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Indie Developer Claims “Indies Don’t Matter To Microsoft”
One vocal indie developer has confirmed my growing fears surrounding the Xbox One and its support — or lack thereof — of indie games. In a recent interview with VG247, Oddworld Inhabitant co-founder Lorne Lanning discussed the perils of getting his studio’s game, Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD, on the Xbox Live Marketplace.
Apparently, it’s no easy feat. Microsoft made them wait for over a year with little communication before eventually not allowing them to release their game on XBLA. “We’re not on the radar. We’re little guys. It doesn’t seem like any of the little guys are on the radar. When we listen to them talk, we have to laugh. It’s pure rhetoric.” Lanning told VG247. More after the jump.
Lanning’s statements mirror that of several other indie developers, including Fez creator Phil Fish, who aren’t happy with Microsoft’s treatment of the little guys.
This lack of support from Microsoft has led to a gradual exodus of indie developers away from the Xbox platforms. Many of these developers are finding their homes on PC, usually through Steam, or on Sony’s significantly more inviting platform.
Currently, if you want to purchase an indie game on the Xbox 360, you can visit the indie or arcade section to find what you’re looking for. On the Xbox One, every category has been merged into one Frankencategory, making it more difficult to find games from smaller studios. On top of this, Microsoft also won’t allow indie developers to self-publish their games — instead they’ll need to find a third party publisher for distribution.
It’s worth mentioning the PlayStation 4 does none of this. Indie devs get the spotlight they deserve and they can self-publish their games rather than spending additional money on a middle man. Sony’s support of indie games was apparent when, during their pre-E3 media briefing, they actually spent time showing off the many indie games that are coming to exclusively to the PS4 (and in many cases, PC) — including two very high profile horror games, Daylight and Outlast.
“Right now people like us are clearly not in Xbox One’s business model. And there’s nothing we can do about that,” Lanning added. “Ten years from now, the biggest banners out there, the hundred million dollar games, are going to be what happened in the indie community.”
“Someone’s going to be burning the next hundred million dollar properties here, and it might be the least likely guy that was on that stage at the Sony conference. But that’s where it’s going to come from, and the smart people know that. I don’t see any indication of that foresight up in Redmond. They do not seem to be listening to their audience.”
We know Microsoft is currently prepping a Gamescom press conference. Hopefully they’ll shed more light on this situation at the event.
Have a question? Feel free to ever-so-gently toss Adam an email, or follow him on Twitter and Bloody Disgusting.
Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor best known for his role in 1993’s Jurassic Park, has passed away this week at 78 years old. In a statement shared on Neill’s Instagram page this morning, the actor’s family said that his passing was “sudden and unexpected.”
Neill had been diagnosed with a rare blood cancer in 2022, but stated the following year that he was in remission. The family notes that he “remained cancer free” at the time of his passing.
The family statement reads, “It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney Australia. Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life. The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free.
“They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care. More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.”
In addition to his iconic role as Dr. Alan Grant in the original Jurassic Park and the sequels Jurassic Park III and Jurassic World: Dominion, Sam Neill left an indelible mark on the horror genre with memorable roles in Andrzej Żuławski’s Possession, The Omen: The Final Conflict, John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness, and sci-fi horror favorite Event Horizon.
Sam Neill’s vast resume in film and television began in the early 1970s and also includes the films Sleeping Dogs, Enigma, The Good Wife, A Cry in the Dark, Dead Calm, The Hunt for Red October, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Hostage, The Jungle Book, Snow White: A Tale of Terror, The Horse Whisperer, Bicentennial Man, Daybreakers, Escape Plan, and Thor: Ragnarok.
Sam Neill is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren.
Steven Spielberg said in a statement to Variety, “I owe a debt of gratitude to Roger Donaldson, Gilliam Armstrong, Graham Baker and Phillip Noyce for casting Sam Neill in the roles in which he was so brilliant that brought him to my attention and led to his playing Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park. Sam was exceptionally collaborative. It was a stretch for him to play a character who acted as though children were messy and smelly because this was the opposite of the loving father he was to his children. I adored making all the Jurassic movies with him.”
Spielberg adds, “Along with Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, we will always have our Jurassic family and Sam will never be forgotten by us or his many millions of fans around the world.”
Sam Neill in ‘Event Horizon’
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