Nearly a year ago I posted a topic theorizing that the so-called Parity Clause was causing an immense difference of releases between XB1 and PS4. This, I had figured, was the sole cause of devs not jumping aboard the multiplatform-train, opting instead to announce their games solely for PS4.
Since then there's been lots of changes. Supposedly the clause is all but gone, according to Phil (he argues it never existed at all). Toolsets and developer registration has stabilized to a point where you can apply to be a dev for both systems relatively painlessly, and in fact programs are in place to offer free dev kits (with MS leading a stronger charge of the "all in one" ecosystem of having a game simultaneously launch on the Windows 10 app store and the XB1.)
While the sales gap between the two consoles hasn't really narrowed much (especially worldwide), the two platforms have matured enough to where they both provide great ecosystems to launch your game on. So how have devs reacted to the changes? Are we seeing a stabilization of game releases for both platforms, to where they're both equal? Well, no. Just this year alone, there were 50+ more digital games released for PS4 than released on XB1. But it is getting better, or at least has the potential to get better.
Parity Clause: It's Probably Gone
We could argue (I would argue, anyways) that there was, in fact, some kind of clause that was preventing many devs from releasing games on XB1. Phil says it's gone, and in fact evidence points to this being true...a large number of PS4 releases from last year have been released for XB1 this year, with no added content. Some of these include Octodad, the Binding of Issac, Rogue Legacy, and many more.
I think it is fair to say that what I considered a roadblock is likely gone. In my experience, they'll try to work with you more on getting a multiplatform release instead of a staggered release, but they won't outright deny a release on their platform.
Releases for 2015 (so far)
In the last topic I argued that announcements were being made more for PS4 than XB1. For this topic I wanted to compare actual releases, as I've seen a fair number of announcements that don't come to pass or delayed to unknown dates. It's easier to keep track of what's being released, rather than the initial announcements and followups to those announcements.
For these lists, I used the IGN release guide and on the Xbox side I also used the official ID@Xbox release lists. I did not count any releases done by major publishers (such as Ubisoft, etc.) or retail games in general. These are mostly digital-only releases. As always, do let me know if these lists are missing or incorrectly listing any games.
XB1 Digital/Indie Releases from 1/1/15 to 10/1/15: 113 titles
PS4 Digital/Indie Releases from 1/1/15 to 10/1/15: 174 titles
Monthly Comparison (PS4/XB1):
January: 7/2
February: 10/7
March: 17/9
April: 15/11
May: 21/12
June: 21/9
July: 23/11
August: 25/23
September: 35/29
Xbox Release List:
PS4 Release List:
How Does the Release List Compare Overall?
In some months, the XB1 is extremely close with releases compared to PS4 (like in February and August). In others, PS4 more than doubles the amount of games that XB1 released in the same period.
Both release lists do have their share of late ports (XB1 getting some PS4 2014 releases, and PS4 getting games like Escape Goat and Pnumbra months after the XB1 releases). XB1 is indeed catching up with simultaneous multiplatform releases.
Still, there's quite a bit gap of releases between the two. Many of the major PS4 indie titles skipped over XB1 completely (Hotline Miami 2, Titan Souls, N++, Galak-Z, Rocket League, etc.), likely due to hurdles early in development years ago for XB1. And in fact MS is spending some money to keep some indie games exclusive on their platform (Cuphead being the biggest). Each system has their own indie "darlings" that can make a big splash a few times a year when they're released in the right timeframe (Ori and the Blind Forest is a good example, and #IDARB was a surprise hit.)
Does XB1 still have an indie problem?
Last time I made this topic, I was sure it did, and I thought I knew what is was (parity clause). This time, I honestly don't know what's happening.
I can say with a near amount of certainty that it's easier to get an XB1 dev kit and license than PS4. I don't know if the process of making games is easier as I haven't gone through either cert program yet, but I have to applaud MS for making ID@Xbox stronger than it has been since the XB1 launch. With the upcoming Windows 10 ecosystem and the ability to launch games on both XB1 and W10, theoretically MS should be pulling away with more indies jumping aboard. Right?
Yet we still have a major gap between both systems regarding releases to where I don't know the root cause of games still targeting PS4/PC over XB1/PC. This may change in the months ahead as W10 takes hold and we get a better vision of how MS is going to change the development standard for both platforms. The problem is, the longer this takes, the more games they have a chance of missing out on.
Various Theories
I do have a few theories on why the gap between PS4 and XB1 remains a bit larger than I'm sure MS would like.
- There is still a sense of non-communication from MS. Unfortunately, you won't be able to get direct answers from most of the ID@Xbox team without signing some NDAs first, and most devs just won't bother.
- MS inadvertently fostered an attitude towards indie games on their platform. With Phil Spencer calling for indie games to have "exclusive" content for their platforms so that XB1 owners don't feel like "second class citizens," most XB1 gamers incorrectly assumed that the early release drought was due to a form of quality control that MS had implemented, when in fact there was no quality control at all- there just weren't any games being released at that time. One dev contacted me and lamented that his/her big PS4/Steam/XB1 game announcement was marred by a lot of the Xbox community spouting vitriol and hate towards them, and how he/she wished that they didn't announce for the XB1 at all. Now, I'm not about to pretend that the PS4 or even Steam communities are even remotely free from anything like that, but the Xbox community really is something else. I even heard from them when I announced my game for PS4/Steam only...not so much because they wanted to know why my game wasn't announced for XB1, but to let me know my game wasn't welcomed on their platform. Fun stuff.
Indifference
Porting from PS4 to XB1 isn't nearly as difficult as it was porting between 360/PS3 back in the day. Theoretically there should be nothing holding devs back from announcing multiplatform releases, yet here we are, with a major gap for 2/3rds of the year between the two consoles. So why are devs leaving the millions of XB1 customers on the table like that?
I can only answer that question with my own personal experience. I announced a new game for PS4/Steam in July. I'm not ruling out XB1 in the future, or anything else for that matter. I picked the platforms I really enjoy gaming on, ones that I know can sustain my expenses and have large audiences, and will build from there. Who knows where that will take me. I'm just not in any hurry to release on XB1.
In the end, these digital games won't turn the tide of console sales. Ultimately they're unimportant for both companies in the master plan of selling their brand, save a few big releases each year. Despite that, Sony somehow manages to make indie devs feel important, with no communication walls and events throughout the year for devs, as well as fostering dev communities, etc. As for MS, I'd like to go into more details about their development strategies for indies, but I'm under NDA.
