August 14-15 2006

Developing Games for Xbox Live Arcade

Katie Stone-PerezGame Program ManagerXbox Live ArcadeMicrosoft

August 14-15 2006

Endless Fun is Just a Download Away!

August 14-15 2006

Agenda

1st Generation Results

Xbox Live Arcade on the Xbox 360

Goals

Current Statistics

What’s New with the Platform

Development Considerations and how to get your submission approved

August 14-15 2006

Xbox Live Arcade – 1st Generation

Launched November 2004 in North America; Europe/Asia in April 2005

Disc-based solution

One pack in title included free of charge

Additional titles available to download, try, and buy over Xbox Live

Conversion rates strong @ 8.5%

August 14-15 2006

Xbox Live Arcade – Xbox 360

Goal: Build a frictionless distribution model for broad appeal content on Xbox 360

Single destination to discover, download, and try/buy broad-appeal games built into every console

High-visibility placement (Games Blade)

Deep Marketplace integration (download, purchase, licensing)

Available to both Silver & Gold Xbox Live Subscribers

Arcade-specific banner placements drive awareness of new titles

Rich around-the-game feature set drives retention & repeat play

August 14-15 2006

Xbox Live Arcade –Dashboard

Deep Integration with Achievements, Gamerscore, and Live Leaderboards

August 14-15 2006

Importance of Xbox Live ArcadeStrategic to the Xbox 360 Platform

Relevant content for secondary/tertiary gamer in the household

Relevant content for primary gamer (retro, action). Provides quick gameplay experiences

Only have 15 minutes to play; waiting for friends to get online; looking for a simple dose of fun

Opportunity for Xbox 360 Developers Opportunity to reach an entirely new audience

Drive innovation & creative expression without taking on the risk of a large development budget

Low upfront financial risk with a potential high return on investment

August 14-15 2006

Early Results of Xbox Live Arcade Over 25 games now available

Phenomenal launch window results for Xbox Live Arcade

Over five million Arcade downloads since launch

Across the board conversion rate average of 22%

Highest title converting at over 50%

Over 65% of connected Xbox 360 consoles are downloading and playing Arcade games

August 14-15 2006

Top Arcade Titles to Date

Geometry Wars

UNO

Marble Blast Ultra

Gauntlet

Zuma

August 14-15 2006

Xbox Live Arcade Platform –What’s Next?

Dashboard UpdatesDev Task- Make sure you set your Genre in ArcadeInfo.xml!

Arcade Wednesdays!!!Regular release schedule for Arcade games

CameraVideo Chat

Face in Game

Gesture

Leader Recognition

Talk to Digimask, GestureTek at Gamefest

August 14-15 2006

What is an Xbox Live Arcade Game in Xbox 360?

Full game experience

No pieces of games

Must stand on its own

Smaller in size

<50 MB (BroadBand in North America, International higher)

Sub-25-MB Goal (2 games on 1 Memory Unit)

Playable without physical media or other dependencies

No instruction manual required

Approachable pickup & play

Free Trial Version with limited but entertaining gameplay

Must up-sell to unlocked “full” version

In-game promotional up-sell

Plugs into Xbox Live Arcade around-the-game experiences

Out-of-game Leaderboards

Achievements & Gamerscore

Cross-game invites

August 14-15 2006

The 6 Pillars of What We Look for in Games How to Get Your Game Approved

Innovation

Gameplay

Visuals

Multiplayer

Marketplace Interaction

Global Appeal

August 14-15 2006

Gameplay

Fits within 50 MB limit

Unique ideas

Pick-up and play gameplay

Allows for bite-size entertainment experience

Designed for the ENTIRE family

Handicapping

Kid-friendly options

Continues

August 14-15 2006

Visual Bar

Does this game look like it belongs on the Xbox 360?

Visual Re-Design, not just a port

August 14-15 2006

Multiplayer

Xbox Live & designing for smaller populations

Local Multiplayer (2+ on a single console)

Co-Op

Offline gameplay & tracking

August 14-15 2006

Marketplace

Premium Downloadable Content

Levels & Maps

Weapons & Character Objects

Game Types

Game Skins

Picture Packs

Themes

August 14-15 2006

Worldwide Appeal

Design with a global customer in mind

Localization

August 14-15 2006

Developing for Arcade on Xbox 360 Achievements & Gamerscore

Gamerscore200 Gamerscore

Achievements12 achievements

Achievement curve

Show creativity!

August 14-15 2006

Developing for Arcade on Xbox 360 Adapting Your Game from Another Platform

10 ft. vs. 2 ft. experienceAdapting your characters and game elements for better visibility and control on a TV

TV DisplaysColors

Fonts and other small detailDon’t forget standard definition!

Controls and NavigationIn Game Controls, optional control devices

Menu and UI elements

August 14-15 2006

The Benefits of Developing for Arcade

Xbox Developer Support and Xbox 360 Central

Game Requirements Doc for Arcade

Xbox Live Arcade Developer Forum

TCR Compliant Multiplayer Network Stack

Arcade Developer Brownbag Sessions

Milestone Acceptance Testing

Certification Assistance

Partnerships in place with testing and localization vendors

August 14-15 2006

High-Level Development Process\

Step #1: Submit Concept – Work with Arcade Portfolio Planning team (arcade@microsoft.com) or your established account manager to determine whether your title is a good fit and to iron out the business details.

Step #2: Kickoff – Get engaged with the Arcade production team to discuss requirements and best practices that are unique to Arcade titles. Get lined up with Arcade-specific support materials.

Step #3 – Get Cranking – Develop an awesome Arcade title that every Xbox 360 owner will have to have! Work with the Arcade team along the way to check progress of the title at various milestones.

Step #4 – Submit to Cert – Arcade titles are certified along with all other Xbox 360 titles.

Step #5 – Release to Market – The title is made available in Marketplace and the downloads begin.

August 14-15 2006

How to Get Started

For Independent Developers:

Work with Arcade Portfolio Planning team (arcade@microsoft.com) to determine whether your title is a good fit and to iron out the business details.

NDA

Submit Concept Submission Form & Materials

Playable Demo

For Publishers

Work with your established account manager

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.

DirectX Developer Centerhttp://msdn.microsoft.com/directx

Game Development MSDN Forumshttp://forums.microsoft.com/msdn

Xbox 360 Centralhttp://xds.xbox.com/

XNA Web sitehttp://www.microsoft.com/xna