XBLA dev: Microsoft isn’t out of touch with indies

Microsoft’s relationship with indie developers is stable, claims the creator of forthcoming XBLA title Max: The Curse of Brotherhood.

Speaking to Eurogamer, Press Play’s lead designer Mikkel Thorsted said he was having a hard time relating to the idea that PlayStation is becoming the more attractive platform for indies.

“I think people are wrong if they don’t think Microsoft are looking into that, and trying to do what they can to adjust to how the market is changing,” he says.

“Of course they are, and it’s actually also visible if you look at XBLA – there are free-to-play games, and there are more and more updates. It’s a huge organisation, and they might be slow but they’re definitely heading in the right direction.”

With its reveal of PS4 in February, Sony went to great pains to present itself as ‘the’ platform of choice for independent developers, with the likes of Braid creator Jonathan Blow on stage. This has resulted in some suggestion that Microsoft is falling out of favour with the independent development community.

However, Thorsted doesn’t think so.

His studio, based in Copenhagen, is in the final stage of making Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, a spiritual successor to 2010 Wii title Max & the Magic Marker, and has been acquired by Microsoft.

“I don’t think Microsoft would have acquired us if they weren’t interested in indies,” he said. "I think everyone knows that they’re important.”