GDC08: Microsoft announces "community arcade"
by Kyle Orland 
{ Feb 20th 2008 at 2:37PM }
Update: The official press release has more details on the program and a few of the first available games. It also mentions that community-created games "will quickly double the size of the Xbox 360 game library."
At Microsoft's GDC 2008 keynote address, the company announced a "community arcade" allowing user-created games to be distributed to Xbox 360 owners worldwide. "Now, 10 million people on Xbox Live get to play your game," said Microsoft Game Developer Group General Manager Chris Satchell. Free trials of these community created games should be available on Xbox Live "immediately" according to Satchell.
"For the first time, community games will be distributed through Xbox Live," Satchell said. "'Xbox Live Community Games will give creators a huge audience to share their creativity with. Game distribution will be democratized, allowing the community to control the content. Create, Submit, Peer Review, Play are the four key steps ... We want creativity to flow through this pipeline.
Users will be able to upload games using a Gamertag-like "creator identity" which will keep track of your game creation history. Creators can use descriptive sliders to describe a game's content, and peer reviewers can also evaluate the content for appropriateness.
At the keynote, Satchell showed off a short demo of user-created game Jellycar (pictured below), featuring an adorable bouncy, 2D car that drives along on a sketchpad, bouncing up and down on a cartoon road.
More as it becomes available.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
FidliousWong @ Feb 20th 2008 2:11PM
Gotta wonder, is Home and Little Big Planet the reason why MS is finally pushing out promises made 2 years ago? User created content = win.
snprbob86 @ Feb 20th 2008 2:25PM
I'm excited about Little Big Planet, but the XNA team's work on the "YouTube of games" has been in development long before either that or Home were announced.
Ryan @ Feb 20th 2008 9:57PM
Promises made 2 years ago? You mean like....Home and LittleBigPlanet? ;)
FidliousWong @ Feb 20th 2008 2:46PM
MY point isn't that this isn't cool. Quit the opposite. In fact, when XNA debuted and this was first announced and released two GDCs ago, this was a "very soon" feature. As in within the coming months.
Then time passed and this potential never showed but the next GDC, this thing became known as XNA creators club. $100 a year subscription to a "potential" factory. Once again, the original promise undelivered but hey, now you have your chance to play these games on your 360... for a price.
Then PS3 comes along and basically blows open their platform for anything from peripherals and mods and NOW MS is finally delivering on something stated long ago, just kept as a "members only" feature.
Now, if user created wasn't such a HUGE push in Sony camp, will MS have done this?
StrangeBum @ Feb 20th 2008 2:55PM
I can only assume that what it means is that they just got enough independent developers on board and creating enough content to actually make it worthwhile.
But it's still rather exciting, XNA always had the potential and now maybe we will see some of it's greatness coming to fruition. One can only hope.
Also, that 'jellycar' game looks suspiciously like Crayon Physics Deluxe to me.
E.J. @ Feb 20th 2008 3:02PM
Huh? You're comparing apples to oranges as usual, sheppy: making actual games on XNA vs. peripherals and mods? The ability to make and share Unreal 3 maps didn't push MS to release Community Arcade. Believe it or not, the world doesn't revolve around Sony!
Back on topic: I just signed up for Microsoft's DreamSpark program and downloaded an XNA-made Rubik's Cube game, and let me tell ya, that'll be a hit on Community Arcade!
Brandon Paddock @ Feb 20th 2008 3:03PM
The PS3 had nothing to do with it. It just takes time to actually build the infrastructure for something like this. Remember, this has never been done before. There are a lot of unknowns, and keeping the console secure is a very, very high priority.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 20th 2008 3:21PM
Sheppy, I think the 100 dollar creators club is still there. They're the ones that get to do all the networking and peer review of each others games before it gets unleashed into the public XBLA.
Crazy Vincent @ Feb 20th 2008 3:34PM
How is the PS3 anything close to an open platform? The development kit costs over $10,000 (see link below) and then you'll still need to get Sony approval to publish your game. Compare that with $100 for XNA+Creator's Club, and I'd say Microsoft is actually doing something pretty innovative here.
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/sony-cuts-ps3-dev-kit-price-in-half/
FidliousWong @ Feb 20th 2008 5:03PM
You guys do realize, at some point, I just get to yell, "Just take the compliment, GAWD!"
...right?
JonFitt @ Feb 20th 2008 5:36PM
User created content = a headache for somebody.
How long before someone produces something containing copyrighted IP, or Offensive content? I'm guessing 3.83 minutes.
