Once a premier destination for quirky, bite-sized and indie fare, Microsoft’s XBLA has recently been lambasted by industry figures like Double Fine’s Tim Schafer for business practices which are beginning to usurp that reputation. Changes to the service are coming, but possibly not what critics had in mind.
Microsoft has announced that XBLA games will now support twice the number of achievements and Gamerscore points, from 200 to 400 and the possibility of adding even more via DLC. While the move does seem to make DLC for XBLA games slightly more attractive both to purchase and produce, it does little for the overly strict certification requirements and harsh publishing terms developers claim are holding the service back.
