that is far from the truth

Develop relations is one of the issues I've had with Microsoft this gen. Amidst developer reaction and the contracts associated with game release it is a wonder why gamers should offer so much support to the system.

That's actually what got me started thinking about this, the way Nintendo is said to have improved with the Wii U.  The Wii had some issues, we know that, with some crazy policies and strange restrictions, but obviously they were open to revision.  I think Microsoft needs to do the same kind of evaluation, as downloadable games are going to be huge next gen.  They're not going to have a headstart like they did with the 360, which built up so much momentum for their online network.

However, if Microsoft is anything, they're smart.  The people who run things pay attention to what is being said in the media.  They know that Nintendo is updating their policies and Sony is said to be aiming for a certification process "somewhere between iOS and the PS3".  I don't expect them to not adapt.

I don't really understand your reply.  All the developers I've quoted have been extremely successful, even on XBLA.  Outside of Team Meat, who were angry because they believed they'd been lied to and mislead about promotions, most of the developers are unhappy about the experience itself.

Even then, we aren't just talking about "Microsoft is hard to deal with," we're talking about "Microsoft is the hardest to deal with."   Big difference, and an important one in a competitive environment.

Microsoft definitely have to improve about the certification process and their treatment of indie devs.

On the other hand XBLA is the biggest market for digital games on consoles, so if you have a winner in development, you should definitely try your luck on it.

I dont see what they need to change. XBLA has some of the best games available for that kind of service, and if i'm not mistaken it outsells wiiware and psn by a lot. Sure there may be devs who complain, but oh well, as long as MS is getting the games on there and consumers are happy i dont care. From what I have seen MS really pushed those kind of games and forced sony and nintendo to do the same.

Yes, they definitely did.  Sometimes, though, when you're far in the lead, you lose your drive, while those behind you end up with a better product from trying to beat you.

Now we're starting over with a new generation.  The 720 has no more market share than the PS4.  In Ron Carmel's blog post about this, he theorized that there would be a slow migration away from XBLA as developers decided to go elsewhere first, be it Steam, or iOS, or even PSN.  He believed that Microsoft would start losing all those exclusives that they had early in this generation, simply because experienced developers didn't like dealing with them and new developers were hearing bad things from those who were already established.

That we're already seeing a direct result of this with The Witness, with months left to go before either system releases, is interesting.  The developer picked Sony to be the first console the game would appear on because he liked dealing with them a LOT more than the liked dealing with Microsoft.  That's not heresay, it's something that has actually happened.

yes. But some devs will praise MS some will praise PSN. But MS has proven what they can do. There were PSN exclusive titles to PSN before this too. Its not such a big deal. What made XBLA arcade games sell and do well was how MS pushed them, it was never their good relationship with devs. MS has a great thing going with live, and they are great at getting sales on XBLA. I have not seen the same from PSN or wiiware yet. Steam will always be ahead as it has the least requirements to be on and the biggest consumer base.