Learn what goes into the process of publishing video games to major consoles -- Xbox One, WiiU, PlayStation4.

1. Developing for Consoles
as an Indie in 2015
Sarah Sexton, Voxelles
Kevin Geisler, Young Horses

2. Before we begin…
Get up
Stand up
Come on put your hands up!
“May Be With You”

3. Why it’s OK to care about
what we have to say:
 Sarah is a…
 Microsoft Technical Evangelist The only games evangelist in Chicago
 Unity Indie Game Developer Presented game at last ICG meeting
 SheBuildsGames.com blogger Interviews with female developers
 Voxelles: Women in Game Original member & organizer
Development Co-Founder
Internet Famous

4. Why it’s OK to care about
what we have to say:
 Kevin is a…
 COO of his own company
 Young Horses programmer & producer
 Critically acclaimed indie game developer
 DePaul University B.S., Computer Games Development
WAY MORE
Internet Famous

5. Getting on Consoles as an Indie in 2015
 Consoles are closed platforms. They demand quality over quantity
(unlike app stores).
 To prove you are serious, you should:
 Be a Registered Company or Sole Trader
 Have a Static IP (Required for developer/publisher support websites)
 Have a “track record”
 Have a VAT or Tax number
 “The Big Three”
 XBOX ONE (Microsoft)
 PS4 / PS Vita (Sony)
 WiiU (Nintendo)
Games are serious business.

6. What do you mean, “Track Record”?
 “One shipped game, three years’ experience.”
 …More like guidelines than actual rules.
 More of a way to ward off people that aren’t serious.
 Console-makers want a legal business entity.
 Sole Trader (Single Individual)
 Corporation (Group)
 C-corp
 The corporation itself is a taxable entity
 S-corp
 The individual is a taxable entity
 Partnerships
 LLP (Limited Liability Partnership)
 Nintendo and Sony seem to be more lax about track record than Microsoft.
Do I look like a businessman to you??

7. What’s this about a Static IP address?
 For web security, Sony requires a static IP. A lot of indies can just use services
such as Open VPN, through a server.
 Sites like DigitalOcean.com let you rent out a virtual private server.
 Microsoft requires two-step authentication, but does NOT require a static IP.
 Nintendo only requires a single username and password to look at documents
on their website. You still have to encrypt files uploaded, however.
Breaking Code: Dad-hat Hacker

8. The Process begins with…
 Console-makers (Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo) expect simultaneous release
across all consoles.
 In the mind of the console-maker, if the features are the same, the release
date ought to be the same.
 Otherwise, there should be unique features to the platform to justify a late arrival.
 Another work-around is simply renaming the game (example, “Gold Edition”)
What is the “Parity Clause”?
 Your Name
 Address
 Website
 Games already released

9. Expensive Items
 Required: Errors & Omissions Insurance
 This covers Intellectual Property & Copyright violations, etc.
 Using an insurance broker, the cheapest E&O insurance you might find could be to
the tune of around $2,000.
 Optional: Foreign Country Rating boards
 To release in foreign countries, your game must be rated by the official ratings
boards, PEGI (Pan-European Game Information).
 This can also cost roughly $2,000, depending on the country.
 United States requires ESRB rating, approx. $800
 Maintaining your game’s website URL
 Hardware (USB & video cables, etc.)
 Video capture device for making a trailer
But I have a family to feed…

10. Microsoft
 Apply for the ID@XBOX program.
 If accepted, you receive two (2) XBOX ONE DevKits and a Unity Pro license for free.
 This process may take several weeks / months.
 Overwhelmingly large number of applicants
 People often do not fill out the form correctly, so Microsoft cannot contact them
 If you know someone in the ID@XBOX team who is willing to stick their neck out… ;)
 If you know a Microsoft Evangelist, she may be able to help! ;)
 Reach out on a monthly basis to Microsoft:
 Send game-play videos!
 Send a PC build!
www.xbox.com/developers/ID

11. Xbox One
 As an indie, it may be too late for the Xbox 360.
 Parity clause:
 Case-by-case
 If not releasing cross platforms simultaneously, all console makers will want
something special.
 Kinect, special character model unique to that platform, a special name
www.xbox.com/developers/ID

12. Sony
 As an indie, PS3 is still worth looking at if you’re using Unity.
 Everything is negotiable. You can barter for what you need.
 Timing
 Exclusivity length
 Marketing & funding
 Pub Fund:
 Sony doesn’t own your IP rights
 You can get an advance on sales/royalties in exchange for limited platform
exclusivity.
www.nohurdlesjustgames.com

13. PlayStation
 Sony is the only platform who does actually demand:
 an attached file proving that you are a registered company
 an attached file describing the game you want to develop (for example, a GDD)
 .PDFs are preferred
 Sony requires a static IP address.
 Response time from Sony is fast – only 1-2 weeks.
 Sony generously doles out DevKits.
www.nohurdlesjustgames.com

14. Nintendo
 As an indie, Wii is pretty much dead.
 Apply for Nintendo’s Self-Publishing Program.
 Choose the way you want to develop (or both):
 Unity
 Nintendo Web Framework
 May take a month to get a response, or maybe none at all.
 They loan DevKits for “1 year”
 There is an opportunity to buy refurbished DevKits in addition to what you are
loaned for about the cost of a PC.
www.WiiU-developers.Nintendo.com

15. Console Development Environment
 SDK is downloaded from each company and installed.
 DevKits are connected over a local network.
 Visual Studio integration allows deploying to consoles and loading files from
PC over the network, without explicitly making and pushing builds.
 Tools available for profiling bottlenecks on Xbox and PlayStation platforms.
 Additional tools are included for final packaging, which can be cumbersome.

16. Console Design Considerations
 Naming and branding guidelines must be adhered to for release.
(Proper names for buttons, proper usage of capitalization.)
 Important visual elements must be within TV-safe margins.
 User management and controller assignment edge cases must be thoroughly
tested.
 Requirements must be met for load times, warnings, and other issues related to
maintaining general consistency on each particular platform.
 Additional items like achievements, saves, leaderboards, generally require a fair
amount of implementation time.

17. Community
 If the console-makers don’t believe you have a good game, they will not be quick to
get back to you.
 If you show great promise as a developer, all 3 of these companies have opportunities
to loan/give you their Dev Kit for free.
 The Chicago games community is very supportive!!
 Indie City Games (obviously)
 Chicago Unity 3D MeetUp
 Indie City Co-Op + weekly Friday Indie Lunch
 Voxelles: Chicago’s Women in Game Development
 Chicago Gaming Union
 International Game Developers Association (IGDA)
 Indie Video Game Developer Association

18. Questions?
Thank you:
 http://gamasutra.com/blogs/SlawaDeisling/20150223/237040/How_to_get_
on_consoles_as_an_Indie.php
 http://www.gamedevblog.com/sixty-second-shooter/
 Kevin Geisler, Phil Tibitoski, & Devon Scott-Tunkin for consultation!
 Fan artists for Octodad fan art!
Shameless Plugs:
Voxelles: Chicago’s
Women in Gaming
SheBuildsGames
Chicago Video Game
Law Summit
“Octodad: Dadliest Catch”
I Make Games Project
YouTube Channel
Games for Everyone
Play for Change Lab
at DePaul CDM