Microsoft has unveiled Xbox Live Community Games, a new service that will allow XNA members to create and upload games to Xbox Live without the need for a Creators Club subscription or PC link.
XNA head Chris Satchell told the Game Developers Conference the new system would be controlled by the Xbox Live community itself, rather than by Microsoft, according a report by Develop. The system will work in four stages: Users will first create their games using XNA Game Studio 2.0, then upload the title along with content descriptors that detail the game’s content. From there, the game enters a “Peer Review” stage during which community members examine the game for objectionable or infringing content and ensure the content descriptors are accurate, after which the game will become available to the Xbox Live community at large. Developers will also be given their own unique identities as part of the Xbox Live Community Games service, similar to Gamertags, that will show their history and allow them to develop a following among Xbox Live users.
“18 months ago, we revolutionized the industry by democratizing game development with XNA,” Satchell said. “We unlocked the same retail console that you play games on for development. When we did the Dream Build Play competition, we picked four titles that we wanted to give commercial contracts to. But when we thought about it, we thought it was sad that all of those other great games didn’t have a chance to be played by everyone.”
“Now it’s time to democratize game distribution,” he added. “And to do that, we need to put the power in the hands of the community.”
