I think this tidbit is a lot more interesting
Why not develop for XB1 first?
This is inherently why the parity program exists: to give XB1 exclusive games without the need for exclusive marketing or financial deals. But yes, that's a question that cannot be universally answered. Many devs have their own personal reasons. I can only share my own.
I applied to both the ID@Xbox program and the Sony developer program back in Feb. While both programs are fantastic and have great people behind them, I was able to get my Xbox One dev kit first by a few months. Theoretically this should have allowed me to get started on an XB1 port of my game except for one issue: the engine I use, GM Studio, would not be supporting XB1 until later this year. PS4/Vita support was already built into the engine. So, I started studying PS platform requirements, APIs, and GM Studio integration in preparation for my dev kits which I received last month. Through no fault of my own, I was developing first for Playstation because that's the engine that was available to me via GM Studio. My PS4 game will be ready much earlier than my XB1 version. And despite having an XB1 dev kit, MS doesn't want my game at a later date. They want me to delay my PS4 version until I can get the XB1 version out the door. And that's impossible for me to do from a scheduling and financial standpoint. And so, just like that, I'm unable to make XB1 games, even though I very much want to. Even though I'm an ID@Xbox dev. Even though I have a dev kit right here next to me.
I could talk to Phil and tell him my situation, and maybe, just maybe he'll grant me a pass. It is ludicrous that I have to plea with MS to slip me through the door. Hence why I'm creating this topic, so that MS will maybe revise the parity clause not just for me but for everyone wanting to make XB1 games.
If you demand respect or gratitude for your volunteer work, you're doing volunteering wrong.
