XNA Creators Earn Up To 70% On Games News

Already crusaders for the renaissance of the bedroom programmer, Microsoft today delivered further details on how hobbyist game developers will be able to make a career from XNA game development.

During a keynote address at the Gamefest 2008 Microsoft Game technology Conference, Microsoft confirmed that members of the XNA Creators Club will shortly be able to charge for their creations.

Games submitted by XNA Creators Club Premium members that have passed a vigorous peer-review, will be made available across the Xbox Live Marketplace. Creators will be able to charge between 200 - 800 Microsoft Points for their creations and pocket up to 70% of the total revenue generated.

"Not only are we democratising game development with Xbox LIVE Community Games later this year, but we're creating an opportunity for aspiring developers to start their careers on the world stage," Satchell said. "It is really a win for both developers and consumers because this will no doubt act as an incentive for game creators to continue to develop the best, most innovative games for Xbox 360."

The Community Game channel is expected to launch later in the year (possibly alongside the dash update) in the United States, Canada and select European countries, with further territories rolled out throughout 2009.

"Since first launching XNA Game Studio in 2006, we have been working hard on improving the toolset and building resources for the community, and the response has been amazing. To date, we've had more than 1 million downloads of XNA Game Studio and adoption in more than 700 universities," said Boyd Multerer, general manager of XNA. "For some perspective, the incredible creative community we've unleashed worldwide is more than 25 times the number of professional developers in the industry."