One of the greatest parts of the earlier Microsoft generation was the sheer bulk of indie gaming content on hand. Granted, not all of it was that good. A large portion of it was godawful. Much of it took some unusual chances that didn't quite pan out; one game featured checkers as a battle mechanic. Those missing the old days of sub-par yet sometimes fun surprises around every corner may not have long to wait as new word has emerged around ID@Xbox.
The head of ID@Xbox in Europe, Agostino Simonetta, offered up some word about its progress, noting that about 1,400 developers currently had dev kits on hand. That meant a great potential for new release games to follow. Simonetta noted that it was "very keen" to get this technology out to the large community, and Microsoft has been actively working with indie developers, a community which is becoming increasingly important in the gaming market these days.
This is also having some impact on game release schedules, as games aren't just being released in the fourth quarter any more in a bid to pursue the holiday shopping crowd. We've already had several fairly major launches this year, and several more are set to follow. The old days of "summer drought" have largely given way to new opportunities to be seen, and thus, the gaming droughts are starting to fall away.
Great news for gamers, but almost too good. I can speak from experience here; there are a host of games I'm eager to try out, but I simply don't have the time to get in as much as I'd like. The sheer amount of content available almost prevents its careful exploration and engagement. But that's the problem to have; there's a game for most any taste, and those looking for something new need only wait a matter of weeks, not months, to try it out. Having options is great; having the time and resources to explore them is even better.
Still, it's hard to complain about having options; if even half of those outstanding kits actually makes a game in the next year, and even a tenth of them are any good, then we're going to have seventy awesome new games to run through, or better than one a week. That's good news no matter how you slice it, and news that will make gaming all the better in the months to come.
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