Microsoft is about “democratize game development” by introducing Community Games as part of the New Xbox Experience launching this Wednesday. The program gives indie console developers a chance to get their XNA coded games into market via digital distribution and bypass expensive ESRB ratings. Community Games creators, like Xbox Live Arcade developers, earn royalties, split with Microsoft, with each sale.
The Community Games platform is an exciting frontier for developers holding on tight to a dream, but the indie market is difficult to navigate. Only a few indie developers rise to fame. John Baez, a founding member of The Behemoth, is one of them and we pulled him aside to discuss the Community Games initiative and his post Castle Crashers plans.