The Indie Scene on Xbox: Thriving and Here to Stay

The Paris Games Week convention kicked off on November 1, with attendees flocking to their preferred platform holders' stands to try out the latest games. Xbox fans were treated to a unique proposition, with the company showcasing not only its big-ticket titles like Starfield and Forza Motorsport but also indie games such as Jusant, a self-published title supported by the ID@Xbox initiative. This program, designed to aid independent developers in self-publishing their titles on Xbox platforms, has been a cornerstone of the company's strategy for ten years. Despite a year marked by the acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, Xbox remains committed to its independent creators, with ID@Xbox director Guy Richards emphasizing their importance to the platform. "Independent creators have never been more important to Xbox, and they will continue to be," he says. The ID@Xbox program has grown in tandem with Xbox, and Richards expects it to continue to expand, providing more opportunities for players and developers. Recent successes like Sea of Stars and Cocoon, both part of Xbox's Game Pass subscription, demonstrate the benefits of the program. However, some developers have expressed concerns about the impact of Game Pass on base game sales, with Microsoft acknowledging that the subscription service can cannibalize sales. Richards highlights the alternative benefits of Game Pass additions and the ID@Xbox program, including the $4 billion in royalties paid to developers and the customized approaches taken to ensure a win-win situation for all parties involved. Smaller publishers, such as Just for Games and TA Publishing, have praised the program for providing visibility and opportunities for independent developers. However, they also note the challenges faced by the industry, including the impact of finance and the decreasing global long-term revenue. The ID@Xbox program may provide support for self-publishing, but it remains a complex and thorny path for many creators. As Emilio Molina Cazorla, chief technical officer for developer BlitWorks, notes, "self-publishing is a hard place to end up in," and many developers prefer to stick with traditional publishing methods.