W
hile the original Xbox is still fondly remembered for its technical advances in data storage, downloadable content and
netplay in the console space (well, that and games like Halo: Combat Evolved and Jet Set Radio Future), the Xbox 360 was a developer friendly machine. It was also the console to own if you were interested in creative, vibrant games from smaller teams. Microsoft had put work in to carve out and define space at the forefront of digital distribution with Xbox Live Arcade, Summer of Arcade and Xbox Live Indie Games, building up
“One of the reasons why I’m excited to go to Develop is that we started this program by listening to developers, we’ve never stopped listening, and we’re always working to evolve the program based on their feedback”
tremendous amounts of good will with players, and opening up the console development space to everyone who wanted to be there all at once. Xbox dazzled its audience with smaller titles like AstroPop, Braid, Castle Crashers, Super Meat Boy, ‘Splosion Man and other contemporaries which would forever change the digital landscape of the industry, even for it competitors Sony and Nintendo. Eventually, however, the people in charge changed, the company lost its staggering lead, and if we’re honest, a lot of the good will as well. Thankfully, it’s rarely ever too late to
course correct, if you’re willing to put in the time and the effort. The ID@Xbox initiative was first announced to the world for the Xbox One by then-Xbox VP Phil Harrison at Gamescom in 2013, reaffirming a company commitment to indie games and their developers after a perhaps misjudged effort to embrace AAA ‘family gaming’ and motion-control trends
June 2023 MCV/DEVELOP | 19
with the Kinect that the core audience had already largely rejected by that point. ID@Xbox has since been one of the most successful corporate endeavors at Xbox Game Studios, and continues to bolster the first party publisher, console hardware manufacturer and cloud gaming provider’s game line up with a number of critical darlings that continue to surprise and delight gaming audiences each year. ID@Xbox was largely conceived by director Chris
Charla, an ex-games journalist and software developer that has only taken the indie program to even greater creative and financial heights alongside the rising star that is the Game Pass subscription service. Ahead of his keynote appearance at next month’s Develop conference, Charla took the time to talk to MCV/DEVELOP to discuss the program’s successes and ultimately, what’s next for what is probably Xbox Game Studios’ most underrated division.
Your Develop Conference keynote is in a few weeks. How did it come about? They called me, or sent me a message on Facebook, and I was really excited. I haven’t been to Develop in a few years because of the pandemic, and we have an awesome team in the UK who cover it really well. So I just haven’t had an opportunity to go. I’m super excited to attend and just see everybody and get to hang out.
What does delivering the keynote allow you to do? It must be quite difficult to pitch ID@Xbox where you’ll be preaching to the converted in some respects. How do you get the message of ID@Xbox out in new ways? We have more than 5000 developers who’ve joined the ID@Xbox program in the ten years since we were
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