Microsoft has confirmed they will not be releasing an Xbox One version of the XNA game development toolset, meaning that independant developers will not be able to self-publish their own titles on the new console.
Mirroring policy on the Xbox 360, games will need an approved publisher to be placed on the Xbox One equivalent of the Xbox Live Arcade (which for all we know, might still be called the Xbox Live Arcade). The big change here is that the Xbox One will not have an Xbox Live Indie Games service like the 360, and as such, indie developers do not have a place to publish their games on the platform themselves.
Indie developers have been extremely vocal in their displeasure with the Xbox One. “There was absolutely nothing relevant to me in that presser. Nothing about digital distribution or indies. Nothing at all,” said Phil Fish, developer of Fez, to Joystiq. Fish partnered with Microsoft to publish Fez to the actual Xbox Live Arcade in 2012, and confirmed last month that he’s “working with sony [sic] trying to figure something out” in an attempt to get his game on PS3 and PS Vita.
Sony confirmed at their PS4 reveal that they will be actively working with indie developers to allow them to self-publish.
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