Xbox game update policies 'totally unacceptable for free-to-play'

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Microsoft's quality control tests on game updates are "totally unacceptable for meaningful free-to-play", the chief executive of Wargaming has said.

Victor Kislyi explained to Polygon that frequent updates are a crucial part of any free-to-play business.

"The good thing is with online games, sometimes if you screw up, you can do frequent updates," Kislyi said.

"But one of the biggest challenges with Microsoft was the frequency of updates because the QA process and certification process take an extremely long time. Totally unacceptable for a meaningful free-to-play. We are working with them to do quicker updates."

Microsoft conventionally tests games and updates thoroughly in order to uphold a level of quality across its Xbox platform. When developers deliver game updates to Microsoft, they must wait as the Xbox quality assurance team tests the content for errors, glitches or unwanted content.

On top of this, developers would usually need to pay as much as $40,000 for the testing and submissions process. However, in June Microsoft scrapped the policy and now allows developers to submit XBLA updates for free.

However, according to Kislyi, the friction of the game update process remains an issue. He said he was unsure whether Microsoft will enact platform-wide policy reform in order to remedy the issue.

"We will see, there is a lot of work on the technically side and on the administrative side which should resolve in the acceptable quality of the product, including updates of the product including speed and rates. So we will see," he said.

Platforms such as iOS and Valve's Steam allow developers to issue updates frequently - in some cases in a matter of days, on some occasions sooner. This has allowed game studios to use the latest player data as a guide for what to add to and remove from the game.

It is believed that around three quarters of iPhone game app business is generated from free-to-play.

Posted: Jul 22, 2013 7:50 am
Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Source: http://www.computerandvideogames.com/420048/xbox-game-update-policies-totally-unacceptable-for-free-to-play/

Comments

koolmang66Posted: Mon. Jul 22, 2013

microstop

ReleasesPosted: Mon. Jul 22, 2013

-CP
-Mark
xCeeTee Microsoft need to get it together, so do Sony on some levels. Not being funny but PC is actually free to play online with most games, when I buy a game, I want to play it with my friends, so I spend my money on broadband. But on top of this, I have to pay an extra amount each month to play with my friends. The Xbox Live membership I thought was to help game developers out with their updating services, because if you look at a game such as Minecraft where the developers often give the players updates to have more fun on, the Xbox Live should cover those costs, on PC the updates are free. (Granted, you have to run your own servers but that isn't hard to do.) On Xbox however, you have to pay? I'm not surprised that so many different games companies stop supporting so many Xbox 360 games, but this should also encourage them to make the game 100% before they release it, just like Rockstar have with GTA V. Are you listening EA and Activision? You should take some pointers, I understand there will be certain bugs and exploits but try to at least fix the major ones first, even if you do have to delay the game... You think you're gaining money, but you're losing customers for future games you may make and customers make you the money. Rant, over.

Microsoft is one of the biggest companies in the world. They can afford to take a loss because their computer industry is so large. They make the most popular operating system. PC gaming is very fun I understand that. But some people would rather play on a console. From my experience, console gaming is more social and PC gaming is much more serious. That is just from my experience. When you decide between the two both have their pros and cons.

Windows is dropping, while OSX is increasing. Where is your argument now?

^hahaha this M$ will always be bigger than apple sorry

TomorrowLandPosted: Mon. Jul 22, 2013

-CP
-Mark
xCeeTee Microsoft need to get it together, so do Sony on some levels. Not being funny but PC is actually free to play online with most games, when I buy a game, I want to play it with my friends, so I spend my money on broadband. But on top of this, I have to pay an extra amount each month to play with my friends. The Xbox Live membership I thought was to help game developers out with their updating services, because if you look at a game such as Minecraft where the developers often give the players updates to have more fun on, the Xbox Live should cover those costs, on PC the updates are free. (Granted, you have to run your own servers but that isn't hard to do.) On Xbox however, you have to pay? I'm not surprised that so many different games companies stop supporting so many Xbox 360 games, but this should also encourage them to make the game 100% before they release it, just like Rockstar have with GTA V. Are you listening EA and Activision? You should take some pointers, I understand there will be certain bugs and exploits but try to at least fix the major ones first, even if you do have to delay the game... You think you're gaining money, but you're losing customers for future games you may make and customers make you the money. Rant, over.

