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[_Tommo_]

I really wonder why they want it to selfdestruct though...
running XBLIG is a 0-cost operation, even if their profits are really low, and it provided a nice image boost among devs.
but hey, maybe it's just MS being MS!

[moi]

In terms of profit or exposure, just about any other platform is better. You'll have better luck on PC, OSX, Linux, Android, iOS, PSN, or even the upcoming OUYA.

This is the kind of declarations you get from people who probably don't have the experience of releasing on several (if any) of these platforms, so take with a grain of salt

[J-Snake]

I still wouldn't mind dropping my game there since it is ready to go for pc and xbox360, in fact the 4 colors of my bombs: red, yellow, green, blue have been optimized for native xbox360-joypad use, which makes it sad not to be played on its native device.

The only thing holding me back is that I might not get the 100 dollars for registration back, not because of the user-base but because MS won't get the paperwork for the payment-deal done until I start to complain on a professional level. That is an expectation according to some posts on its forum. I could be wrong in my case though but the way MS acts is borderline legal if all that is true.

[moi]

aer you talking about the w8ben thing?

[J-Snake]

Yes. It's my assumption from what some other posted. I haven't been through this myself yet. I assume it is the payment deal after you have registered and they charged you the 100 dollars. Correct me if I am wrong.

[moi]

the paper is notoriously difficult to get, it takes several weeks/months for most people and you mostly have to deal with the US administration yourself, there are a few threads about this on the forum.
And you don't require it to start selling anyway.

[J-Snake]

And you don't require it to start selling anyway.

So what is the point of this paper then?

[owendeery]

And you don't require it to start selling anyway.

So what is the point of this paper then?

You need it so that MS doesn't withhold another 30% (on top of their original cut) for tax purposes. The W-8 is basically a certificate of foreign status.

[J-Snake]

I am from Germany. So does it mean at worst I will still get 40% ?, which will be enough motivation for me to throw my game on there.

[owendeery]

I believe so. I'm not sure if they take the tax cut from gross profit or not, so somewhere between 40%-50%. Also keep in mind that the payout limit for XBLIG is $150, so if you're only taking in 40% of a $1 game you'll need to sell 375 copies before they send you any money.

[J-Snake]

What pricing strategy do you recommend on that service. Can it be compared to the app-store: has a lot of shit so better price it around 1 dollar. Or are people paying for like 3-5 dollar games.

[owendeery]

Pretty much like the app store. I haven't had any interaction with XBLIG for over a year now, but the only thing people really buy are $1 games. Also the 'Best Selling' lists go by number of copies sold and don't take price into consideration, so $1 games are almost always at the top.

[J-Snake]

Yeah, but if your game isn't known anyway I might start to go with 240msp and see how it goes. Except it is really known xblig-people don't want to spend any money on games.