If you're a developer, it feels like there's probably less and less reason to actually release a game on Xbox these days. Even if you take the low install base out of the equation, Xbox Game Pass is no longer the best deal in gaming it once was a few years ago, and you have supermarkets like Target, Costco, and Sam's Club getting rid of their Xbox sections, further lowering the platform's visibility.
And now, to top it all off, it looks like actually developing games for Xbox consoles is going to be even more expensive as well. According to a new report from The Verge, Xbox has informed developers that it is about to raise the price of its Xbox Development Kit, which is used by studios to help build games for Xbox systems.
Xbox is even raising the price of its development kits
There won't be a small increase either. The Verge reports that the price of Xbox Development Kits will rise from $1,500 up to $2,000, which is a whopping 33 percent increase. This means that it will be much more expensive for developers to make games for Xbox systems, especially smaller studios.
According to the announcement Xbox sent to developers about the price increase, the reason behind the increases is to “reflect macroeconomic trends,” but the company says it remains “committed to providing high-quality tools and support for your development efforts.” If that excuse sounds familiar, it's the exact same one Xbox used to justify the price hikes for the Xbox Series X and S.
It's obviously not an issue that will affect the average Xbox user in any real way, but it's worrying to see Xbox making itself a more expensive platform on almost every front. It's now harder to make games for Xbox, and for Xbox fans to play the games in the first place. I may not be an expert on business people, but in my opinion, that doesn't really sound like the smartest strategy to save your dying ecosystem.
- Stamp
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Microsoft
- Original release date
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November 10, 2020
- Original MSRP (USD)
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$499 USD
- Operating system
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Proprietary (Windows based)
- Processor
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Custom AMD 8-core Zen 2 3.8 GHz
- Resolution
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720p – 4K UHD
