SoftBank Shares Slide as Oracle’s AI Spending Plans Fuel Market Jitters 
SpaceX Edges Toward Landmark IPO as Elon Musk Confirms Plans 
Apple Explores India for iPhone Chip Assembly as Manufacturing Push Accelerates 
Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban Sparks Global Debate and Early Challenges 
Microsoft Unveils Massive Global AI Investments, Prioritizing India’s Rapidly Growing Digital Market 
SUPERFORTUNE Launches AI-Powered Mobile App, Expanding Beyond Web3 Into $392 Billion Metaphysics Market 
MetaX IPO Soars as China’s AI Chip Stocks Ignite Investor Frenzy 
China Adds Domestic AI Chips to Government Procurement List as U.S. Considers Easing Nvidia Export Curbs 
Nvidia Develops New Location-Verification Technology for AI Chips 
SK Hynix Considers U.S. ADR Listing to Boost Shareholder Value Amid Rising AI Chip Demand 
Apple App Store Injunction Largely Upheld as Appeals Court Rules on Epic Games Case 
Trump’s Approval of AI Chip Sales to China Triggers Bipartisan National Security Concerns 
Moore Threads Stock Slides After Risk Warning Despite 600% Surge Since IPO 
Intel’s Testing of China-Linked Chipmaking Tools Raises U.S. National Security Concerns 
EssilorLuxottica Bets on AI-Powered Smart Glasses as Competition Intensifies 
Australia Enforces World-First Social Media Age Limit as Global Regulation Looms 
EU Court Cuts Intel Antitrust Fine to €237 Million Amid Long-Running AMD Dispute 
One of the recent announcements for Xbox Games Pass focused on the addition of upcoming games developed by independent studios. Some of the most recognizable titles include “Boyfriend Dungeon,” “Sable,” and “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2,” all confirmed to be available on the subscription-based service at launch.
What’s new on Xbox Games Pass
In the latest ID@Xbox presentation last Friday, Microsoft announced that more than 20 upcoming games from its indie studio partners would be available through Xbox Games Pass on launch day. The list includes some highly anticipated indie titles such as “Boyfriend Dungeon” from Kitfox Games, “Sable” from developer Shedworks, and “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2” from GSC Game World.
These games do not have specific release dates yet, but they are also slated to launch sometime in 2021. Also included in the list of upcoming indie titles with day-one availability on Xbox Games Pass include “Astria Ascending,” “Craftopia,” “Dead Static Drive,” “Recompile,” “Little Witch in the Woods,” fishing-themed RPG “Moonglow Bay,” “Narita Boy,” “Nobody Saves the World,” and “Omno.”
Other games being added to Xbox Games Pass already saw previous launches through different platforms, such as “Art of the Rally,” “Backbone,” “Hello Neighbor 2,” and “Library of Ruina.”
Xbox Games Pass helps indie studios and gamers get to know good indie titles
The marketing of new video game IPs is understandably one of the most challenging works an independent studio has to go through. But having their games launch on services like Xbox Games Pass helps developers immediately increase their game’s exposure considering the growing subscriber-base of the platform.
Finding good indie titles is also made a little easier for Microsoft since it has the ID@Xbox program allowing indie developers to self-publish their games on Xbox and Windows PC platforms. It is then not surprising that Xbox Games Pass also benefits from such an established partnership through this program.
No More Robots founder Mike Rose previously told Eurogamer how Xbox Games Pass has been helpful to them as an indie studio. “What more does a developer or publisher need than a s***load of players and a s***load of money?" On a more serious note, Rose also revealed that No More Robots’ latest Game Pass agreement allowed them to fund three new games launching in 2021.
Featured photo by Nicolas J Leclercq on Unsplash
