like YouTube as others help relay information as part of their educational content plans.
Indeed, Microsoft has also lifted all NDA restrictions on the documentation too, meaning that people can create content around the publishing criteria, discuss it within their communities, or in the Microsoft Game Dev Discord, also listed in the blog.
Microsoft says its public documentations for Xbox publishing will be updated in perpetuity, to ensure that everyone has the most current rulesets. The most recent updates includes onboarding info, wishlisting details, pre-orders and release configuration guidance, Xbox Insider Program and Xbox Game Preview systems, and new test services.
Microsoft also recently detailed some of its October GDK updates for Xbox publishing, showcasing improvements to Xbox keyboard APIs and other features to bring Xbox console and Xbox PC game dev closer together. Microsoft is pursuing Xbox Play Anywhere as a means to help bridge the gap between Xbox Series X|S console games and Xbox PC users, although the next-gen Xbox is expected to be more PC-like than ever, sporting full Windows.
In a universe where Microsoft's gaming efforts are aligning more closely with Steam than a traditional gaming platform, Microsoft can't afford for game publishing to be as closed and laborious as it was in the past.
I recently spoke to ID@Xbox lead Chris Charla about the publishing situation on Xbox. The full interview is coming soon, but Charla noted to me that this first step is part of a bigger journey to enhance the onboarding process for getting games published on the Xbox console and Xbox PC ecosystems. Microsoft has heard feedback loud and clear from independent developers on how Xbox and other platforms often make it needlessly tough to get their games out there.
Microsoft is exploring a range of investments to not only make the process easier technologically, but also philosophically, too. Discoverability should also get a boost down the line, and Microsoft ecosystem game developers also enjoy a better cut of the revenue on the Xbox PC store, upwards of 88% instead of the old-school industry standard of 70%.
Developers interested in shipping on Xbox PC or Xbox consoles are encouraged by Microsoft to sign up for ID@Xbox over here, and also join the MS Game Dev Discord here.
The new Xbox Game Publishing Guide can be read in full over here.
FAQ
What exactly did Microsoft do?
Microsoft made its official Xbox Game Publishing Guide documentation public. for over two decades, this information was only available under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to approved developers.
Why is this considered a "Steam-like" move?
Steam's success with indie games is largely attributed to its open and easy-to-access development/publishing tools and documentation. Microsoft's move to remove NDAs and offer transparency aims to replicate this open, developer-friendly environment.
Who benefits from this change?
Developers and publishers of all sizes, especially smaller ID@Xbox teams. they can now plan, research, and discuss the technical requirements for shipping a game on Xbox and Xbox PC without needing prior approval or legal clearance.
What information is included in the guide?
The guide includes refreshed guidance on the ID@Xbox sign-up process, wish list/pre-order configuration, Xbox Insider Program participation, and Xbox Certification requirements.
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