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Microsoft helping Dev, with free kits

statham

statham

Member
after all the negativity, MS should get some props for this.
Rubikant said:
We are not planning on XBox One being the only console we port to, however it is the first console that will feature Volgarr the Viking for one simple reason - Microsoft gave us free dev kits. Sony and Nintendo told us they have no more "loaner" dev kits available, so we have to save up money to buy them (they aren't cheap, at least for us - it would be the equivalent of giving up 1-2 months of our salaries for each platform we get dev kits for). We're hoping the XB1 sales can get us to the point where we can afford to buy dev kits for the other consoles.

Also work on Mac and Linux version has continued to progress!

Glad to see the enthusiasm here for this port! :)
Click to expand...
 
Yeah ID@XBOX announced that, joining SONY.

Excellent move! MOAR INDIES! <3

Now if they really want my respect, they need to drop the unfriendly policies that go along with it.
 
Why give them props for something that is part of the black and white of their programme?

Not saying it's a bad programme,but the props had already been given.
 
AtomicShroom said:
Desperate countermeasures because you're losing the war are not good will.
Click to expand...

Jesus Christ. For the trillionth time, there's no such thing as a philanthropic multi-billion dollar corporation. They're in business for money, and every move they make is a calculated move to better position themselves to make more of it. So yes, you're 100% correct. This is a business move through and through, but so is everything else in the industry.
 
Nightengale said:
Why give them props for something that is part of the black and white of their programme?

Not saying it's a bad programme,but the props had already been given.
Click to expand...

To be fair to Microsoft, I think the free dev kits and licenses are constantly overshadowed by the parity clause.
 
statham said:
after all the negativity, MS should get some props for this.
Click to expand...

Get props?

Lets look at the quote again.

Rubikant said:
We are not planning on XBox One being the only console we port to, however it is the first console that will feature Volgarr the Viking for one simple reason - Microsoft gave us free dev kits. Sony and Nintendo told us they have no more "loaner" dev kits available, so we have to save up money to buy them (they aren't cheap, at least for us - it would be the equivalent of giving up 1-2 months of our salaries for each platform we get dev kits for). We're hoping the XB1 sales can get us to the point where we can afford to buy dev kits for the other consoles.
Click to expand...

So the impression is that this is an issue with popularity and supply. So we are giving MS props for the One being in less demand?

Given the behavior of all three companies recently, they seem to make an effort to encourage new ideas and smaller devs hitting the market, so this along with the wave of indies we have been seeing, just feels like this is what the norm will be for this gen.
 
harSon said:
Jesus Christ. For the trillionth time, there's no such thing as a philanthropic multi-billion dollar corporation. They're in business for money, and every move they make is a calculated move to better position themselves to make more of it. So yes, you're 100% correct. This is a business move through and through, but so is everything else in the industry.
Click to expand...

And it's STILL awesome for the indie devs! <3
 
staticneuron said:
Get props?

Lets look at the quote again.



So the impression is that this is an issue with popularity and supply. So we are giving MS props for the One being in less demand?

Given the behavior of all three companies recently, they seem to make an effort to encourage new ideas and smaller devs hitting the market, so this along with the wave of indies we have been seeing, just feels like this is what the norm will be for this gen.
Click to expand...

Sony and Nintendo can't afford "loner" systems, gtfo.
 
Good on Microsoft for starting that initiative with ID@Xbox. I am guessing most of Sony's free dev kits require a certain amount of exclusivity or just go through the pub fund loan program.
 
krypt0nian said:
And it's STILL awesome for the indie devs! <3
Click to expand...

Definitely. Which is why I always cringe when people hate a platform to the point of wanting it to exit the industry. The more players there are in the industry, the more competition there is. The more competition there is, the more consumers win. Disrupt that balance, and you end up with bullshit like the broadband infrastructure in the United States.
 
Are we going to give Sony props for every Dev kit they loaned out before running out of systems to loan out?

Good for these guys that they can get their game on a console though, played Volgarr on the PC and it's a ton of fun, hopefully it ends up everywhere for them eventually and they put out something equally as entertaining.
 
soul creator said:
I actually wanted to hear more from MS on the retail devkit thing. Wasn't that slated to be up and running by the end of the year?
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BUILD, their developer conference, week probably be the place to talk about stuff like that and using universal apps on XB1

Edit: Forgot BUILD already happened this year lol
 
It's a great move, but it's not much of a big deal as it seems, considering any xbox one is a dev kit. It costs MS nigh to nothing.
 
statham said:
I'm not seeing it.
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Er...go back to the original ID@Xbox programme announcement thread. A lot of props for free Unity and devkits.

