Microsoft eases restrictions on XBLIG development

Newsbrief: To usher in the New Year, Microsoft has announced some new changes to the Xbox Live Indie Games App Hub, giving developers a bit more flexibility with the games they can release on the platform. For its first change, Microsoft raised the size limit for Xbox Live Indie Game submissions from 150MB to 500MB, allowing developers more breathing room when developing complex titles. The second change grants developers more control over their pricing strategy, allowing them to charge just 80 Microsoft Points ($1) for any game under 150MB. Previously, the 80 MSP price tag was reserved for games that fell below just 50MB. In addition, Microsoft will now allow developers to release up to 20 individual titles on the Xbox Live Indie Games channel. Previously, game creators were limited to just eight titles, though that limit was raised to 10 when the XNA Creators Club became the App Hub in 2010.