Xbox One Outlast Release Shows Microsoft Doesn't Require Launch Parity for Indies

Indicating a continuing commitment to indie games, Microsoft has launched Outlast, the indie horror game from developer Red Barrels, on Xbox One.

[XiSasukeUchiha]

Yep, now just get rid of clause and indies were be flocking over to you, 1000vs 250 what's bigger!?

[corvusmd]

Agreed, it'd go a long way...but things like this, and the fact that it sounds like ID@Xbox is "courting" Hello games for "No Man's Sky" seems to be leading to them relaxing this clause. So far all that proves is that they are willing to do it after the fact....but I'm sure the announcement is just a matter of time now.

It's not a popular opinion I understand, but honestly I can see WHY MS put the clause it place. The indie Devs get all sorts of benefits for joining the program...two dev kits, endless access to MS servers, and others...but it just doesn't appear like (when standing on the outside at least) that these benefits are enough to outweigh the parity clause...I'm sure the announcement to get rid of it is just around the corner

[georgeenoob]

This game is the first arcade game I've bought in a while. It's been years actually.

[DonMingos]

oh georgie... what happened to "Indie games Sucks"?

[Army_of_Darkness]

Ms don't have the power and sales for a parity clause/ simultaneous release anymore, therefore now accepting all sloppy seconds and thirds ;-)

[Slugfest321]

@DonMingos

I think he thinks anything on xbox arcade arent indie games

[redwin]

Honestly, I'm glad the box doesn't have 1000 indies, I rather have 200 very good ones and menu AAA.

[Prime157]

One game doesn't show parity... MS said they would work with some outside the clause from the get-go. It just shows they will work with studios who are credible and/ or going to bring them money... playing it safe, as some might say.

Getting rid of the parity clause would show, "doesn't require launch parity" as this article states.

@georgenoob
Funny how you knocked outlast as an indie title. Maybe I'll go find the comment when I get home, but now I'm on my phone. Why people haven't flagged your comment yet is beyond me.

[AndrewLB]

No Man's Sky was actually listed as being for Xbox One and PC over a year ago when they released the PC trailer. http://www.metacritic.com/g...

Microsoft doesn't have to court a game developer who is already making the game for Xbone.

[user1439414]

Is the game free with GAMES WITH GOLD?

[Gazondaily]

Nope

[CYCLEGAMER]

I love Xbox's approach to Indies. It helps ensure that Xbox users get good, quality Indies. Indies like No Man's Sky, Ori, Cuphead, Limbo, Inside, etc.

[Bennibop]

Who said x1 is getting no man's sky?

[CYCLEGAMER]

@bennibop
LOL...who said that No Mans Sky is a ps4 exclusive??

Its a timed exclusive my friend, and will be coming to the xbox one.

http://www.digitalspy.com/g...

[sinspirit]

@MELMAN26

Better wait before assuming it is coming to X1. For all we know it is timed and will come out on PC later. If it was for sure coming out on X1 then they would have said it was.

Oh, and that article you linked has nothing whatsoever to prove it is a timed exclusive.

A lot of articles keep quoting "console exclusive debut". But, to me that sounds like it is a timed exclusive on PS4 that will later come out on PC. I haven't seen anywhere where they actually state it is a timed exclusive. Everyone just keeps interpreting that one statement.

Not saying it for sure won't come out on other consoles though.

[marlinfan10]

@sinspirit

"We're not currently talking about an Xbox One version of No Man's Sky, only that No Man's Sky will make its console debut on PS4," 

Saying its making its console debut on ps4 sounds like its definitely gonna release on other consoles eventually.

[medman]

@melman26
When the developer of No Man's Sky says that the game is coming to ps4 first, and after that they would like to bring it to pc, but that is not definite, and will not even mention xbox by name, that is not a good sign. It means one of two things...either they are in discussions with Sony about console exclusivity, or Sony has helped them in some way to where xbox development will not happen for at least a year after release on ps4. Also, let's not forget developers like Quantic Dream and Ready at Dawn who while not technically first party studios, only make games for release on Sony platforms. Could something similar be happening here? You xbot only gamers better pray Sony isn't trying to lock up Hello games as first party. And pray hard. The rest of us who live in the real world and either already own a ps4, or both a ps4 and xbone, don't have to worry, we know we'll be playing it day one.

