If you're looking to make a game for Xbox LIVE Arcade, then listen up and listen up well, because Katie Stone Perez is a Program Manager at Microsoft who has been on the LIVE Arcade team since the very beginning, and she knows what it takes for a game to make it through the submission process.

An Xbox LIVE Arcade Game Is...

So lets start first with defining what an Xbox LIVE Arcade game actually is. First of all these are full-fledged games, not pieces of games but a game that must stand on its own. Most LIVE titles are under 50 MB in size (although a maximum of 150 MB is allowed), and are playable without physical media or other dependencies - meaning no instruction manual. This is a big point for LIVE games, they must be easily approachable to pickup and play. With each game should come a free trial version that must up-sell to unlocked "full version" and include limited but entertaining gameplay. Finally, the game must also plug into Xbox LIVE Arcade around-the-game experiences like out-of-game leaderboards, achievements and gamerscore, and cross-game invites.

The 6 Pillars of Game Submissions

Pillar 1: Innovation

This doesn't need a lot of explanation. Obviously the LIVE Arcade team isn't going to push out every single variation of Sodoku. When you're submitting a title you deem innovative it's always important to highlight "how" it is innovative. how is it different from any comparable titles? Be sure to describe in detail "new modes of play". PDLC (Paid Downloadable Content) support is also not automatically a "differentiator".

Pillar 2: Gameplay

When considering gameplay, it's important that a sufficient description of the gameplay (often lacking in many submissions) is included. Make sure the game also fits within the 150 MB limit. Additionally you want to design for easy pick-up and play gameplay with bite-size entertainment value. These are games that people will come home and play say, a few minutes before dinner or a few minutes before going to bed, or in between homework. Whatever the case, you want them to be able to load up the game, play for a few minutes, and in that amount of time feel that they have achieved some measure of progress in the game. Finally make sure that the game is designed for the entire family. This means including kid-friendly options, handicaps to make the game easier for new players (no one likes losing when they're just learning to play and no one likes being allowed to win by their opponent), scaling difficulty (if the player can't beat the boss after say, three attempts, make the boss a little weaker, easier or use tip windows) and continues (don't send the player all the way back to the beginning).

Pillar 3: Visuals

Does your game look like it belongs on the 360? Make sure you study games of similar nature to determine the look for yours as well. When re-creating old games or porting games, make sure you show a visual re-design, not just a straight and simple port. Some examples given were RoboBlitz, Small Arms and Jetpac Refuelled. Additionally, when pitching your game make sure you include sufficient quantity and variety of art samples. While screenshots are prefrerred, concept art can help as well. Make sure also to present the visuals in bother 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios.

Pillar 4: Multiplayer

There are two types of multiplayer to consider here. First there's LIVE Arcade, which has a number of cool features. The two highlighted that you should definetly take advantage of are Join In Progress and Host Migration. There is also the local 2+ multiplayer to consider as well. One of the things to utilize in both environments is the use of co-op play. Katie placed huge emphasis on this point. There has been phenomenal success with games that use co-op play and she says to "please please please" include it in your game. A step further than co-op are games that promote social interaction among the players, like party games.

Pillar 5: Marketplace

Make sure you take into account the LIVE Arcade marketplace, which can offer up scores of PDLC for your game that players can purchase, such as levels and maps, weapons and character objects, game types, game skins, pictures packs, themes, etc.

Pillar 6: Worldwide Appeal

be sure you design with global customers in mind and be prepared to localize in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese and European Portuguese.

What They're Looking For

There are a number of things that LIVE Arcade wants in their games as a whole, including

• Balance between action and non-action-oriented
• Many "traditional" casual games (i.e. puzzle, card)
• Reduced emphasis on retro
• Increased emphasis on innovation
• More content you might find on portable consoles
• More kid and family content
• More co-op and social experiences
• Low-cost games you don't generally find in retail

Getting Started

Well, if you're a core indie game developer you're going to want to work with the Arcade Portfolio Planning team to determine whether your title is a good fit and to iron out the business details. All parties will sign NDAs, so don't worry about your idea being stolen. When submitting your game, a playable demo goes a long way.

If you're a casual game developer, there is a Developer Portal for you to go to and learn about technical requirements for each platform you can ship to, with clear instructions on how to do so.

Further Reading

See Richard Fine's article on last year's LIVE Arcade session