First ID@Xbox games for Xbox One likely to hit March 2014, says program's director

In a new interview with Edge, Chris Charla, director of Microsoft's Independent Developers @ Xbox (ID@Xbox) program revealed that the platform's first independent games under the program will hit "early in the new year... closer to the third month." Charla isn't yet sure how many games will hit in the first wave, noting that the titles worked on now are "at all stages of development, honestly.” Charla did not offer comment to Edge on its controversial parity policy, which states that ID@Xbox games must launch on Xbox One at the same time as on other platforms, but instead urged developers to "get in touch with us and talk" about their publishing plans. Gamasutra recently spoke to some notable developers who were accepted into the program. Vlambeer's Rami Ismail called it "exactly what Microsoft promised. It's a simple, formalized way to self-publish on Xbox One," while Iron Galaxy's Dave Lang said that "all signs point to it being a really great option for indie publishing." The current version of the program requires developers who apply to be accepted by Microsoft. Rejection notices have gone out to some applicants, but these allude to the possibility to join in as the program ramps up. Developers who are accepted will receive dev kits from Microsoft; the company plans to later enable retail Xbox One consoles to function as dev kits sometime down the line. To find out more about ID@Xbox you can read Gamasutra's comprehensive reveal story on the program; you can apply to publish your own games at Microsoft's site.