Support NeoGAF

[winjer]

Easier Game Publishing with Game Package Manager

A closer look at how we're making it easier to manage packages and publish them to Xbox.

developer.microsoft.com

This week, the Game Package Manager will start rolling out automatically for all Xbox developers currently configuring or adding new products to publish to Xbox, replacing the current Microsoft Partner Center module for "Packages".

Game Package Manager gives you a cleaner way to upload packages, review certification and validation status, manage branches, and track your publishing history — all in one place. Your existing packages, certification pipeline, and publishing history are not affected.
Game Package Manager is also the foundation upon which we will add future features to improve publishing workflows. More announcements coming this year will explain those features in detail.
The complete rollout will take a few weeks. If you do not see the new interface right away, you will soon!

Where in the publishing flow does the Game Package Manager show up?
Every time you need to upload or distribute a package, you do so through the Packages module; this entire flow has been redesigned.

- Branch gallery: draft and live. This is probably my producer-favorite feature. It makes it clear which packages are in Draft (only available to your Partner Center users) vs. Live (available to players in an external-facing sandbox).

- Better information organization. Package details are grouped neatly and with clear borders to facilitate visual scanning when you have multiple packages listed on the screen; much of the screen clutter and walls of text have been reduced/collapsed.

- Package validation. Many package errors can be detected and resolved before you submit to Certification, saving you a LOT of wasted time.

- Room for new features. As hinted above, we have some new features coming very soon that live in this interface that will move Xbox publishing, into the next generation.

Do I have to use the new interface?
For the new features that are coming soon, yes, but at any time you can toggle back to the old interface to access the previous user experience. This may be particularly useful for someone who was in the middle of a publish when the Game Package Manager released to the service.

Good news for developers. And probably also good news as devs won't waste as much time as before, which can be used to do other things, such as improving the game they made.