Microsoft relaxes file size limits for Xbox indies

The maximum file size for an Xbox Live Indie Game has increased threefold from 150MB to 500MB, Microsoft has announced.

As part of a package of measures to assist independent Xbox developers, Microsoft has also raised the number of games each person can publish, up from ten to 20.

Pricing restrictions have also been loosened. Any game under the size of 150MB can now be priced from 80 Microsoft Points upwards. Previously, games larger than 50MB had to be priced either 240 or 400 Microsoft Points.

“We’re continuing to watch our developer base and adapt the system to the needs of our creators,” Microsoft said.

The Xbox firm’s relationship with self-publishing indies has not always been smooth.

On two occasions in the past, independent developers have protested following Microsoft’s updates to its dashboard.

In December, when Microsoft launched the attest edition of its dashboard, some developers complained that the indie marketplace had become “hidden away” from the front end of the digital store.

Discussing the issue on a Microsoft developer forum, one of the main gripes is that it apparently takes 17 button presses from the home page to access the top indie downloads – a section seen by some as a vital source of revenue and publicity for devs.