If there’s one console the internet likes to hate on, it’s the Xbox One, cheekily referred to as “Xbone” by internet trolls, haters and Buzzfeed readers. These feelings are not baseless, and stem from Microsoft’s poor handling of the Xbox One upon launch, as well as hundreds of other gaffs. Now, stringent Xbox One policies (revealed by GamingBolt) has prohibited independent gaming studio Krillbrite Studios from publishing its startlingly good game Among the Sleep on Microsoft’s console.
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Microsoft’s policy is as such: for a game to launch on Xbox One, it must launch alongside other platforms (PC, Wii U, PS4, Atari 2600). If say, a game launches first on a competing platform, then Xbox won’t publish the game. The studio though, says that the lack of an Xbox One version is a “resource” issue.
“It’s mostly a question about resources. As a small indie team, developing for consoles can be very demanding, so we decided to focus our attention at the PS4 for now. Also, Sony have been very eager and pleasant to deal with.” says Krillbrite Studios. Imagine a small team of developers trying to launch a game on multiple platforms. It’s nothing short of nightmarish.
“As a small developer working to release our first game, it’s [the policy] rather brutal. Simultaneously shipping is very challenging, especially for small indie teams. The clause (if enforced) means it might not be possible for us to release on Xbox One, even though we wanted to.”
Among the Sleep is available now for PC, Mac, Linux and soon PS4. It’s a fantastic take on the survival horror genre and is well worth checking out. It’s just a rather large shame that it will never make it to Xbox One at this rate.