Nobody praises Sony or Nintendo much as well because we know they are already doing some good stuff behind the scenes.

If you feel the need to be reaffirmed, that's your need.
 
staticneuron said:
Get props?

Lets look at the quote again.



So the impression is that this is an issue with popularity and supply. So we are giving MS props for the One being in less demand?

Given the behavior of all three companies recently, they seem to make an effort to encourage new ideas and smaller devs hitting the market, so this along with the wave of indies we have been seeing, just feels like this is what the norm will be for this gen.
Click to expand...

You're drawing some pretty big assumptions on a post that gives very little to no info. Dev kits cost a lot of money. I'd imagine Sony and Nintendo prefer developers buy those and put money in their pocket than loan them so they set aside a limited number of dev kits as loaners. Microsoft obviously have a different approach and just give the kits away at no cost on the understanding they'll be used for development.

Was your post meant to be some kind stealth system war post, cause it sure does read like one.
 
Isn't this even across the board? I know Sony is offering free dev kits and I think that Nintendo does it too. Heck, most engines are free, or close to free, on PC. This is just "getting with the times".
 
Good for them. Hope they still have them in stock when I eventually try to join Id@xbox

Surprised at Nintendo running out of loaner kits. New the NWF/Unity program was popular, but not that popular. Glad I got mine when I did.
 
reptilescorpio said:
When's that due?
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alfred-nevah.gif
 
statham said:
Sony and Nintendo can't afford "loner" systems, gtfo.
Click to expand...

Uh what? Both of those companies have given away a lot of free dev kits. Props to Microsoft, but let's not pretend like they're the only ones who've done this. From what I understand, they're the last company to do it.
 
statham said:
Sony and Nintendo can't afford "loner" systems, gtfo.
Click to expand...

Sony has already given away hundreds of PS4 and Morpheus kits. Some devs are simply too late. I don't know about Nintendo but possibly a similar thing.

Parity clause is one of the reasons I detest Microsoft but nothing surprising here. It has been their "competitive" policy since 1980s.
 
Copying duckroll's post from the source thread, because it seems relevant.

duckroll said:
Yeah, getting free dev kits is a fantastic reason to develop for a platform honestly. We often hear people talk about "moneyhats" as if it is incredibly common for first parties to go up to developers and publishers and just hand out cash, when the reality is often that it simply makes business sense to work with a first party for the perks.

For a small indie start up, it's way more important to simply be able to get stuff out so you have something to sell, and it would be silly to turn down any sort of assistance to expand that outreach. I really hope more people will pick up Volgarr and play it, and fund more great stuff from your studio. It's a fantastic game.
Click to expand...

This is a good things guys, there's no reason to reframe it negatively.
 
SmokeMaxX said:
Uh what? Both of those companies have given away a lot of free dev kits. Props to Microsoft, but let's not pretend like they're the only ones who've done this. From what I understand, they're the last company to do it.
Click to expand...

FeiRR said:
Sony has already given away hundreds of PS4 and Morpheus kits. Some devs are simply too late. I don't know about Nintendo but possibly a similar thing.

Parity clause is one of the reasons I detest Microsoft but nothing surprising here. It has been their "competitive" policy since 1980s.
Click to expand...

just going by the quote guys, they have none for this team.
 
staticneuron said:
Get props?

Lets look at the quote again.



So the impression is that this is an issue with popularity and supply. So we are giving MS props for the One being in less demand?

Given the behavior of all three companies recently, they seem to make an effort to encourage new ideas and smaller devs hitting the market, so this along with the wave of indies we have been seeing, just feels like this is what the norm will be for this gen.
Click to expand...

We should give them props because they aren't giving out "loaner" kits but actual free kits. If you read the rest of your bolded section it says:

Sony and Nintendo told us they have no more "loaner" dev kits available, so we have to save up money to buy them (they aren't cheap, at least for us - it would be the equivalent of giving up 1-2 months of our salaries for each platform we get dev kits for).
Click to expand...
 
Good stuff. Pretty excited to play this. Never got it on PC though I kept staring at it. Will get it on my Xbox to show their work is appreciated and maybe double dip on the PC version when I get my Surface 3,
 
NICE. Also from one of the devs, straigth from the Cuphead thread:

studioMDHR said:
Thanks and thanks again. We also can't wait to share more info (THE PARRY!)

ID@Xbox is a perfect program - we have nothing but praise for the guys we are working with. They initially approached us when the first teaser trailer went out and it's blossomed into what it is today. Even though we're independent they've been treating us just just like we presume they'd treat any 3rd party - which is how it should be!
Click to expand...

Also, their game (Cuphead) looks SWELL, can't wait to play it.
 
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