Microsoft's Xbox research The division now includes a new program where it solicits feedback directly from game developers.
In a new blog, the company explained how its player experience team will “listen to developer partners across the Xbox ecosystem and [work] with product teams to provide insights and data that could help improve future tools and services.”
The hope is that discussions and data will help Xbox Research “address pain points and improve the partner experience across the spectrum of disciplines.”
Under the new program, the division will use research methods such as interviews, usability and gameplay testing, surveys and flighting. Leading user research Deborah Hendersen said these are already used for gamers, but have been retooled to be more developer focused.
Data from these studies “will help us understand both what to build and how to build things well,” he said. “It's about giving game developers what they need to feel empowered and supported by Xbox.”
Why Xbox needs external feedback now more than ever
Hendersen admitted that Xbox has taken a long time to solicit feedback from developers and is an area it has previously overlooked. He attributed the oversight to his backend because feedback was “less formal” at the time.
Prioritizing player reactions over developers is a “common oversight in the industry” and, in his eyes, also explains why studios “often take a while to dedicate these kinds of resources to game tools.”
However, this program comes weeks after the multiple third-party teams raised criticism against the Xbox porting process. Some blame has been placed on Xbox Series Swhile other studios criticized the developer's larger size support system.
This program is open to all developers (and not just technical staff), Hendersen said. All aspects of game development are “vital to the process” and that includes studios that have never released a game on the Xbox platform.
“We want to hear from everyone who works on games or helps support game studios because if we can make your life easier, we will make the game better,” he said.
You can read the entire Xbox Research blog HereUS-based developers can apply to join the program Here.