Hot Coffee's got nothing on the games available on the Web.
Some poor MS schmuck is going to have to trawl through the thousands of Breakout clones checking all the resource files and deleting the legions of filth.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 20th 2008 5:43PM
Jon Fitt: It still takes a 100 dollar membership to make games for the creators club. I don't think there are too many programmers out there willing to waste 100 dollars to make "Penis's Adventures in Vagina Land", only to have it rejected outright.
I think there will be alot less crap on here than you think.
And I totally I'm copyrighting "Penis's Adventures in Vagina Land".
FidliousWong @ Feb 20th 2008 5:54PM
Well here's the question though. According to some XNA licensing I just read, Creator's Club distinctly says most versions of XNA specifically claim games cannot be made for commercial release with this software. This was something I was reading because I am now looking into XNA (especially since we test our game with a 360 controller hooked up to a Vista box.... WHAT?!?), however, XNA seems to limit the financial viability of your efforts. I wonder if that will impact the selection of games available.
egoant @ Feb 21st 2008 1:18PM
Crono - XNA Does have a Game Maker type thing, it just isn't directly owned by Microsoft. Garage Games, who make the Torque engine, have a version of their game maker that you can use for XNA.
http://garagegames.com/products/torque/x/
NATO_Duke @ Feb 20th 2008 2:13PM
This is a pretty damn cool thing and the fact that Zune owners can use the games too is pretty nice. People can cut all they want on MS - as they will - but allowing user created games to be mass distributed should be a plus to anyone.
borland502 (SDF - Macross Ring) @ Feb 20th 2008 3:12PM
It is a very cool feature, but one that may be limited in practice. After all RPGMaker may give me the tools to create my own game, but that doesn't mean the limitations imposed might not be severe. But until I know more I'll dwell more on the awesome.
NATO_Duke @ Feb 20th 2008 3:17PM
I am remaining optimistic about it. It’s just nice to see the means and opportunity there. Let’s hope people do good things with it! My gf has been saying she wanted to try making a game with XNA for a while now, and this might spur her to do it.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 20th 2008 3:22PM
I can actually see this being a platform for many RPGMaker like games.
MarkHawk @ Feb 21st 2008 1:06AM
I'll make a game that tell me the time...
Love my Zune
Boostjunkie @ Feb 20th 2008 2:15PM
Home and little big planet have nothing at all to do with what is happening here, this is real game development. Not dressing avatars or decorating an apartment, or even level editing. I have a PS3 by the way, I'm way more excited about this, I could care less about home. In game XMB would be nice.
dan stabbingworth @ Feb 20th 2008 2:27PM
Finally. This is the true potential of the XBLA.
Dadidito @ Feb 20th 2008 2:31PM
With the proper support from Microsoft this can redefine what game design is. Youtubing XBoxLive is amazing if it comes out the way I think. Bravo for at least trying something different. Not to knock "Home" but it is Second life regardless how you look at it.
Mike @ Feb 20th 2008 2:32PM
Someone give me Crayon Physics on XBLA Community
badarsemother3k @ Feb 20th 2008 3:03PM
This is definitely a huge breakthrough for the arcade. Now people won't be able to wine about classic game releases. Hopefully they let the creators pick game prices and they release the games frequently.
Iridium @ Feb 20th 2008 3:19PM
cue 1000 Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Asteroids clones.
I'm sure there will be a few decent games but they will most likely be surrounded by so much crap that the few gems will be hard to see.
Sorry, but if JellyCar is one the best they can show I don't have high hopes.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 20th 2008 3:20PM
Peer reviewed.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 20th 2008 3:19PM
I'm curious as to what content is "prohibited".
Obviously obscene material, but what else?
Killer @ Feb 20th 2008 3:49PM
Microsoft, you did good...
mundox @ Feb 20th 2008 3:49PM
So will this user-created games be free?
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 20th 2008 3:53PM
No. Free demos, though. What would be the point of a programmer spending weeks of his life creating a game that doesn't get him any money?
Youtube of games is just a figure of speech. Video's are easy to make, so lots of people make free crappy video's for youtube.
Unless XNA also has a "game maker" like engine built into it, you'll never have the "common man" making games on it, just the common programmer.
Awesomestuff @ Feb 20th 2008 4:31PM
Time for me to get a 360
DMeisterJ @ Feb 20th 2008 4:35PM
Thank you LittleBigPlanet.
