MS Finally Giving Indie Developers The Shaft?

[FortNinety]

As found on Kotaku (I know)....

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

... To be honest, this news is hardly surprising. Each year at the GDC, you hear more and more indie developers complain about the cold shoulder that MS is giving everyone, and given how they're doing so well with downloadable content from the big guys, it's not gonna change anytime soon. To be honest, Fez might be the only indie game that I know of coming to Live that I'm looking forward to.

[Llydis]

I think the problem is that they have relegated "Indie" to "community" in a way that is so badly contrived... But, I can't think of any indie games I'd like to play either. I haven't even downloaded a single community game yet.

[FortNinety]

Somewhat related, but this is mostly about double standards... to a certain extent...

http://kotaku.com/5342256/independent-xbox-live-game-banned-for-visual-sexual-assault-reminders

... Though it could be argued that MS Europe's standards are not entire horrible, and the comparison to Dead or Alive is not entirely appropriate. Since in that game, you can control the girl and defend yourself/her, whereas in the indie game, the female character is being overpowered...

Okay, I'm grasping at straws here.

[scratchmonkey]

One is obviously more pervy than the other. Comparing Crossing the Boobicon in a fighting game contest to something that heavily implies non-consensual child rape is ridiculous, not that it isn't par for the course for Gamers.

(Not trying to harsh on you here Matt, I just find this kind of ludicrous; yes, there is obviously a power differential between a major third-party publisher vital to making sales in Japan and an adventure game made by one person, to act as though "it's totally the same thing" in this situation brings up the question of whether they honestly believe that or whether this is some sort of insincere "sticking it to the man" posturing.)

[FortNinety]

Didn't I already point out that the comparison between the two titles that Kotaku posed was ridiculous?

[sonictail]

Amused on many points, indie games section is not enabled down here in AU.  MS limiting the release list increasing competition for those slots, no surprise there.  but most of all, watoday?  That's my local net only rag.  Bloody fairfax :p