If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Xbox Game Preview will include first-party games

Thanks, Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

halo_the_master_chief_collection

Microsoft is going to use Xbox Game Preview to support early access-style development of its own games, publishing head Shannon Loftis has confirmed.

Speaking to Kotaku, Loftis said there is "no question" on that count.

"I can’t make any announcements about first-party games we’re going to put in Preview but typically at this point, given the way games development’s going, and the complexity of the systems, it is very important to us the consumer goes along with us the whole way," the executive said.

"Game development itself has evolved in the last two, three, four years. It’s become far more community driven and far more incremental. This is a way to extend the beta experience and also support development a little in the process."

Loftis said Xbox fans love the service, and that there's been a "huge amount of uptake".

"We’ve had a bit of a mad rush from the development community," she added.

Xbox Game Preview is pretty much Steam Early Access for Microsoft consoles; it allows developers to sell an in-development version of their games, using the community to test and provide feedback as projects build towards full release.

However, elsewhere in the linked interview Loftis said Xbox Game Preview will be curated, unlike the free-for-all on Greenlight. There are pros and cons to both approaches, but Loftis said Microsoft's main motivation in walling off its garden is to prevent bad user experiences.

"We’ve been very clear with developers and gamers both that this isn’t a viable means of funding development. You have to be able to actually finish the game in order to get into the program," she said.

Hit the source link for further discussion.

Sign in and unlock a world of features

Get access to commenting, homepage personalisation, newsletters, and more!

Related topics
About the Author
Brenna Hillier avatar

Brenna Hillier

Contributor

Based in Australia and having come from a lengthy career in the Aussie games media, Brenna worked as VG247's remote Deputy Editor for several years, covering news and events from the other side of the planet to the rest of the team. After leaving VG247, Brenna retired from games media and crossed over to development, working as a writer on several video games.

Comments