I mean, wasn't MS the ones who said that they didn't want User-created mods on UTIII for 360, but they have a whole service for this? Just seems a little weird that a few months ago, they were dead set against Epic doing this, and am now doing it themselves. This has much to do withh LBP. Even if no one admits it.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 20th 2008 5:46PM
No, I really don't think microsoft's plans for now has anything to do with the potential plans for LBP which has yet to show its even a viable game.
Knight Marquise @ Feb 20th 2008 6:14PM
No, it doesn't.
Your comment is nothing short of trying to throw some form of Sony spin on good MS news.
Evan @ Feb 20th 2008 11:12PM
LBP doesn't hold a candle to Community Arcade. LBP essentially offers a graphical level editor - LEGOS - while XNA involves real programming.
Mamba @ Feb 20th 2008 6:03PM
download the game dishwasher.. its the shit
Kyle @ Feb 20th 2008 11:54PM
"What would be the point of a programmer spending weeks of his life creating a game that doesn't get him any money?"
So...um...Jelly Car was originally released as freeware and is still available from their site. That's the demo they used. There's a huge open source/freeware gaming scene and plenty of flash programmers out there that don't make a dime.
That is a really bad excuse to charge for already freely available games.
ThornedVenom (Ludwig Defense Force) @ Feb 21st 2008 1:42AM
Now THIS is a service I'd GLADLY pay for Xbox Live (although it still doesn't justify the non-existence of an option for free online play).
t_m @ Feb 21st 2008 6:18AM
Where is the PC version???
If they were really serious about supporting the PC as a platform then
(a) all this would be available on the PC. No reason at all why it couldn't be.
(b)XNA wouldn't only work with a frickin XBOX360 gamepad.
WeaveMN @ Feb 21st 2008 2:59PM
A couple points of clarity about XNA:
It is a Framework, a set of API's to help you code a game for both Windows and the 360 (and Zune in the future). If you make the game for windows you can distribute it in any way you want to, it is just like any other windows game you would install, building to the 360 is different and requires this "Community Arcade" to work.
As to the point about it only supporting a 360 Controller? Not true, unless you only coded 360 Controller code into your game and decided to completely ignore the Classes that specifically support the Keyboard and Mouse.
t_m @ Feb 22nd 2008 9:27AM
Yeah, but (in my admittedly short time fiddling around) I couldn't find any way to support a generic USB controller. Its 360 pad or nothing. Why not simply directInput? They must have conciously written the API to check for and EXCLUDE all other controllers.
You are right that anyone making a PC game can put it on the web, etc.. but that doesn't mean that a "Windows Arcade" service from microsoft wouldn't be a much more successful way to get the games out to people.
If I make a game and stick it on a website its unlikely many people will find it. If windows had a built in Arcade then MS could approve the same/different games to go on it... just like the xbox version.
JofCore @ Feb 26th 2008 6:38PM
Mmmmm... Jellycar.... sounds like something Homer might enjoy eating :)
http://free-playstation3-for-you.blogspot.com
Oliver Day @ Feb 21st 2008 4:32PM
I will be really impressed by this when someone ports the now open source Second Life client to the Xbox 360. One of the keys to creating a virtual world like this is the mass produced 3D processing power which the consoles have plenty of.
Ben @ Feb 21st 2008 6:49PM
XNA Game Studio 2.0. Just one of the many FREE software packages Microsoft is offering free to students worldwide. Oh and did I mention they're all the professional version too. If you really want to make a video game download MS Studio 2008 Professional Version. Heres the link for all their software including XNA, just need to be a student!
Matt @ Feb 27th 2008 9:04AM
What are we talking here? Are we talking about making games like Jellycar (picutred in the article)? Or are we talking the ability to create real games? If this is for BS games like Jellycar....thanks but no thanks.
I can't believe how many people are talking about this new great tool...talking about how it will swing the war in M$'s direction...let's get real...reliable system and tons of REAL games are what wins the console war...M$ failed on the reliable system...but has the tons of REAL games going for them...They better keep coming out will killer exclusive titles...if and when the ps3 catches up with the amount of games...the ps3 will win this round of the war. At what point will 360 fanboys get tired of the RRoD epidemic? After 4 xbox 360's...I'm done and have purchased a ps3...and couldn't be happier...I still have the 360 for the exclusive titles but any game that can be played on both...I purchase for the ps3.
From what I've seen of this user created games...it is a joke...and means nothing in the long run. I'm more interested in what sony just released for making cross platform games...make games for the ps3, 360, and pc...and they already have 3 games out that you can purchase that were made using this new tool...one of the games being Dirt.