Xbox Live Creators Program Set for Summer Release

This summer, the Xbox One is preparing to go the open platform route. How do I mean? Well, Microsoft will no longer choose which games will be accepted for its Xbox store.

According to Bryan Saftler via CNET, senior marketing manager on Xbox Live:

"We're hoping through a program like this that we can discover the next Rocket League."

 
This is the Xbox Live Creators Program, which was announced earlier at the Game Developers Conference. Again, referring to CNET's report and the Windows Blog, this program will give any developer the opportunity to publish Xbox Live-enabled games on Windows 10 PCs and Xbox One consoles.

The Creators Program will be providing those same developers with access to Xbox Live sign-in, presence, and select social features that can be integrated with their UWP games.

There are some limitations, however:

• No multiplayer games. Unfortunately, developers cannot publish multiplayer games.
• Games won't have access to all of the power the Xbox One offers. According to a statement from Mahraham Qadir: "It's going to be running in the same system space of the console."
• No achievements will be added to these games. Unfortunately for those achievement hunters.
• Only games with Microsoft's Universal Windows Platform tools can be featured.
• No marketing support whatsoever. This means that developers will not receive marketing support from Microsoft whatsoever, meaning that games may potentially be buried underneath a deluge of other games.
• There is an approval process. It will only take a few hours, but it's to weed out the clones and games with inappropriate content.
• Windows ports absolutely must use the Xbox controller. As in no mouse and keyboard.

Of course, there is a lot of good as well regarding this program. For one, Microsoft won't reject any game as long as it doesn't break store policy, developers can set their own prices, and devs only need to play $20 to register a Microsoft developer account.

Seems enticing, but we may see a lot of meh titles in the future.