"At the business level, Microsoft isn't acknowledging people like us. It's as if we don't matter."

In an interview with VG 24/7, Lorne Lanning, creator of the Oddworld series, spoke to the lack of independent developers on Xbox One - stark in contrast to Sony's courtship of indies on the PS4. "We're not on the radar. We're little guys. It doesn't seem like any of the little guys are on the radar."

At the Microsoft E3 keynote this year, the focus was on blockbuster games; Minecraft: Xbox One Edition was the only indie game showcased. Lanning said he doesn't expect a bright future for indies on the Xbox platform.

"Ten years from now, the biggest banners out there, the hundred million dollar games, are going to be what happened in the indie community," Lanning elaborated. "That's the only place we're seeing real innovation because that's the only place people can really afford to." Lanning said it's the "smart people" who see independent games on equal footing with AAA games in the future. "I don't see any indication of that foresight up in Redmond. They do not seem to be listening to their audience."

To Microsoft's credit, it's not entirely oblivious. After introducing the Xbox One and its DRM policies, the console was widely criticized. Microsoft later backtracked and made a dramatic reversal on Xbox One's policies. Lanning added Microsoft has "a pretty good understanding of who makes really expensive great games, but beyond that there's not really any insight into how people get there from nothing."

Posted: Jul 23, 2013 6:57 am
Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2013/07/22/oddworlds-lanning-on-xbox-one-indies-its-as-if-we-dont-matt/