Microsoft Unlocks the Ability To Turn Xbox One Consoles Into 'Development Kits' (polygon.com)

Dave Knott writes: Today, Microsoft made good on a nearly three-year-old promise, unlocking the ability for all retail Xbox One consoles to become development kits. This mode will allow anyone to build, test and experiment with Universal Windows Program (UWP) development. Converting a console to Dev Mode requires no special equipment or fees, though to fully access the abilities, a user will need to create a Dev Center account. After setting up Dev Mode, a user simply pairs their Xbox One with Visual Studio, which sees the console as a Windows 10 machine to which it can deploy content directly through a wired connection. While this feature eases self-publishing on Xbox One, a developer will still have to go through Microsoft's concept approval, which usually takes about two weeks, before the game is eligible to be published on Xbox One. The big change here is that while traditionally Microsoft had to give a hopeful developer a dev kit, now a developer can just switch over their own retail console.

Comments

Short Lived

[StikyPad]

As with Linux on the PS3, I predict this will end shortly after someone uses it to jailbreak the console. So, in 3... 2... 1...

Re:Short Lived

[Dutch Gun]

I don't think that will necessarily be the case. This is different, because this is part of a strategic initiative to push the same Universal Windows OS core to all MS supported devices. Microsoft has every incentive to keep this program around to generate additional developer interest, especially since they're in the #2 console slot at the moment.

In Sony's case, the "Other OS" was mostly likely a gimmick to avoid paying additional taxes in the EU (so it could be classified as a computer instead of a console). And once that didn't pan out (laws were re-written to prevent this tax dodge), they had little incentive to keep that feature around.

Don't forget the documentation...

[__aaclcg7560]

I remember reading the documentation for the original Xbox when I worked at Accolade/Infogrames/Atari (same company, different owners, multiple personality disorder). I always got a kick out of the A: and B: floppy drives being listed as legacy devices. Microsoft had more or less denied that the Xbox was a PC pretending to be a console.

Re:Don't forget the documentation...

[shutdown -p now]

The whole point of UWP is that there's a single API (and hence a single set of docs) for all devices across the platform.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-...

Re:Microsoft knows is it dying.

[Penguinisto]

First, in general agree with you, but only insofar as Netcraft has not yet confirmed it. ;)

However, your argument isn't quite water-tight. You see, Microsoft has sunk $$$$billions into the XBox program over the years, and with each new console iteration they sink $$$$billions more. Meanwhile, they sell the hardware either at or below cost (forget which), which meant that they relied on licensing to make any profit off of it - which was $0.00 until like 2007-2008 or so. Even now, they *might* make enough to stop the bleeding, but nowhere near enough to make up for the massive pile of cash they've sunk into it to date, which has been accumulating since 1999 and is still piling up (albeit not as fast given the offset from licensing).

IIRC the whole idea was to first launch a game console, then turn it into a home media center, then turn it again into a central computer for the home, where they would hold ultimate sway. Things didn't quite turn out as originally planned, but they're in it too damned deep to pull out now, especially with an eventual ROI coming (maybe a decade or two from now?), with a possible profit center coming from it in the moderate/long-term future.

Re:hopefully Sony does it to PS3 & PS4

[tepples]

I've got the perfect video game in my head and would love to try to lay it out there.

Have you tried making it for a PC or mobile platform first? Those might be more inviting platforms to start out on, even after this announcement of an official softmod for development. You used to need a PC tech demo in order to score a devkit, and PC experience would probably still serve you well if you want to make the most of this softmod.

Is there any special media required to make disks - for those who want to use/offer physical installation media?

With all respect, if you have to ask about discs, you likely aren't quite ready to know. An indie startup's first commercial game isn't likely to exceed a few hundred MB at most. For comparison, N64 games maxed out at 32 MB with about two exceptions, and PS1 games that weren't sprawling RPGs largely fit on a 650 MB disc. You probably will not need physical installation media until it's several GB, so let's keep the proverbial cart behind the tractor until your tech demo is working.

Literally, I've no idea how modern consoles work. I've not been a gamer in years but being able to access one as a developer just might be enough to make me want to own one.

Do you know DirectX? There's a reason Microsoft calls it the "Xbox". Make a game for Windows 10 UWP and get it on the Windows Store, and there should be little problem building it for Xbox One.

It's a trap

[kbg]

It's a trap