Developer won’t patch XBLA game because Microsoft would charge ‘tens of thousands’ of dollars

Developer won't patch XBLA game because Microsoft would charge 'tens of thousands' for the privilege

Seeing as how so much software is moving to online distribution, the significance of this controversy might extend far beyond gaming and XBLA. For now, however, the spotlight is firmly on Microsoft and the way it charges developers for testing their games and patches, after a well-known developer made an unusually public complaint. In a post on its official blog, Polytron said it would not patch a rare game-saving bug in its popular title Fez, because Microsoft would charge it "tens of thousands of dollars to re-certify the game." It added that "had Fez been released on Steam instead of XBLA," the problem would have been fixed "right away" and at no cost to the developer, which strongly hints that it'll jump to another platform as soon as its XBLA exclusivity expires. Responses to the story over at our sister site Joystiq are decidedly mixed, with some folks outraged that Microsoft's high maintenance attitude could hold back improvements in this way while others suspect Polytron of blame-shifting.

Filed under: ,

Developer won't patch XBLA game because Microsoft would charge 'tens of thousands' of dollars originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 08:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq  |  sourcePolytron  | Email this | Comments

Indie Game: The Movie: The Worldwide Release: June 12th

Image

What, you didn't think those games appeared on Xbox Live through some act of magic, did you? No, they're the product of insanely small teams working insanely long hours, at the risk of their well-being, social lives and, in some cases, personal hygiene, in order to bring you a downloadable break from Call of Duty. Indie Game: The Movie is a beautifully shot, occasionally heartwarming and perpetually fascinating look at the intersection of art and technology currently being explored by indie game developers, focusing on the creators of Fez, Braid and Super Meat Boy.

We managed to get a sneak peak of the Sundance documentary, courtesy of filmmakers James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot, who appeared on the most recent episode of the Engadget Show -- and now you can join in on the fun: the film is getting a worldwide web release on June 12th, by way of iTunes, Steam and the official movie site. If you can't wait until then, however, you can pre-order the movie now for $10 in the source link below.

Continue reading Indie Game: The Movie: The Worldwide Release: June 12th

Indie Game: The Movie: The Worldwide Release: June 12th originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 May 2012 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq  |  sourceIndie Game: The Movie  | Email this | Comments

Must See HDTV (April 9th – April 15th)

Must See HDTV (April 9th - April 15th)
This week the baseball season is in full swing and while we wait for the NBA to get its postseason started the NHL is already kicking off its race for the Stanley Cup. While that and racing action from all the major series should satisfy sports fans there's also a few treats for fans of drama with the series finale of Justified and a Titanic miniseries (spoiler alert: you already know how it ends) and reality TV with the season premiere of Deadliest Catch. Finally, there aren't any big name game releases but long awaited indie effort Fez is finally coming to Xbox Live Arcade April 13th, look for a trailer as well as our weekly listings after the break.

NHL Playoffs
The regular season is over and now the NHL Playoffs begin Wednesday night. The Rangers and the Canucks are at the top of the seeding but as we all know anything can happen. What will almost certainly happen is another fight between the Flyers and the Penguins. Our over/under on players suspended during the series is set at 2.
(All Week, NHL Network & NBC Sports Network)

Eastbound & Down
This week we say goodbye to Kenny Powers for the last time, as his minor and major league baseball hijinks come to an end after their third season on HBO. If you'd like a quick preview of where the story is going, there's a trailer for the finale included after the break, but if you're not a regular viewer it probably won't make any sense.
(April 15, HBO, 10PM)

Justified
This FX series has become one of the best dramas on TV right now and this week in the season finale the interesting and engaging set of characters take each other on one last time. While we're never quite sure what will go on with US Marshal Raylan Givens it's a pretty fair bet that someone will get shot, it's just a matter of who.
(April 10, FX, 10PM)

Continue reading Must See HDTV (April 9th - April 15th)

Must See HDTV (April 9th - April 15th) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments