Talking to GamesIndustry International, Microsoft corporate vice president Phil Harrison said that indie releases on the Xbox One will arrive early 2014 at the soonest.
“I don’t think it’s realistic to see a developer get the program and build a game and get it into the market on November 22,” Harrison told GamesIndustry. “It’s reasonable to expect in early 2014 we’ll start seeing the first games come through.”
According to Harrison, Microsoft received “an avalanche of interest from all corners of the globe” when the company announced their indie publishing plans for the new console. “Within hours, it was hundreds,” Harrison added. “I actually don’t know the number now, but I’m assuming it’s int he thousands.” Harrison told GamesIndustry that the company working through applications, talking to developers, and loaning dev kits.
In the meanwhile, the Microsoft exec reiterated the company’s happiness with the Xbox One’s launch lineup, which includes Dead Rising 3 as an exclusive and Assassin’s Creed IV and Call of Duty: Ghosts from third-party publishers.
“We feel very happy about the launch lineup we have and the launch window of games we’ll be bringing to market,” said Harrison. “That lineup is very, very strong. And Titanfall is turning into the huge megahit that we expect it to be.”
The Xbox One launches in North America and Europe on November 22, priced at $499.
