Developers of some of the highest-rated and best-selling games on Xbox Live Arcade are leaving the service in favour of PlayStation Network and other, more open platforms, according to Ron Carmel, co-founder of World Of Goo developer 2D Boy.
Carmel polled some 200 fellow independent developers last year, and again this year, in a bid to test his theory that XBLA was past its peak. While only half of the developers polled chose to respond, between them their XBLA games have a Metacritic average of 78 - significantly higher than the overall platform average of 66 - and those released in 2010 sold an average of 137,010 copies, almost three times as much as the average 46,281.
Carmel's 2010 poll gathered details on what the developers had been working on that year, as well as in 2008-9, while this year's poll sought data on their plans for 2011 and 2012. The results go some way to backing up Carmel's assertion that developers are drifting away from XBLA: after enjoying a significant lead in 2008-9, and a slender one last year, PSN pulls away in 2011 and, in 2012, will have a bigger lead than XBLA enjoyed in the past.
The picture becomes even bleaker when Carmel looks at other platforms. Overall, development is projected to increase next year on every single platform except for XBLA, Facebook, and ageing systems including DS, PSP, Wii, and non-Android or iOS cellphones.
So why is XBLA on the wane when there is almost universal growth elsewhere? Sixty-nine percent of respondents said that the most important factor in their selection of which platform to develop for was the ease of working with the platform holder itself. Almost half of those - 48 per cent - described their experience of working with Microsoft as "excruciating."
"XBLA played a pivotal role in the popularisation of independent games," Carmel writes. "Microsoft proved that indie games can be million-sellers on consoles, and then sat on its laurels for half a decade as more nimble and innovative companies like Valve and Apple took the lead."
Now, he says, "XBLA is no longer the king it used to be. Microsoft is no longer in a postion to demand exclusivity now that PSN has more developers and is growing.
"If things keep going the way they are, and XBLA keeps losing talented developers, I believe the diversity of games available on XBLA will diminish, quality will suffer, and revenue numbers will drop as players start to move away from an unremarkable portfolio of games."
Carmel goes on to suggest ten ways in which Microsoft can restructure XBLA to stem the flow of talent away from the service and revive its ailing fortunes, from creating a fair contract to improving discoverability, relaxing its certification requirements and even making every Xbox 360 console a devkit. For his thoughts in full, follow the source link below.
Source: 2D Boy
Comments
5Is it not the case that XBLA isn't really for indie devs anymore?
The whole Indie Games channel should have been the first clue.
The quality and production values of XBLA games has steadily increased year on year and more big name publishers/devs are putting games in there.
Gamers are expecting a decent game for their 1200 groats, not some arty effort.
Indies need to raise the quality bar (which they can't), move over to the Indie Channel, or push off to platforms with a lower quality bar. As they seem to be doing.
I dunno, some have shown that they can create high quality games. Deathspank, Castle Crashers, Splosion Man, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, Braid, Super Meat Boy, The Dishwasher, Toy Soldiers, Limbo or hell, any of Telltale's output. There is probably more I've forgotten too.
Indie doesn't have to mean crap.
I get the impression MS doesn't want to work with indie devs so I'm sure they're not bothered.
Don't really buy XBLA games (eventhough I should) but I have to admit that it's been a good arcade year for MS based on the quality of the trials. It would be pity if 360 is gonna lose most of the best selling devs just because they can't lower their standards.
Dante, I'm not saying there aren't quality titles on XBLA, but it'd be a stretch to say most of what you listed was truly indie. Without checking I think nearly all of them have big name publisher backing. As far as I know it's impossible to be published on XBLA without an established publisher behind you.
Overall though I think the quality bar has pushed some of the quirkier (being kind) titles out of the market. There's only 100 or so release slots each year and everyone wants to be under the noses of 30 odd million gamers for a week.
OK, that doesn't explain shite like Hydrophobia but hey.