[Magicite]

MS, just keep your parities and eventually you will kill xbox youself.

[Christopher]

Microsoft won't get rid of it. They want to "encourage" everyone to go XBO first. And when they don't and it's a worthwhile Indie, they'll ignore their own rule and let you put the game on their console.

This is exactly why any developer who releases first on XBO isn't a win for XBO. It's a restriction for Indie developers by putting them into a corner.

Now let's all compliment MS for being total hypocrites! Weeeeeee!

[DVS-Zev]

They would if they had the market share to demand things.In this case, beggars can't be choosers.

[mhunterjr]

MS maintains that the parity clause issues are handled on a case by case basis.

[MasterCornholio]

I agree with you. I don't see how Microsoft can reject a game like No Mans Sky because of the parity clause. Regardless it still hinders indies and if its gone there will be more indie support for Xbox One.

[wsoutlaw87]

well they have said from the beginning that you can release first somewhere else as long as those plans were made before joining ID. Their next game would have to have launch parity.

[Neonridr]

for those Xbox One owners that haven't had a chance to try this game on PC or PS4, I highly recommend it.

Hopefully you get access to the DLC as well.

[randomass171]

The friend from whom I mooched Titanfall actually called me in an excited fit because Outlast was suddenly on the store. According to him there is also a DLC purchase that launched with the full game.

[WeAreLegion]

There is. Whistleblower is the name of the DLC and it's awesome. I highly recommend the full game and the DLC.

[randomass171]

Thanks! Bubble up for being helpful. :)

[Neonridr]

completely agree with Legion. Fantastic game, scared the $hit out of me the first time I played it. It's completely off the walls and the DLC is even more creepy and disturbing.

[GUTZnPAPERCUTZ]

Does anyone Know what Resolution and Framerate it runs on X1? Not trying to start nothing, But I can't find crap on Google about it and I want to get it on X1! Thanks :)

[Neonridr]

don't see why the XB1 wouldn't be able to run this at 1080p. I remember the devs claimed the PS4 version was 60fps but not sure if it was a locked 60 or not.

[DoctorJones]

Outlast is an excellent game, I'd recommend it to anyone. If the expansion is on Xbox One I'd say to get that as well because it was superb.

[azure1990]

The game is okay. In my opinion, it wasn't that creepy. But I also didn't get scared easily.

[mhunterjr]

Honestly, not all developers deserve the same respect. With ID@xbox, developers are getting two free dev kits, free unity licenses, and a host of other perks. Is it really a surprise that MS would give preferential treatment to devs with a pedigree and devs who would prioritize the xbox platform?

Otherwise what would stop people from circumventing the program for the free goods?

[tommygunzII]

All of that stuff that you mentioned probably comes to less than $5000. That's savings for some but for others it amounts to a stick of gum.

[mhunterjr]

@tommygunzil

To many of these independent developers $5000 is a lot, especially when you have no publisher. If it weren't, they wouldn't be making a big deal out of receiving dev kits and middleware licensing. For Microsoft, giving out $5000 to every Joe Shmoe who claims to be a developers, wouldn't make business sense. They have to have a vetting process, and they have to be sure that the people involved are interested in making high quality Xbox games.

[ninsigma]

Or it shows their commitment to not treating all developers with the same respect and only acknowledge those with big games.

[akaFullMetal]

That's what I fear.

[Spotie]

Given how recent these changes are, and how they haven't come out and said the clause is gone, and how it only seems to apply to the more popular games, this is probably the case, unfortunately.

[spicelicka]

I don't understand the point of that, so they're effectively keeping the game from coming to XB1 if it doesn't release simultaneously? Isn't that like shooting themselves in the foot.

