Microsoft eliminates Title Update fees on Xbox 360 Arcade games

By Adam Rosenberg June 27, 2013

Xbox Live — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Developers no longer have to worry about spending five figures on Title Update fees for Arcade games released on Xbox 360. The policy of charging a fee for these updates was eliminated in April 2013, according to a statement provided by the company to Digital Trends.

“Microsoft eliminated fees for Title Updates on Xbox 360 Arcade games in April 2013,” the statement reads. “We’re constantly evaluating our policies and implementing feedback. While our development policies are confidential, and will remain so, we’re pleased to say that this is just one of many ongoing changes and improvements we’ve made to ensure Xbox is the best place possible for developers and gamers.”

Microsoft’s Title Update policies were the focus of some controversy in 2012 when Fez creator Phil Fish came forward to deride the excessive cost – “tens of thousands of dollars,” he wrote – of issuing a patch for his game. An initial post-release patch for Fez fixed a number of minor issues, but it also corrupted the saved games for a small number of players. A patch for the patch was never issued, due to the cost.

Fish took to Twitter when the rumored policy change came to light, writing, “I will get in touch with [Microsoft] and see if their new policy is retro-active.”

News of the policy change surfaced earlier today when Eurogamer cited “multiple development sources” as stating that Microsoft was no longer charging for for Xbox 360 Title Updates. The above statement specifically points to Xbox Live Arcade games now being exempt from update fees, though the original report also suggested that full retail games are included as well.

The Eurogamer story also went into additional detail on the sorts of circumstances that could lead to an update fee being charged, though Microsoft didn’t offer any comment on those specifics. Also unaddressed is the question of whether or not the policy change will carry over to Xbox One Arcade titles when the new console is released later this year.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

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…

Gaming

The best cozy games

Riding in a boat with Kapp'n in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

In a world where so many games send you on missions with tense action and high stakes, sometimes it's nice to just sit back and relax a bit. That's where the cozy genre comes in with calming exploration, crafting, and decorating that give you a sense of purpose without all of the stress that comes from more action-oriented games. If that's what you're after, look no further, as we've compiled a list of what we consider to be the best cozy games you can play right now.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Gaming

All cross-platform games (PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)

Two squads of heroes clash in an Overwatch 2 trailer.

Cross-platform support is becoming more important in the world of video games. Multiplayer hits like Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 and Fortnite have pushed crossplay into the limelight, and now most AAA multiplayer games release with at least partial cross-platform support. Finding every cross-platform game is no easy feat, though, so we did the hard work to bring you a comprehensive list of games that support crossplay.

Unfortunately, there aren't any rules when it comes to crossplay, so each game handles the feature a little differently. To make matters more confusing, certain backward-compatible games on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X still support crossplay on the most recent hardware, even if there isn't an official release for that hardware.

Gaming

April’s most anticipated RPG is coming to Xbox Game Pass

Key art for Eiyuden Chronicle Hundred Heroes.

We've learned about the titles that will come to Xbox Game Pass throughout the back half of April, and several of them are games getting added to the catalog the day they launch. Of those, the most notable is Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.

While that name is a mouthful, RPG fans will want to pay attention to Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes as it is a spiritual successor to the long-dormant Konami RPG series Suikoden. Many of the developers who worked on the original Suikoden games worked together to reimagine the concept for the modern era, creating an RPG with over 100 recruitable party members, engaging combat, and a gorgeous pixelated art style that gives Square Enix's HD-2D games a run for their money. Prequel game Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is already on Xbox Game Pass too, so Microsoft seems all-in on backing this Suikoden successor as we wait for Konami to release remasters of those titles or a new game in the series.