Report: Microsoft drops $40,000 Xbox 360 game patch fee

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Microsoft has reportedly dropped the substantial fee it charges for re-certification of Xbox 360 games following title updates, according to Eurogamer's "multiple development sources". The quiet change to policy occurred earlier this year, and significantly benefits indie developers who were often stung by the fee, reported to be around $40,000 per patch.

The new process for Xbox 360 game certification involves Microsoft charging an initial fee to certify the game, followed by free re-certification for all future title updates. Previously Microsoft granted just one free title update per game, with all other patches including the fee; a process designed to encourage developers to polish their games to the best of their ability before submitting them for review.

However, the new rules allegedly include something along the lines of a 'fair use policy', whereby Microsoft will still charge developers if they're deemed to be making an excessive amount of patch submissions. At this stage it's unclear if the same policy of free game title update certification will carry over to the Xbox One, but it's at least a step in the right direction for supporting independent developers.

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Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Source: http://www.neowin.net/news/report-microsoft-drops-40000-xbox-360-game-patch-fee

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ExtraCopyPosted:

aimiami12
Trillology
Submit
aimiami12
Ruck_Fules
BDB 40,000$ wow, for a single patch -.-


Sure it's alot, but it's nothing compared to how much income games like COD get etc.


Even for COD thats way to expensive. Think of all the smaller publisher, thats way to much. Microsoft should encourage companies to fix their games... making them pay this much is making them not patch their games.


Making them pay this is making them spend time to create complete and polished games, sad they changed this policy.


I agree and i understand what he is saying. If they know they have to pay then they have to spend every minute insuring the game won't need a patch! Thus making the game better at launch.


Its not like they put an unfinished project out when they release games. They need to patch them for things they didnt expect in most cases.
"Its not like they put an unfinished project out when they release games" Did you ever play fifa 12 or 13? that right there is a prime example of an unpolished game...

aimiami12Posted:

Trillology
Submit
aimiami12
Ruck_Fules
BDB 40,000$ wow, for a single patch -.-


Sure it's alot, but it's nothing compared to how much income games like COD get etc.


Even for COD thats way to expensive. Think of all the smaller publisher, thats way to much. Microsoft should encourage companies to fix their games... making them pay this much is making them not patch their games.


Making them pay this is making them spend time to create complete and polished games, sad they changed this policy.


I agree and i understand what he is saying. If they know they have to pay then they have to spend every minute insuring the game won't need a patch! Thus making the game better at launch.


Its not like they put an unfinished project out when they release games. They need to patch them for things they didnt expect in most cases.

PrimeapePosted:

VEVO Damn so Bethesda coughed up a lot of dough for all those Skyrim patches them. ._.


They aren't indie developers. They actual game devs.

GossipPosted:

MW2-Rush 40,000$ for indie developers. So, how much is for actual games? (Call of Duty, Battlefield, Fable, Fallout, Etc.)


Im thinkin maybe 100 k

slapshot101Posted:

This is good, it was crazy to ask a indie developer to pay $40,000, for a patch on their game.

AdamuPosted:

Halo4 Didn't know they charged that much for TUs.. then again $40k out of the hundreds of millions of dollars a game can make isn't a lot


Never knew that as well lol.

HaloPosted:

Didn't know they charged that much for TUs.. then again $40k out of the hundreds of millions of dollars a game can make isn't a lot

VEVOPosted:

Damn so Bethesda coughed up a lot of dough for all those Skyrim patches them. ._.

AlbericiPosted:

eh I do not get what this means.

-Karma-Posted:

most of you dont even understand what they just said lol. some of you saying this is bad LOL.


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