Microsoft didn't have anything to say to smaller independent developers during its Xbox One announcement. Such studios might have been hoping for bigger news from the company's E3 press conference, but it looks like their out of luck. Unlike the PS3, Vita, Wii U and, soon, the PS4, indie devs will not be able to self-publish their games on Xbox One, reports Shacknews.

Matt Booty, general manager of Redmond Game Studios and Platforms, told the site that Microsoft will "continue to court developers in the ways that we have." He did add that the company will "explore new business models and new ways of surfacing content," but ultimately concluded that "Microsoft Studios is a publisher that works with a wide range of partners, as do a lot of other people, to bring digital content to the box."

Currently, the only way self-publish on the Xbox 360 is via Xbox Live Indie Games. While the niche channel has seen a few successful developers, most see greater success on other platforms like Steam and PSN. Furthermore, the XBLIG service is stagnating according to some developers, and its future remains unclear.

Posted: May 22, 2013 10:10 am
Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/xbox-one-wont-allow-indies-to-self-publish/