On software development

A reader of this blog asks "how you go about deciding the priorities of features for XBox Live? Is it just like any other software development life cycle? Or is there something unique to the 'gaming' industry?"

Yes and yes. At the core, there is a software development process, and that may help you to understand why some features that we all want are not available yet. Like in any other software project, there are many constrains that impedes us from implementing every feature what we would like to. Consequently, there is no need to create conspiracy theories on why we haven’t implemented feature X or feature Y. Sometimes, the reason may be as easy to understand as “there just wasn’t enough time!” When we need to make the tough choices about what goes in next, your feedback of course is one of the most important factors in the decision process. Some users know how to provide good feedback.

Software development for Xbox is different than, say Windows or Office development. Besides The Fun Factor™, we are fortunate to work with a predetermined set of hardware components that allows us a better control of the final experience. But there is also the challenge that we need to implement some components and tools almost from scratch. We have very smart people in our group, and I feel fortunate for working with them.

If you want to learn more about the Software Development in the Gaming Industry, I encourage you to check the articles available at Gamasutra.com, like the PGR3 or COD2 postmortems.

Comments

• Anonymous
  February 07, 2006
  First of all, props to you and all of your team on the great work you have all done so far on the new system. I can't point to the system and really come up with any justified complaints of disappontments. Great job.
  I know that there was early talk of using the "Marketplace" as an area for users to offer up such things as custom cars and other game-specific wares for sale. I was wondering if there was (or will be) tools available to gamers to create custom skins, themes or gamer pictures for their own use or to offer up on the "Marketplace"?
  Again, great job so far and I look forward to any new surprises you folks can come up with.
• Anonymous
  February 08, 2006
  Great GUI - Does the current demand by pretty much everyone with a 360 wanting to boot to the dashboard even if there's a game disk in give you guys a warm glow? :)