Microsoft is one of the biggest companies in the world. They can afford to take a loss because their computer industry is so large. They make the most popular operating system. PC gaming is very fun I understand that. But some people would rather play on a console. From my experience, console gaming is more social and PC gaming is much more serious. That is just from my experience. When you decide between the two both have their pros and cons.

Windows is dropping, while OSX is increasing. Where is your argument now?

Sorry but Windows will always be the superior operating system. Even though I believe OSX is more efficient.

LeapPosted: Mon. Jul 22, 2013

This is why i hate microsoft.. *facepalm

WubsPosted: Mon. Jul 22, 2013

That's why MC updates take so long.

I-DA-KINGPosted: Mon. Jul 22, 2013

They should just make it so that updates are free for certian testers or that if a company is trusted like treyarch/activision don't need to wait the week for it to be tested/released since when mods are released its takes alot more time to patch it

-CPPosted: Mon. Jul 22, 2013

-Mark
xCeeTee Microsoft need to get it together, so do Sony on some levels. Not being funny but PC is actually free to play online with most games, when I buy a game, I want to play it with my friends, so I spend my money on broadband. But on top of this, I have to pay an extra amount each month to play with my friends. The Xbox Live membership I thought was to help game developers out with their updating services, because if you look at a game such as Minecraft where the developers often give the players updates to have more fun on, the Xbox Live should cover those costs, on PC the updates are free. (Granted, you have to run your own servers but that isn't hard to do.) On Xbox however, you have to pay? I'm not surprised that so many different games companies stop supporting so many Xbox 360 games, but this should also encourage them to make the game 100% before they release it, just like Rockstar have with GTA V. Are you listening EA and Activision? You should take some pointers, I understand there will be certain bugs and exploits but try to at least fix the major ones first, even if you do have to delay the game... You think you're gaining money, but you're losing customers for future games you may make and customers make you the money. Rant, over.

Microsoft is one of the biggest companies in the world. They can afford to take a loss because their computer industry is so large. They make the most popular operating system. PC gaming is very fun I understand that. But some people would rather play on a console. From my experience, console gaming is more social and PC gaming is much more serious. That is just from my experience. When you decide between the two both have their pros and cons.

Windows is dropping, while OSX is increasing. Where is your argument now?

WageringPosted: Mon. Jul 22, 2013

It seems the days of glitching is over...

WoobiePosted: Mon. Jul 22, 2013

I really don't like M$

DJMarkyMarkPosted: Mon. Jul 22, 2013

xCeeTee Microsoft need to get it together, so do Sony on some levels. Not being funny but PC is actually free to play online with most games, when I buy a game, I want to play it with my friends, so I spend my money on broadband. But on top of this, I have to pay an extra amount each month to play with my friends. The Xbox Live membership I thought was to help game developers out with their updating services, because if you look at a game such as Minecraft where the developers often give the players updates to have more fun on, the Xbox Live should cover those costs, on PC the updates are free. (Granted, you have to run your own servers but that isn't hard to do.) On Xbox however, you have to pay? I'm not surprised that so many different games companies stop supporting so many Xbox 360 games, but this should also encourage them to make the game 100% before they release it, just like Rockstar have with GTA V. Are you listening EA and Activision? You should take some pointers, I understand there will be certain bugs and exploits but try to at least fix the major ones first, even if you do have to delay the game... You think you're gaining money, but you're losing customers for future games you may make and customers make you the money. Rant, over.

Microsoft is one of the biggest companies in the world. They can afford to take a loss because their computer industry is so large. They make the most popular operating system. PC gaming is very fun I understand that. But some people would rather play on a console. From my experience, console gaming is more social and PC gaming is much more serious. That is just from my experience. When you decide between the two both have their pros and cons.

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