Xbox LIVE Community Games Albert Ho Group Program Manager XNA Community Game Platform Team Microsoft

How we got here… Enabled development on a retail Xbox 360 with XNA Game Studio Express XNA Game Studio based curricula taught in over 700 institutions worldwide Four Xbox LIVE Arcade contracts awarded from Dream.Build.Play Relaunched creators.xna.com XNA Game Studio supports Zune development Over 1 million+ downloads of GS

Enabled development on a retail Xbox 360 with XNA Game Studio Express

XNA Game Studio based curricula taught in over 700 institutions worldwide

Four Xbox LIVE Arcade contracts awarded from Dream.Build.Play

Relaunched creators.xna.com

XNA Game Studio supports Zune development

Over 1 million+ downloads of GS

End of journey, start of another… No portfolio management or delisting of games Provide access to broad/niche and unique content Making it real – create monetary opportunities using XNA Game Studio Any Creator can distribute games and make money

No portfolio management or delisting of games

Provide access to broad/niche and unique content

Making it real – create monetary opportunities using XNA Game Studio

Any Creator can distribute games and make money

Topics Community Games — The Wild West Getting onto Xbox LIVE Marketplace Consumer Store Experience Business Model, Pricing and Payouts

Community Games — The Wild West

Getting onto Xbox LIVE Marketplace

Consumer Store Experience

Business Model, Pricing and Payouts

Community Games on Xbox 360 The Wild West of Content? Good Industry Citizenship Work within existing rating board guidelines Ensure community content can be managed by parents Parental Settings Community Games are unrated (i.e., more restrictive than M-rated games) Child accounts under 13 are blocked The Internet and Thousands of Games Need a review system that can scale Anonymity breeds animosity –mitigate bad behavior Peer Review Peers are game Creators with a premium membership ($49/$99/year) Provide personally identifiable information Vet for game safety not gameplay

Good Industry Citizenship

Work within existing rating board guidelines

Ensure community content can be managed by parents

Parental Settings

Community Games are unrated (i.e., more restrictive than M-rated games)

Child accounts under 13 are blocked

The Internet and Thousands of Games

Need a review system that can scale

Anonymity breeds animosity –mitigate bad behavior

Peer Review

Peers are game Creators with a premium membership ($49/$99/year)

Provide personally identifiable information

Vet for game safety not gameplay

Community Game Classification Creator sets… One classification system for all countries No age recommendation Creators set values; peer reviewers agree/disagree Prohibited content is rejected automatically Separate checklist not shown here

One classification system for all countries

No age recommendation

Creators set values; peer reviewers agree/disagree

Prohibited content is rejected automatically

Separate checklist not shown here

Reactive Measures When Microsoft needs to step in… Relying on creators to avoid this; however… Complaints about games can be reported via xbox.com If a complaint is valid: Microsoft will remove game from Marketplace and/or disable games from launching on the console

Relying on creators to avoid this; however…

Complaints about games can be reported via xbox.com

If a complaint is valid:

Microsoft will remove game from Marketplace and/or disable games from launching on the console

Quick tour of Peer Review… demo

demo

Community Games demo

demo

Getting onto Xbox LIVE Marketplace Get a premium membership and create your game using XNA Game Studio 3.0 Submit and classify your game at http://creators.xna.com … but play test first… Wait for peer review approval Consumers can purchase your game in Marketplace

Community Game Store Placeholder *Details are still subject to change

Community Game Specifications *Premium Downloadable Content Time Limited Trial Mode Size limit of 150 MB compressed 50 MB limit for 200 point games Localization and regional support is optional No language requirements for countries Japanese language games in France are okay No support today for achievements, leaderboards, or PDLC*

Time Limited Trial Mode

Size limit of 150 MB compressed

50 MB limit for 200 point games

Localization and regional support is optional

No language requirements for countries

Japanese language games in France are okay

No support today for achievements, leaderboards, or PDLC*

Game Quality Make sure your game doesn’t crash! No formal certification requirements Leverage play testing with other Creators Community Games Best Practices doc will be available as guidelines on creators.xna.com

No formal certification requirements

Leverage play testing with other Creators

Community Games Best Practices doc will be available as guidelines on creators.xna.com

New Game Metadata Box art for your game is the most important and required Other metadata is optional Slideshow Game capabilities details Not available for Community Games this fall Game banners Picture background Video previews

Box art for your game is the most important and required

Other metadata is optional

Slideshow

Game capabilities details

Not available for Community Games this fall

Game banners

Picture background

Video previews

Business Model, Pricing and Payouts 70% to Creator Additional 10-30% fee is deducted for promoted games Pricing Payouts once per quarter, 45 days after the quarter Electronic fund transfer (EFT) only

70% to Creator

Additional 10-30% fee is deducted for promoted games

Pricing

Payouts once per quarter, 45 days after the quarter

Electronic fund transfer (EFT) only

Looking Forward… fall – Beta 2 holiday — launch in: US Canada UK France Italy Spain expand to more countries exploring additional platforms improve consumer discoverability!

fall – Beta 2

holiday — launch in:

US

Canada

UK

France

Italy

Spain

expand to more countries

exploring additional platforms

improve consumer discoverability!

E-mail: [email_address] [email_address] THANK YOU Go to creators.xna.com often to check for updates!

www.xnagamefest.com © 2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.