Microsoft has been helping small independent teams launch their games on its Xbox and PC game platforms with ID@Xbox for a long time. Today, the company announced an expansion of those efforts with the new ID@Xbox Developer Acceleration Program.
The idea for this expansion actually began in 2019, when Microsoft offered funding to a number of game developers with diverse perspectives and backgrounds to help port their games to Xbox consoles. Games like Onsen Master, ValiDate, and Paper Ghost Stories 7PM were brought to Xbox games thanks to this effort. Now, the ID@Xbox Developer Acceleration Program will offer even more resources for those same types of developers.
Microsoft stated:
The types of developers that we seek to support includes but is not limited to developers who are led by those from Black, Indigenous, Latino or LGBTQIA+ communities, women, developers with disabilities, developers from emerging markets or teams with unique perspectives. This also includes independent developers working on a game that responsibly centers the experience around diverse characters or that prioritizes accessibility.
The new program will not only include funding to port those developers" games but will also offer funding and services that will help some developers prototype game ideas. The program will also include access to monthly webinars, where Microsoft"s Xbox team members will give out tips on topics like console certification, marketing, game lifecycle information and more.