Tim Schafer: Console patches cost $40k

Indie developers are being driven away from 'closed' platforms

“Ever since I played Geometry Wars I thought, what a great new portal,” said Double Fine founder Tim Schafer, talking about Xbox Live Arcade.
Schafer made gaming history last week with a record setting crowdfunding campain that has raised over $1.6 million dollars in response to frustrations with traditional publishers.


He claims Indie developers have been driven away from these "closed" platforms because of high costs.
"I mean, it costs $40,000 to put up a patch – we can’t afford that!" Schafer toldHookshot Inc. "It could have been our own little Sundance Film festival, a great sandbox for indie development."
But Schafer says there just wasn't enough support: not enough marketing, not enough placement on the dashboard for these systems to grow properly.

http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...tches-cost-40k