Making Games for Console Download Services is Too Expensive

[Spectral Jester]

The cost of developing games for console download services is discouraging to independent developers, says Double Fine founder Tim Schafer. Even releasing patches is prohibitively expensive.

 

Discussing the opportunities provided for independent developers by services like Xbox Live and PSN, Schafer said that it costs around $40,000 each time you release a patch.

 

“Those systems, as great as they are, are closed,” said Schafer. “You have to jump through a lot of hoops, even for important stuff like patching and supporting your game.

 

"Those are things we really want to do, but we can’t do it on these systems. I mean, it costs $40,000 to put up a patch - we can't afford that! Open systems like Steam, that allow us to set our own prices, that's where it's at, and doing it completely alone like Minecraft. That's where people are going."

 

According to Edge, a game-breaking bug that blighted Double Fine’s Costume Quest went untouched because the developer could not afford to fix it, despite Schafer’s public claims at the time that the studio’s limited manpower was the reason.

 

Furthermore, it’s also claimed that Double Fine's Brutal Legend on PS3 also suffered from bugs that were never addressed for the same reason. Even the financial might of EA couldn’t fix it, as the publisher refused to pay extra to repair a game that had performed poorly at retail.

 

Schafer and Double Fine are currently in talks with Minecraft creator Markus Persson to develop a sequel to 2005‘s Psychonauts.

 

[Via HookshotInc]

[Lᴜᴋᴇ]

I completely agree that it is ridiculous. They need to sort it do not only Is it cheaper for the developer but for us as well.

[Mr. DJ]

wow. now i know why games cost $60. I can't beleibe that price. They really should make it alot cheaper