Microsoft MSFT's Xbox has launched the ID@Xbox Developer Acceleration Program to help underrepresented creators find success on the platform.
In an interview with GamesIndustryBiz.com, James Lewis, senior creative partner programs lead at Xbox, explained that the program was set up to help developers from underrepresented backgrounds port their games to Xbox without sacrificing time and money.
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“I firmly believe that we can't reach the billions of gamers that we hope to reach without empowering more developers who have access to other communities,” Lewis said.
“There are people who don't think of themselves as gamers because they haven't seen some of the games that are coming from these communities," he added. "It is better for our industry when we can grow and welcome in new voices who can reach more audiences.”
The developers the program is designed to support include those from Black, Indigenous, Latinx or LGBTQIA+ communities, women, developers with disabilities, developers from emerging markets, or teams with unique perspectives.
Furthermore, it's worth noting that Microsoft does not intend to recoup the funding nor lock developers into an exclusivity arrangement.
Since it first launched in 2019 (under another name), the program has promoted over 100 games. “We already have 100 titles, and I am looking forward to those next 100,” Lewis told GamesIndustryBiz.com.
The program also includes webinars offering best practice advice on launching a game, game lifecycles, marketing, setting up a store page and a pilot program that offers some developers funding to help them produce a game prototype.
“We recognize that historically a lot of the teams that we're seeking to support haven't had access to the resources to get their ideas off the ground. We're being intentional in providing access to, again, non-recoupable amounts of funding for them to build a prototype. They can then clearly and accurately articulate the vision that they have for their game," Lewis said.
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