Xbox Live Indie Games program shutting down

Microsoft is taking steps to gradually pull support of Xbox 360’s Xbox Live Indie Games service, the firm has told registered developers.

Gamasutrareports XBLIG devs will no longer be able to purchase a subscription service, effective immediately – though those interested can directly contact Microsoft to maintain access for the time being. The service will stop accepting new games next September, and its marketplace will close in September 2017.

Final payouts will arrive after that in November, and then Microsoft will pull the ultimate plug by taking the official XNA Creators website offline on December 31stof that year.

Microsoft launched Xbox One’s ID@Xbox program in August 2013, but the company’s promise that developers will be able to use retail consoles to publish on the platform remains unfulfilled.