ID@Xbox might be the most important weapon in the Xbox armoury as we prepare for next-gen (Pic: MICROSOFT)
Every year, Microsoft hosts a little event after GDC designed to show off what ID@Xbox titles are coming up in the months ahead.
Proper little gems like Cuphead, Moonlighters, Thimbleweed Park, Superhot, Outlast and more have debuted on Xbox One here – shown to press as a celebration of smaller games, shining a light on little titles that might otherwise get overshadowed by the triple-A juggernauts that headline E3 or Gamescom.
As a journalist, I've been to this event for four years in a row – it's a great opportunity to see what Microsoft is doing for smaller developers, proudly outlining how the ID@Xbox brand allows indies to take advantage of the Xbox One platform. There's always an amazing vibe here, often with developers showing off titles on console for the first time – and the nervous energy is palpable.
Microsoft doesn't interfere too much: press turn up, rotate stations and get to sample the upcoming release slate for the programme – it's low pressure, relaxed and promotes enthusiasm and respect between press and developers
The games that launch here don't necessarily stay exclusive to Xbox One for long (Cuphead is coming to Switch later this year, for example), but the developers get a 'head start' on Xbox One via the programme.
"I think if [platform holders] support indies, everyone benefits," explains Agostino Simonetta, European regional lead for ID@Xbox during an informal chat at the event. "You see how we work with developers to help make their games more visible, and you also see Nintendo doing it.”
A rising tide lifts all ships, so to speak, and ID@Xbox is certainly a noticeable tide.
The programme saw a massive 500 new studios added to its roster in 2018 and represents 67 countries across the globe (Simonetta jokes: "There's an ID@Xbox developer in every continent… except Antarctica").
Over 1000 games have released via the programme to date, and there are over 1,600 in active development – Simonetta and Microsoft know that the future is in indies, that smaller studios have the same potential of creating a critical and commercial hit as the industry behemoths, and are investing in that future as we move from the comfort zone of the Xbox One and PS4 into what appears to be a more streaming-orientated, online future.
To that end, the impact of ID@Xbox on the platform is massive. Over 4,000,000,000 (that's four billion!) hours have been committed by players to ID@Xbox games – a clear indicator that there's a massive hunger for these titles, for these smaller experiences.
Thanks to subscription service Xbox Games Pass, we've also seen Microsoft reach out to gamers and allow them to play games that might otherwise be outside of their comfort zone – Simonetta told us about 40% of people that played Curve Digital's Human Fall Flat on Xbox Games Pass had never even played a puzzle game before.
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"I think bringing a number of titles to Xbox Game Pass has really benefited both our developers and gamers," Simonetta tells us. "Xbox Game Pass has helped give independent developers more exposure with audiences that they wouldnt have normally been able to reach."
Ben Decker, Head of Gaming Services at Microsoft shared an interesting fact with GameDaily.biz earlier in the month, too, noting that when they're added to Xbox Games Pass, titles generally see engagement massively jump.
"On average we see a six times increase in usage for all the games that go into Xbox Game Pass. So, on average, a game goes into Game Pass, number of people playing it goes up by about six times. That varies, depending on the size and recency of the title, obviously, but that's the average across the board."
So the players benefit – getting more chance to play more games, for less money – and the developers benefit, too. And not just in exposure. Microsoft notes that over $1,200,000,000 has been generated in digital revenue via the programme – meaning developers don't just see a basic return on their projects… they see an incredibly healthy return on them.
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So as we head into next-gen territory – and a less-hardware focused future – will Microsoft continue to support ID@Xbox the way it has for the last four years? Will the publisher be tempted to lean more into triple-A, relying only on massive games to kick off the next-gen?
Simonetta doesn't think so – in fact, it's refreshing and reassuring to hear a Microsoft spokesperson reiterate that the developers come first (no matter what size the studio), and will do for as long as ID@Xbox continues to operate.
"I think its important we always evolve the programme to ensure it benefits developers," notes Simonetta.
"Were always looking to expand our partners and give them access to tRead More – Source
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