Make an Xbox Live
Arcade Game Now
It’s more than possible, especially if you have an
amazing idea
- John Brandon
“Don’t quit you day job.” Yeah right. Ever notice how that feels like a kick in the shins? It also says: don’t pursue your dreams, and just keep flipping grease monsters at Burger King. Well, it’s time to flip them off, isn’t it? Let’s say you have this amazing idea for a casual game. You’ve written out the gameplay, know what you want for graphics, and have even mapped out controller buttons. Probably the best – and, let’s be honest, most realistic – way to get it published is through Microsoft Xbox Live Arcade. Here’s how to make it happen, with some expert advice from two indie developers.
Step One: Submit your
idea to arcade@microsoft.com
Short of shoving your mock-ups into Pete Moore’s face at a trade show, you can get Microsoft’s attention with an amazing idea
just by sending it to their inbox. They don’t respond at all if they hate the
idea, and even if you do perk their interest, it could take months before they
reply. “Microsoft will want to know
what the game is, can they play a current version, what will make it absolutely
fantastic on Live Arcade, and do you have the team to make it happen,” says
Steve Taylor from Wahoo Games.
Step Two: Sign
preliminary contracts and get a dev kit
If Microsoft likes the idea, they will set up a contract and dev kit. This is
not the same as “yes we will absolutely publish your game.” It just means the
hard work starts. “You have to have a team with the skills necessary to be able
to manage every aspect of your games development, including the programming,
networking implementation, art, level design, user interface design and
implementation, music, sound effects, debugging, performance and memory optimization.,” says Simon Hallam from Reflexive
Entertainment. Sounds tough, but just
one guy made the Live game Geometry Wars. Many
Live Arcade games were made by small indie teams with just one or two people.
Step Three: Get help
from the Live Arcade team
Making a game means deciding on camera angles, whether
to include multiplayer, adding Live achievements and leaderboards, paying a
programmer, and hiring an artist. It’s time consuming. Figure on 3-4 months of
work and high credit card bills. But, once you get all your stuff straight,
it’s time to get Microsoft involved. “There’s
always a review and discussion process with the Live Arcade team, says Taylor.
“But they are passionate about helping the little guy with a great idea.”
Step Four: Go through the certification process
It’s not like pulling teeth – more like having them
all surgically removed. Heh, not quite, but both Wahoo and Reflexive said
certification can be grueling. “It’s is the most
difficult part, but the requirements are clearly specified,” says Hallam. “Stuff
like using the correct terminology when referring to the Xbox 360 system, Xbox
Live Arcade, controllers, peripherals, what actions the controller buttons perform .”
Step Five: Game gets
added to the Marketplace, and you get a percentage of every sale
Once you pass certification, cry over your credit card bills, and bemoan the
fact that you gave up part of your life for this crazy dream, it’s time to get
the game out to the public. It’s exciting, says Taylor, because
you never know if your casual game could become the next Bejeweled. When someone downloads the game from
Marketplace, you get a percentage of the royalties, but you also get the
extreme satisfaction of knowing you went with your gut and made an awesome
game.
Tips from the Pros
Before you submit an idea to arcade@microsoft.com,
it’s important to ask some questions. Taylor and Hallam fired off a cadre of
tips for the budding game developer:
1. First, make sure the game is in some playable form, just in case they ask.
This could be a simple mock-up in Macromedia Flash or even just notecards –
just something to show the idea.
2. Keep the current Live Arcade portfolio in mind: if the Marketplace is filled
with recently-added puzzle games, make something new instead. Microsoft wants a
broad spectrum of games.
3. Make sure before you submit an idea that you have already talked to
programmers and artists. You can find them at places like guru.com and even ask
how much they charge.
4. Be ready with a plan so if Microsoft does like your idea, you can explain
exactly how you will create the title, with what team, by when, and also how
much help you might need from them.
Five
Live Arcade Games Made by Small Teams
1. Outpost Kaloki X (Ninja Bee/ Wahoo Studios)
2. Cloning
3. Wik: Fable of Souls (Reflexive Entertainment)
4. Feeding Frenzy (Sprout Games)
5. Jewel Quest (iWin, inc)