[Gamer666]

So far, what I have seen from all the indie games on my PS4 and X1 there are only a handful worth buying.

This is one of them.

As far as the parity clause is concerned... I would much rather see full games that are of the AAA variety. Indie games are nice, but should not be the focus of content on consoles.

[jnemesh]

And how many "AAA" games were cancelled or delayed due to indie games being available? Thats right. ZERO! This idiotic debate that you have to have one or the other is just that, idiotic. Mainly the hate seems to come from the fact that due to Microsoft's ill conceived policies, more games are being published on the PS4, and Xbox fans can't accept the fact that some (not all) of these games are actually FUN!

[Gamer666]

@jnemesh....

Wow, you obviously don't know how to read...

I never said that any AAA games were cancelled due to indies... I prefer AAA games over indie stuff.

I played most of the indie games on PS4 long before the PS4 arrived... I played them on this thing called a "PC" through "Steam" where indies really live.

What I hate is a bunch of you PS4 fanboys thinking that indies are PS4 first... The reality is that 99% of all indie games are on PC first and consoles only once they become successful.

Consoles are simply recycling Indie content.

[RosweeSon]

Look into the xbox version of Strangers Wrath! Sure these games will make there way over but it's all dependent on how many of Microsoft hoops are jumped through first, dev's might do this to start with but if it's gonna cause them hassle they'll go elsewhere or just not go to Microsoft in the first place, hey ho I'm not gonna go buy an xbox one because inside is exclusive, if it's anything like limbo's release I'll be able to play it in a few months after launch elsewhere anyway, I don't mind a few months wait, specially with my backlog.

[RosweeSon]

Might have been the first arcade game he paid for in a while but hey ho got it free, Yes Free!! a few months ago now ;) ps+ is good for some things, actually it's good for a lot, Sony and Nintendo all the way.

[DanielGearSolid]

Case by case

[AceBlazer13]

I just love the Xbox fans that like indies again. Enjoy Outlast, it was a good game.

[sinspirit]

It's because they thought that it would make people launch on their console first, because otherwise they couldn't launch on their console at all if they had only one console they were capable of launching on first, and then it backfired. So, now they are basically ignoring the policy, at least for the bigger titles.

It's basically black mailing. It makes indies that wanted to launch on PS4 or Wii U first miss out on sales on X1, so they would have to go to X1 first instead. It also makes it so indies wouldn't care for timed exclusive deals from Sony or Nintendo because the money that they'd get from them would have been lost because they wouldn't even have a chance to make money on X1. What's even worse about this is that Microsoft are the ones that made timed exclusive deals a thing in the first place and were then attempting to make it so indies would have to chose them. It's a gross attempt to corner the market and it backfired. Most gamers don't chose to stand against bad companies and stop giving them their money but the indie developers stood up for themselves.

[mkis007]

Uh I guess you missed the memo. Id@xbox was started after outlast had a deal in place ao it was exempt from the parity clause...

[RobLoPR]

Who cares... wow im getting tired of reading the same comments from the same people... stop hating... start playing.

[Tedakin]

The parity thing was so incredibly stupid. I just don't even get why MS would do something like that. Think of the FANS. I think most, like myself, don't mind waiting an extra 2-3 months for a great game. It's better than never getting it EVER.

[JMyers]

This is one scary ass game. The more people that play it the better... Hopefully there's a sequel.

[KinjoTakemura]

If Microsoft doesn't require launch parity, why are there "timed" exclusives? Why don't these temporary exclusives release simultaneously on both the PS4 and the Xbox One? Sony doesn't have any requirements for developers to release on the PS4 first and doesn't punish developers for releasing on the Xbox One first. I'm sure that indie developers would love to release their games on both systems at the same time. And anyone with any common sense knows that there is only one reason why any game has been designated as a "timed" exclusive on these systems. And the circumstantial evidence certainly isn't pointing towards the company that has been supporting indie developers from day one.