Schafer: Xbox 360 patches cost $40k

Closed platforms and high costs prevent digital services from being "a great sandbox for indie development"

Tim Schafer says it costs a publisher $40,000 to patch a game on Xbox LIVE Arcade, and that these financial barriers are stopping smaller developers from being able to use the service.

"I mean, it costs $40,000 to put up a patch - we can't afford that!" Schafer told Hookshot.

Closed platforms like Xbox LIVE Arcade are making it difficult for smaller publishers to succeed, says Schafer. "I just wish there was more support, more marketing, more placement on the dashboard. It could have been our own little Sundance Film festival, a great sandbox for indie development."

Last week Schafer shocked the world of games publishing and development by raising $1.6 million dollars (and counting) via crowdfunding website Kickstarter. That's enough to apply 40 patches via Xbox LIVE Arcade!

The future of indie development is in open platforms like Valve's Steam, adds Schafer. "Open systems like Steam, that allow us to set our own prices, that's where it's at, and doing it completely alone like Minecraft. That's where people are going."