Game Development Community

XBLA contract: The How to guide?

by John Bura · in Torque X 2D · 09/16/2010 (2:27 pm) · 21 replies

So Im sure getting an XBLA contract has crossed most of our minds here. I have been doing some research on it but I feel it might warrant a discussion here on the forums. Most people have probably read this article.

forums.xna.com/forums/t/3290.aspx

Has anybody here tried to get an XBLA contract? From what I can tell its really really hard. But I present a simple formula that might answer the question

1. Make an A++ game.
2. Get a publisher
3. Release on XBLA

I also know that some people think that just because your game is on XBLA your game is going to sell 100 000 copies or more. XBLA does not release sales data so that means we can only estimate. So is XBLA really the money maker it is out to be?

Lastly what is the best way to approach a publisher. Im assuming you want to develop something for proof of concept then show it to them. Im not sure on how this part of the industry works, does anybody have any links they can point to that can clarify this
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Torque 3D Owner Will O-Reagan
Modern Intrigues
#21
09/24/2010 (11:49 pm)
I'm seeing your guy's point. Pino, I guess the fate of game's like Tank Battles and Lumi, is largely being decided by games like (gulp) Limbo. Limbo for me was like a revolution in console gaming, its where they are working at master story telling and such. I guess other games can force their way onto XBLA with fancy graphics, and marvelous 3D engines, but for the most part, XBLIG will just regulate game's not up to the marketing scheme into a state of mediocrity, while games like Limbo push towards a million sales, or 10's of thousands per week. ( Know limbo is above the 300,000 mark from doing a little research).

Now we are getting hit on all fronts, limbo costs 15 dollars, limbo has achievements, limbo is cool, "cliffy b" is tweeting about limbo, Felicia Day is tweeting about limbo, blah blah blah. Mean while, Lumi is just a bucket of crap right? Its kind of sad, but its so true. Could anyone say Lumi is on par with limbo? Of course not. But could someone say Limbo is 100X better then Lumi, um, thats just silly!

Reviews of Lumi = 431
Reviews of Limbo = 48000

So how are these copy's getting sold? I'm not saying Lumi did everything right marketing wise...

Action Arcade Wresting's Reviews = 500+

Lumi is being beaten by a game of considerably less polish and prestige, that came out oh, two months later!


My summation... is it is certainly (probably?) possible to make it onto the XBLA with an XBLIG, just don't bring a knife to a gun fight.

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