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Microsoft affirms commitment to indies, every Xbox One is a developer console

Xbox One vs PS4 Advanced Controls
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Xbox One that you purchase at retail can double as a developer kit, potentially allowing anyone to create games for the new hardware, Microsoft’s Marc Whitten confirms in a statement. This marks the first time the company’s stance on independently funded game development has been made clear since the console was announced in May 2013.

“Our vision is that every person can be a creator. That every Xbox One can be used for development. That every game and experience can take advantage of all of the features of Xbox One and Xbox LIVE,” Whitten’s statement reads. “This means self-publishing. This means Kinect, the cloud, achievements. This means great discoverability on Xbox LIVE. We’ll have more details on the program and the timeline at gamescom in August.”

Developers have traditionally needed to use specially designed “development kit” consoles to build their games for a given platform in current and previous hardware generations, including the current PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 cycle. These “debug” consoles, as they’re called, have traditionally been prohibitively expensive and difficult to obtain. Xbox One developers will likely face one or more processes or fees before being “approved,” but that makes any console you buy in the store can potentially become more than just a multimedia player. We’ll know more after Gamescom, which runs from August 21-25 in Cologne, Germany.

The idea that Microsoft can somehow remotely maintain a fleet of dev-approved Xbox One consoles carries some dizzying implications. Security checks are almost a certainly, as is some variation on the always-online requirement that was the subject of so much conflict leading into E3 2013, but make no mistake: this is a win for the indies. Anything that reduces the cost of entry for those that aren’t backed by established publishers creates an opportunity for an Xbox audience to see the sort of quirky, offbeat titles that are normally reserved for the likes of Steam and Desura. Similarly, it also gives those creators a new and potentially richer avenue of income from the bigger console crowd.

That said, we still don’t know what the rest of Microsoft’s plan looks like. There could still be an obstacle course of paperwork and sky-high licensing fees keeping an Xbox One from being developer-ready. Alternatively, the route to turning your console into a devkit could be brief and inexpensive, which opens up an opportunity to a completely different crowd of creators: modders. 

There has long been a demand in the console space for user-created mods. Xbox and PlayStation gamers look jealously at their PC gaming friends as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare transforms into a Star Wars FPS or Skyrim wanderers visit a whole, new chunk of land in Falskarr. There’s already a working example of curated mod support in Valve’s Steam Workshop. It might not be something we’ll see immediately on Xbox One, but it becomes a real opportunity worth exploring when you’re talking about a retail box potentially doubling as a devkit.

Whitten’s statement follows a report from Game Informer in which unnamed sources suggest that independent studios will face fewer obstacles when pursuing digital distribution on the Xbox One. Microsoft already moved to address one particular sore spot in eliminating the patch fee associated with Xbox Live Arcade updates, a subject that Fez creator Phil Fish has spoken out against at length. Policy changes for the Xbox One allegedly include a shorter certification process (14-day turnaround) and a free hand given to developers in setting the price and release date of their products. That same report was the first to suggest that the Xbox One will be able to double as a debug console, so there may be truth to these other points as well.

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Adam Rosenberg
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…
Every blockbuster reveal from the Xbox leak: new consoles, Bethesda games, and more
Xbox's logo used during the Extended Games Showcase

Unredacted documents submitted and made publicly available to view as part of the ongoing Microsoft vs. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) trial just led to what may be the biggest leak in video game history.
A flood of files have revealed deep secrets about Xbox's upcoming plans for the bulk of the decade, giving us unprecedented insight into what's on the horizon for the gaming giant. That includes information on upcoming hardware refreshes, next-gen consoles, and unannounced Bethesda titles, as well as a further peek into Microsoft's acquisition ambitions. It's a lot to trudge through, so we've rounded up five key revelations that you'll want to know.
A new Xbox Series X model is coming next year
https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1704121068519133313
The most shocking thing to leak as part of the trial is a new Xbox Series X model. Referred to as "Brooklin -- Xbox Series X Refresh" in the leaked documents, this is a diskless, cylindrical version of the Xbox Series X with 2TB of internal storage, a USB-C port, and smaller technical improvements to the system's Wi-Fi, PSU, standby mode, and more. An upgraded Xbox Series S code-named Ellewood may also be in the works and released before Brooklin.
If Microsoft still follows the plan laid out in this "Roadmap to 2030" document created in May 2022, it would release Brooklin in late October 2024 for $500. If Microsoft still plans to release Brooklin next year, it does contradict recent statements from Xbox chief Phil Spencer, who acted bearish on the idea of a mid-gen refresh in Gamescom interviews. It's possible Microsoft's plans have changed since these leaked documents were made, but if not, we now know what to expect in terms of Microsoft's console refreshes.
A new Xbox controller is in the works
https://twitter.com/charlieINTEL/status/1704088621475598345
Throughout that Brooklin leak, a new version of the Xbox Series X controller is also teased. The Xbox Series X controller is great, but lacks the unique features of controllers like the DualSense or Joy-Cons, so it makes sense Microsoft would want to change that. Referred to as "Sebile -- The New Xbox Controller," this controller can seamlessly pair and connect to the cloud.
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https://twitter.com/AR12Gaming/status/1704102055206322389
It's hard to believe we're almost already three years into this console generation and that Microsoft is planning for its next major console release, but that is the case. Unfortunately for Microsoft, its current technical ambitions for the platform were included in this leak. A leaked document states that Microsoft's ultimate goal is to "develop a next-generation hybrid game platform capable of leveraging the combined power of the client and cloud to deliver deeper immersion and entirely new classes of game experiences." 
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Enough about hardware -- several upcoming Bethesda games also leaked. A document from 2020 outlining Bethesda's game road map through fiscal year 2024 includes some games we don't know about. Alongside games we know of like MachineGames' Indiana Jones project, the list also includes several code-named projects, remasters of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Fallout 3, a GhostWire: Tokyo sequel, Doom Year Zero, and Dishonored 3.
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https://twitter.com/tomwarren/status/1704021807341203802
A leaked email from 2020 gives some insight into Spencer's acquisition ambitions at that point. Namely, it sounds like he'd love to acquire Nintendo as it would be a "career moment" for him.
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Ultimately, Spencer didn't want to do a hostile takeover of Nintendo, so he settled for playing the "long game" when it came to acquiring it. This same email also reveals that Microsoft was interested in acquiring Warner Bros. Interactive around the same time as Bethesda, although the lack of any WB IP ownership was its undoing, Spencer is also as intrigued about acquiring Valve as it was Nintendo.
It's worth noting that this email is from over three years ago, and these acquisition ambitions might have been quelled following changing economic conditions and the rocky and expensive process of acquiring Activision Blizzard. 

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There are also a few other ways to play Startfield without an Xbox at all.
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xbox 360 mega building set replica

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This set will be available starting on October 8 and will cost you $150 dollars; that said, you'll only be able to pick one up at Target. Mega makes Lego-like replica models of things for people to build, and this one is intricately designed to look like the launch version of Xbox 360. It's at 3:4 scale and made up of 1342 pieces. With it, players can build a version of the Xbox 360, a controller, and a case and disc for Halo 3. Even the packaging it comes in looks like the boxes Xbox 360 consoles came in at release. 
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The Mega Showcase Microsoft Xbox 360 Collector Building Set releases exclusively at Target on October 8.

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