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Should Xbox Live Indie Games be Renamed Xbox Live Apps?

quickstart_tour_1It’s a funny thing; when you release a digital marketplace in this day and age and provide little restrictions as to just what can be uploaded you get content that may not have been originally intended for the platform. Case and point: Xbox Live Indie Games (XBLIG).

Microsoft launched XBLIG as Xbox Live Community Games in late 2008 and was designed as a way to give small-time indie developers a true digital distribution channel without having to go through the horrors that are ESRB rating and certification. Basically, Microsoft let loose a free XNA development platform and left the review process up to the community to decide what should stay and what should go.

Fast forward to late 2009 and, while the service still has plenty of games, it’s beginning to resemble something similar to the iPhone App Store or the Android Marketplace rather than XBLA. In fact, there are over five “massage” apps on XBLIG at this very moment, none of which have any sort of gaming component to them. How much longer will it be until we begin seeing note, weather, calculator, and, god forbid, flashlight applications on the service? Obviously the last one is a bit of sarcastic stretch but it does raise some issues with just what can be included in a store dubbed “Indie Games“.

So what’s the real deal with the platform? Is it destined to become more of an actual app store, albeit with less functionality than a smart phone, or should Microsoft step up and start steering the direction of the service back towards gaming? It’s an interesting question and one that could have very real affects on the future of the platform.

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  • http://obsessedmikey.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/xbox-live-indie-games-or-indie-apps/ Xbox Live Indie Games or Indie “Apps”? « ObsessedMikey's Gaming Rants

    [...] Some people suggest that the solution to this problem is to simply rename (again) the service to Xbox Live Apps, but is this really the solution? Do we really want massage “programmes” or calculators on our Xbox? Of course not. The thing is, the Xbox Live Indie Games programme is actually meant to have some sort of peer review system in place to counter out this type of thing, but this is obviously not working well, and perhaps there should be more emphasis from Microsoft to tell those involved in the process that these “apps” aren’t fit for a games store. It may seem like not much of an issue, but if this is kept up, it will deter people from bothering to look through the new content available on the service if there is so much of this shovelware blocking out the goodness… Categories: Gaming Issues Tags: apple app store, indie games, xbox live Comments (0) Trackbacks (0) Leave a comment Trackback [...]

  • Alex Blickenstaff

    Hi Geoff,

    I just thought you might be interested to know – I actually am making a flashlight game. It’s currently in the reviewing stage right now.

    So far my only other application has been The Fart Machine II – http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/games/media/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80258550310

    Please email me back if you have any comments or questions.

    Thank you,
    Alex Blickenstaff

  • Jesse

    *facepalm*

    Of course some assclown is making a flashlight “game” for it. And what a wonderful followup to a fart generator. Good job on making the service more of a joke.

    An entire world of fail.

  • Geoff Gibson

    I’d be curious as to what you mean by “flashlight game”. I’m not opposed to the idea as long as it is an actual game.

    But for the love of god, please don’t tell me it’s just a flashlight app.

  • Eddy Gordo

    Here’s what he means. From the description of the “game.”

    The Flashlight

    Set your Xbox brightness to unsurpassed levels! With this flashlight app, you can quickly and easily illuminate the entire room with the push of a button, or activate STROBE MODE to experience the most awesome light spectacle you’ve ever seen!

  • Geoff Gibson

    I’d like to take this time to thank Alex for giving my post additional evidence to back up my claim.

  • Alex Blickenstaff

    No problem. I’m also in the process of making two actual games, hopefully I’ll get those up soon.

  • http://diygamer.com/2009/10/where-are-our-indie-games-sony-nintendo/ Where are Our Indie Games Sony, Nintendo? | DIYgamer

    [...] am, of course, speaking about Xbox Live Indie Games. While the service has put out a few non-games (you can read our take on there here) it has overwhelmingly been a positive force in the world of indie gaming. No longer were indie [...]

  • LifesMysteries

    You guys should also check out “The Answer To Life”, also on Indie Games.

    The full version displays text; the trial version conceals the text. the “game” doesn’t even have anything else. The developer is basically selling information instead of a game.

  • http://www.xna-today.jpn.org/archives/1506 XNA Today » 2009/11/5 のニュース

    [...] ▼Should Xbox Live Indie Games be Renamed Xbox Live Apps?(DIYgamer) XBLIGで配信されている一部タイトルに明らかにゲームとは言えないものがあることに対して、Xbox LIVE インディーズ ゲーム ではなく Xbox LIVE アプリ ではないか？と問題提起しています。 [...]

  • http://knoworange.blogspot.com/ XboxLivehack

    Has any1 else had problems showing images on this site? before it would not load for me but now all is good !

  • http://diygamer.com/2010/01/stock-xbox-live-indie-apps/ Taking Stock of the Xbox Live Indie… Apps | DIYgamer

    [...] how Microsoft’s Xbox Live Indie Game’s channel should be considered for a name change (read it here). Something along the lines of Xbox Live Apps, or Xbox Live Apps and Games. Whatever the case, at [...]

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    I was searching for repairing my xbox when I found your site. Great post. Thank You.

  • http://www.doublefine.com/forums/viewthread/2803/ Gerardo Kuzio

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