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First ID@Xbox Independent Developers Announced
Microsoft's ID@Xbox program is designed to give independent developers access to the Xbox One platform. The program, which was announced at Gamescom 2013, started taking applications in August. Now, the first wave of accepted developers has been announced.
Microsoft stated up front that it was looking first for developers with proven track records. Over 50 teams have been accepted into the program, and a post on Xbox Wire lists some. The titles in parentheses have been added by us for reference and should not be considered confirmation of titles coming to Xbox One:
- Behaviour (Naughty Bear)
- Bongfish (Stoked)
- Born Ready (Strike Suit Zero)
- Capy (Below)
- Comcept (Soul Sacrifice, Mighty No. 9)
- Crytek (Crysis, Ryse: Son of Rome)
- Definition 6 (Spy Party)
- Demiurge (Shoot Many Robots)
- Double Eleven (Frozen Synapse: Tactics)
- Double Fine (Costume Quest, Stacking, Broken Age)
- Drinkbox (Guacamelee!)
- Gaijin Games (Bit.Trip Runner)
- Half-Brick (Jetpack Joyride)
- Happion Labs (Energy Hook)
- Hidden Path (Defense Grid)
- High Voltage Software (Zoombies, The Conduit)
- Inis (Elite Beat Agents)
- Iron Galaxy (Divekick)
- Jackbox Games (You Don't Know Jack)
- The Men Who Wear Many Hats (Organ Trail)
- Nicalis (Cave Story, 1001 Spikes)
- Ninja Bee (Kingdom for Keflings)
- The Odd Gentlemen (The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom)
- Other Ocean (Monsters Love Candy)
- Panic Button (Alien Race)
- Signal Studios (Toy Soldiers)
- Slighty Mad Studios (Project CARS)
- Team 17 (Worms)
- Team Colorblind (Aztez)
- Vlambeer (Ridiculous Fishing, Luftrausers)
- WayForward (Shantae: Risky's Revenge, DuckTales Remastered)
- Zeboyd Games (Cthulhu Saves the World)
- Zen Studios (Pinball FX2, CastleStorm)
The list includes studios from across the globe. The first titles in the ID@Xbox program will be coming to the Xbox One in early 2014.
[Source: Xbox Wire]
Our Take
This is an impressive list, and it includes some developers, like Drinkbox Studios and Iron Galaxy, that haven't been on Microsoft platforms recently. I'm interested to see how self-publishing changes the landscape. The opportunity and access are a victory for smaller developers, but now we need to see what they make of it.
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