Microsoft Australia is celebrating the continued growth of the Xbox Live online network, but local independent developers have expressed concern that they are being “locked out” of the popular Arcade Marketplace.

While wishing to speak with anonymity to protect their relationship with Microsoft, several local developers have told Screen Play that Microsoft has dramatically reduced the number of independently-developed games it will publish on the Xbox Live Arcade service.

Digital download services like Arcade do not have the limitations of traditional retail distribution like limited shelf space, but it is believed that Microsoft is tightening up the service because of concerns there is too much content available, with one local developer accusing Microsoft of "buckling to pressure" from major third-party publishers.

Screen Play has been told there are now just 35 "slots" a year for independent games on Xbox Live Arcade, but local developers estimate there would be hundreds of titles in development around the world, so many frustrated independent studios will be unable to release their games on the popular service.

http://blogs.watoday.com.au/digital-life/screenplay/2009/07/14/closedshop.html

Shameful.

it's better to bring to xbla only those few games, but good ones than having hundreds of crappy title nobody would want to play - just look at appstore where are thousands of games and maybe 30-40 actually good games.

Truly shameful.

this is actually a good thing, users won't have to wade through a plethora of crappy games to get to the good ones. So it's actually good for the Devs as well.

shio is positively scandalized by this development!

Exactly why I play PC.

Damn you Xbox Live! You provide TOO MUCH entertainment. We can't even handle it all!

Is this in regards to Community Games or Live Arcade? Either way both have too much shit in them. There needs to be some quality control.

They could just release it on XNA.

They are changinig the name from Community games to Indie games as a matter of fact.

I thought MS was Rebranding the Community games to Indie Games....Is that not actually even more chance for recognition?