Xbox One’s ID@Xbox scheme will see a new wave of indie projects coming to Microsoft’s console in 2014, and head of the program Chris Charla feels these games can absolutely sell systems. Minecraft is his case and point.
Speaking with MCV, Charla said, “There has certainly been system sellers that have been indie games – Minecraft is a system seller. Independent developers are hugely important for the entire industry ecosystem. I am massively excited by titles such as Titanfall and Halo. But I am equally excited when I see games like Papers Please, or Gone Home. Games can be hugely diverse. When you turn on your Xbox One, you see the broadest, most diverse spectrum of entertainment.”
When asked if PS4′s indie drive has triggered the ID@Xbox initiative, Charla said that it hadn’t and down-played claims that Microsoft is currently on the back foot. He stressed, “The origins of this goes all the way back to Xbox One’s architecture. We’ve been planning this for a long time. You can see where this started with 360’s indie titles. We haven’t even released a system yet, so I’d say it’s not a late announcement, it’s quite a timely one.”
