Pinball FX developer Zen Studios has hit back at claims made by Super Meat Boy developer Team Meat earlier this week regarding its dealings with Microsoft, noting that it has had "quite the opposite experience" with the Xbox house.
As part of a podcast with sister site IndieGames.com, and as reported by Gamasutra, Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes from Team Meat said that they would most likely not work with Microsoft again, due to the way they were treated.
"I don't think we'll work with them ever again," McMillen told us. "We've not had one sale [on Xbox] since our initial launch sale, and I don't know if that's going to happen. Whenever we ask -- and we actively ask monthly if we can be included in a sale or get any kind of promotion -- they say no."
Refenes added, "I feel the only way we'll work with Microsoft, is if it's more on our terms, which I don't feel like they'll ever want to agree with."
Zen Studios, having released its title Pinball FX originally via Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade service in 2007, posted in defence of the company on Twitter.
"We keep reading about all these negative Microsoft XBLA experiences from guys like Team Meat," the studio tweeted. "We've had quite the opposite experience."
An argument ensued between Team Meat and Zen Studios on Twitter, during which the latter explained that it was "Just letting people know that there are those who are having great experiences on XBLA."
"The Microsoft guys are awesome, they work super hard for us... I heard the latest [IndieGames.com] podcast and I said 'Someone has to say SOMETHING.' It's not all bad with them!" Zen Studios argued.
Team Meat is always looking for attention and happy to stir up controversy. I don't know why so many people pay attention to them, they're the Paris Hilton of the game industry.
Seems like just another way for 'Team Meat' to get publicity by broadcasting their exaggerated negative comments. And it's working! I'm sure they are not too disappointed by the money in their bank accounts. I guess in their eyes, any publicity is good publicity, even if it means publicly dragging your business partner through the mud.
I've developed a few games for XBLA, and while there is plenty(!) of room for Microsoft to improve, there are also many positives and many hardworking, dedicated employees that really care about the games they work on.
The worry I have is that all the negative PR that Microsoft has gotten because of harsh, public complaints from a handful of indie XBLA developers will cause them to be less inclined to work with indie developers in the future. I mean, why would they take the risk?
Exactly. The Team Meats and Jonathan Blows of the world need to come off their Itagaki Syndrome. Making one reasonably successful 10$ game does not make you worthy of diva treatment. Microsoft has done a hell of a lot more for them than they have for Microsoft. I guarantee that.
I wouldn't over blow (no pun intended ahahaha) how much negative PR this stuff is causing for Microsoft. The average XBLA consumer does not hear when indie devs complain about XBLA.
I've developed a few games for XBLA, and while there is plenty(!) of room for Microsoft to improve, there are also many positives and many hardworking, dedicated employees that really care about the games they work on.
it's enlightening....