Coming to the standpoint of an independent studio finding the funding for an ambitious project, teams look to a plethora of publishers to potentially strike a deal with a firm. Although smaller developers also go the lengths to construct crowdfunding campaigns for their projects also, the game typically comes to fruition through their own out of pocket funds first. But as the title holds structure, the team begins looking for possible investors.

But as said from Studio Zevere – the one-manned team behind the upcoming JRPG She Dreams Elsewhere – the worries to pursue a publisher was squandered when approached for an agreement with Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass. Prior to the events of announcing the game’s partnership with the subscription service, She Dreams Elsewhere was also featured at the ID@Xbox showcase in Redmond, Washington the same week as PAX West 2019 this past August.

Davionne Gooden, the solo developer making Studio Zevere, shared the deal was offered just more than a month after the feature at the Microsoft-held event. “It was formally offered in October 2019, and it was pretty huge. It’s still the biggest financial deal I’ve ever gotten, to the point where I had to ask them to repeat the numbers on the phone call.” Gooden then goes on to elaborate on the experience of taking the deal with the Xbox company.

Compared to [publisher negotiations], the Game Pass deal was a lot more straight-forward and simple and so much less stressful. Publisher negotiations required so many extra materials… versus Xbox who were like, “Hey, we want you on Game Pass, here’s the contract, go over the paperwork, sign it when you want to.”

Moreover, Gooden shares that the deal with Xbox Game Pass essentially offers the same relationship you would find with a publisher and more as the licensing was also included in the packaged agreement. He also discloses that there is also a “a bonus system of sorts, too,” but does not disclose on the specifics of what is offered in the grander scale of the deal with the firm.

More on She Dreams Elsewhere, you can read Rectify Gaming’s feature for the title as we covered the game previously at PAX East 2020 earlier this year. You can read the full piece by heading here.

What are your thoughts on the monthly service potentially being a pseudo-publisher for up and coming developers?

Source: gamesindustry.biz