6 Reasons Microsoft Needs A Great E3

2. Indie Development

Sony and Nintendo both offer independent developers the chance to self-publish indie games on both major consoles. This gives indie developers a large measure of control over their own games. They are able to manage pricing models, microtransactions, DLC and more. Microsoft does not currently offer this luxury to indie developers wishing to publish on the Xbox. Instead, developers must strike a partnership with either Microsoft or a third-party publisher to ensure that their games see the light of day. Unfortunately, they don't retain as much control over the game and must pay a variety of fees for publication.

The transition to a new generation of consoles offered Microsoft a valuable opportunity to reach out to indie developers by changing its policy on independent development. In fact, a recent issue of Game Informer ran a prediction that Microsoft would in fact begin to court developers differently. However, Microsoft doesn't seem to be changing this trend. Rumours have indicated that Microsoft may or may not change its policy, so this one is up in the air. If Microsoft could use E3 as a valuable platform to demonstrate its friendliness to independent developers, the Xbox One might stand a chance of becoming a contender in the console wars.