Let’s not declare Sony the victor of the independent war just yet. Although the Xbox One doesn’t currently have a healthy suite of indie titles coming down the pipes, Microsoft has just announced that Unity will be free to use for any registered creators in the Independent Developers @Xbox program. The add-on will launch in 2014, letting smaller developers make use of the Unity game engine to publish titles on the next-generation piece of hardware.
Microsoft is hoping that this move gives studios of all shapes and sizes equal opportunities to make games on the Xbox One, but there will be a few greater benefits to the most qualified developers. The biggest of the little guys will see Xbox One-only Unity Pro licenses.
This indie program continues to grow, and Unity Technologies CEO David Helgason couldn’t be more excited for what the future holds.
"Microsoft continues to show their commitment to creating opportunity for developers of all shapes and sizes, a commitment shared by Unity," Helgason said, via IGN. "The drive behind the ID@Xbox program is exciting for Unity and the games development community in general. We can’t wait to see the results.”
Expect to see some new indie games announced for the Xbox One in the near future.
