XNA Community Games, not the next App Store

Last week Microsoft released the first bits of sales data to various creators of XNA Community Games. Community Games briefly are akin to apps for the iPhone. Unlike games for Xbox Live Arcade which need to go through a strenuous (and lengthy) certification process, XNA Community Games only need to be approved through a few simple metrics by fellow developers before being released. Community Games remain Microsoft’s way of opening up the Xbox 360 to interested creators who may not have the time or resources to release a full Live Arcade title. Although Community Games have been available since the roll out of the NXE late last year, up until now developers haven’t been able to get a glimpse of how their titles were doing outside of anecdotal evidence.

Thanks to some creators who were willing to publicly share their sales data the first results are in. And they are not very promising. While some of the higher-profile titles are missing, it seems highly likely that XNA Community Games are not and will not for the foreseeable future be a viable way for indie developers to earn a living. The news isn’t all bad though. As GamerBytes documents, in some cases the conversion rate for some games have been fairly successful. The problem in general seems to be the lack of general players for XNA Community Games. Microsoft for various reasons has buried these Community Games deep within the interface for the 360. Unlike Apple and the App Store, there is very little promotion or publicity done for games. And the user interface for Community Games themselves makes finding good games a chore, there are no easy filtering or rating system that would allow potential players to separate the wheat from the chaff.

It’s a bit of a shame because otherwise XNA Community Games have seemed to be gaining popularity and momentum as a platform for developers. And with a few tweaks its not crazy to think that Community Games could be a nice selling point for the 360, especially with interesting titles like Miner Dig Deep or Carneyvale Showtime. But until then, the XNA Community Games feels more like a sideshow for only the most dedicated 360 players.