Indie developers cannot self-publish on Xbox One

Microsoft will not allow independent developers to self-publish their games on Xbox One without partnering with Microsoft Studios or a third-party partner, a Microsoft exec told Shacknews at the console's reveal event.

The policy mirrors that of the Xbox Live Arcade platform on Xbox 360, which requires developers to partner with an approved publisher to get a game on the platform — the Xbox Live Indie Games service carries no such requirement, but is also a much less successful storefront for indie game sales. The future of the Indie Games platform is also in limbo, as Microsoft has confirmed that it will release no new versions of its XNA game development toolset, which all Xbox Live Indie Games are developed in.

When asked if the publisher requirement would carry over to Xbox One's digital platform, general manager of Redmond Game Studios and Platforms Matt Booty told Shacknews, "as of right now, yes. We intend to continue to court developers in the ways that we have.

"I would also expect that for this new generation, that we're going to continue to explore new business models and new ways of surfacing content," Booty added. "But Microsoft Studios is a publisher that works with a wide range of partners, as do a lot of other people, to bring digital content to the box."

Microsoft's policy is quite different from that of Sony's, which will allow invited developers to self-publish and self-price their games on PS4, the company explained during its console reveal event in February.