Microsoft Charges Developers USD 40000 Per Xbox 360 Game Patch

Microsoft Charges Developers USD 40000 Per Xbox 360 Game Patch

We already know that Xbox 360 game patches must go through a lengthy certification process, but we never imagined that this process would cost $40,000 per patch.

The number was revealed by Tim Schafer the founder of Double Fine Studios who cited it as one of the main reasons indie developers should ditch closed systems such as Xbox LIVE and PSN in favor of more open ones such as Steam.

"Those systems as great as they are, they're still closed. You have to jump through a lot of hoops, even for important stuff like patching and supporting your game. Those are things we really want to do, but we can't do it on these systems," he said.

"I mean, it costs $40,000 to put up a patch - we can't afford that! Open systems like Steam, that allow us to set our own prices, that's where it's at, and doing it completely alone like Minecraft. That's where people are going."