Microsoft has dropped its Xbox Games Publishing Guide for everyone to see. The guide, which was strictly under NDAs and such, is now fully available, coincidentally around the Steam Machine’s reveal.
For many indie developers, Steam has been a beacon for those who want to publish their first title. Via SteamDirect, one can, realistically, make a game, submit it, and it’ll be on the gaming platform in a little over a month. However, for other companies like PlayStation and Nintendo, it can be a bit more trickier to do. However, one company that has been a bit hard to tackle for indies is Microsoft. Despite the ID@Xbox program, many games are just not releasing on the consoles, with many citing the difficult process. Now, in the advent of the Steam Machine, Microsoft has decided to pull back the curtain and make the once-hidden guide available to all.
Microsoft Makes Xbox Games Publishing Guide Available for Everyone
In a post on Microsoft Game Dev Blog, Senior Program Manager at ID@Xbox, Ed Stewart, announced that the official Xbox Games Publishing Guide is available for free to everyone. The guide can be found here for those interested. Speaking on the opening, Stewart said the following,
“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,” Ed Stewart says in the blog. “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.“
The move does take a page right out of Steam’s playbook, which couldn’t be more convenient. The PC-only company recently announced it’s taking on the console market with the Steam Machine. Its console will be able to play Steam games from your PC onto the TV. Microsoft is aware of it, as Xbox’s Phil Spencer congratulated the team. Perhaps this is the company wanting to become Steam or like them. Seeing as it’s putting exclusives like Halo and Gears of War on different consoles, it could be the future for Xbox.
What do you think of Microsoft releasing its Xbox Games Publishing Guide? Do you think more indies will make it onto Xbox? Think Microsoft wants to be Steam? Let us know in the comments and on the official Insider Gaming Discord.
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