Hello.

These forums seem to have a lot of knowledge bestowed upon them daily. I'm really glad someone takes the time to keep these forums running. Thank you.

Now on to the more important part!

A couple of college buddies and I are looking at the possibility to starting a small indie game development company. We want to make a simple game , and make it well. We have ideas of marketing it on PSN, Steam, XbLive. Here comes my questions.

For PSN- This is all the information I could find off the forums for any kind of requirement, parameter's, or suggestions for PSN. - http://www.technolog...ee.net/software

For Xbox live, I found much more information on this because I'm pretty much looking for a step by step process on how to do this. Also some parameter's as well. I have found out that you can get all the tools for free from Microsoft to develop the game. Once you are finished, you upload it to the dev forums so they can play it and convert it to Xbox Live if they deem it worthy. Am I somewhat close? In a very vague manner.

Does anyone know anything about how to post / get approved games for the Steam? Network. I've looked on Values website and no such luck. Thank you for all your reply's and I hope I can grow here and help many other game developing noobs like myself. ^^

-FeralLoki

The "Xbox live" stuff that you're describing is Xbox Live indie games, which is open to the general public. You can make games on PC and your own xbox using the XNA framework, and there's a peer-review process you have to go through before your game is publicly available.

Regarding PSN and XboxLive - you need to be a licensed developer. To become a licensed developer you need to prove to Sony/Microsoft that your company is capable of making quality console games (which likely includes showing the resumes of your staff who have previously shipped console games).
These two "stores" are very competitive -- it can be hard even for veteran developers to get published on there, and often they'll want an exclusivity agreement as part of the deal (i.e. no selling your game on both stores). Also, developers can't sell direct to Sony/Microsoft, you need a publishing company to negotiate the deal for you (which means you need to make a deal with a publisher first).

As for Steam - getting published via steam follows the same process as making a deal with any publishing company. Your business people have meetings with their business people, make a decent pitch and negotiate a contract.

Regarding PSN and XboxLive - you need to be a licensed developer. To become a licensed developer you need to prove to Sony/Microsoft that you're capable of making console games (which includes showing the resumes of your staff who have previously shipped console games). These two "stores" are very competetive -- it can be hard even for veteran developers to get published on there, and often they'll want an exclusivity agreement as part of the deal (i.e. no selling your game on both stores).

As for Steam - getting published via steam follows the same process as making a deal with any publishing company. Your business people have meetings with their business people, make a decent pitch and negotiate a contract.

That leaves Xbox Live indie games, which is open to the general public. You can make games on PC and your own xbox using the XNA framework, and there's a peer-review process you have to go through before your game is publicly available.

Thank you for the insight.

Giving you The Business... -->

Also, developers can't sell direct to Sony/Microsoft, you need a publishing company to negotiate the deal for you (which means you need to make a deal with a publisher first).

What? I don't know much about the business side of the industry, but that seems strange. Is it that developers can't sell direct to MS/Sony or that they generally don't because it is easier to have the backing of a publisher, first and have the publisher deal with it all?

Is it that developers can't sell direct to MS/Sony or that they generally don't because it is easier to have the backing of a publisher, first and have the publisher deal with it all?

Publishers are very, very afraid of new digital distribution technology ruining their business model. They have a lot of political sway in the industry - enough to convince Sony/MS that it's in their interest to go along with such a scheme... so, the former. Sony/MS have definitions of what constitutes a publisher, and only "publishers" can publish on their stores.

[quote name='Hodgman' timestamp='1300940217' post='4789803']
Also, developers can't sell direct to Sony/Microsoft, you need a publishing company to negotiate the deal for you (which means you need to make a deal with a publisher first).

What? I don't know much about the business side of the industry, but that seems strange. Is it that developers can't sell direct to MS/Sony or that they generally don't because it is easier to have the backing of a publisher, first and have the publisher deal with it all?
[/quote]

Its that they generally don't.

If you were to sell directly to Microsoft they would have to act as the publisher (Microsoft does have a publishing department, however they've primarily been publishing games from studios allready owned by Microsoft with the main exceptions being studios with really great track records).

In general your best bet as an indie is to forget about the consoles, make a great game for the PC instead and go from there.
Steam is fairly open to indie games so its a good place to start.
http://www.steampowered.com/steamworks/FAQ.php

[quote name='Hodgman' timestamp='1300940217' post='4789803']
Also, developers can't sell direct to Sony/Microsoft, you need a publishing company to negotiate the deal for you (which means you need to make a deal with a publisher first).

What? I don't know much about the business side of the industry, but that seems strange. Is it that developers can't sell direct to MS/Sony or that they generally don't because it is easier to have the backing of a publisher, first and have the publisher deal with it all?
[/quote]
"Selling" your game to Microsoft or Sony means asking them to be your publisher. Microsoft and Sony have plenty of products available to them, so it's merely unlikely that you'll be able to get very far with them if you're a new, small, inexperienced, previously unpublished developer.

A couple of college buddies and I are looking at the possibility to starting a small indie game development company.

I take that to mean you have no track record in the games industry. If that is the case you are very unlikely to get your game onto Xbox Live Arcade or PSN (PS3) because only approved developers can develop for that platform and only those with proven experience get approved.

You could develop for Xbox Live Indie Games but that is commercially more limiting isn't the same as Xbox Live Arcade. Also the chance that an XBLIG will "get converted to Xbox Live Arcade" is tiny.

As for Sony they push all indies toward PSP. They are open for new indie teams developing for that platform but not for PS3.