Next Xbox needs to be more developer-friendly

The upcoming consoles from Microsoft and Sony need to be more developer-friendly if game makers who have migrated to mobile platforms are to return to the sector, says the co-founder and commercial director of Fireproof Studios.

“The reality is that it is far, far easier to make games on mobile, even if it is arguably more competitive than the console space,” Barry Meade told the BBC.

“Frankly, many game developers are rightly wondering why on earth they would go back to Sony and Microsoft platforms to embrace once again a plodding pace of change, interminable bureaucracy, exorbitant fees and, let’s be honest, frequent head-in-the-sand arrogance from the giants of gaming hardware.

“Sony and Microsoft have to become a lot more developer-friendly – otherwise devs like us will never go back.”

Fireproof is behind one of 2012’s biggest hits in atmospheric iPad game, The Room, which has earned a bevy of awards, including the inaugural BAFTA for Best British Game.

Meade said that amount of money his studio spent making The Room would barely cover the set-up costs to develop for Sony or Microsoft’s consoles.

When Develop spoke to a number of developers about the PlayStation 4 and Sony’s relationships with game makers earlier this year, many of them appeared optimistic about the company’s approach.

Microsoft is due to announce its next Xbox in a matter of hours. You can see the unveiling here.