Indie Gamer Chick Statement on the end of Xbox Live Indie Games
September 9, 2015 3 Comments
Today, developers of Xbox Live Indie Games (XBLIGs) were informed that Microsoft is in the process of winding down the service. The ability to publish new XBLIGs will end a year from today, September 9, 2016. Roughly a year after that, in September 2017, the XBLIG marketplace will shut-down. We all knew this was coming, but it doesn’t make it any easier.
I started Indie Gamer Chick in July, 2011 as an XBLIG review site. It wasn’t long after that the XBLIG developer community discovered me and embraced my reviews. It’s because of them that Indie Gamer Chick is around today, and for that I owe them a gratitude that words never seem strong enough to convey. Although I’m sure some developers weren’t happy to have their game run through my wringer, I hope they all know that negative reviews never came with malice or the intent of hurt feelings. Judging by the response you as a community had to IGC, I think most of you understand that. Some of you went on to become my friends, but know this: I do love you all. Thank you so much for making this whole experience rewarding for me. I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me.
For those of you who have an Xbox 360 but have never dipped your toes into the XBLIG scene, you have two years to enjoy what XBLIG has to offer. It has many wonderful games that cost as little as a dollar. Check my review index. It’s mostly made up of XBLIGs. And for those devs who has developed exclusively for XBLIG, please begin porting your work to other platforms. Even if you’re not proud of your work or satisfied with it. Those games represent our collective legacy as a community. Many of you are moving onto to great things. Future generations should get to see where you came from. That’s the lasting legacy of XBLIG: amateur developers who aspired to do great things. Although not everyone who made games for XBLIG got to taste success, I firmly believe that a community as close as ours shares in each-others success. Because of what began on XBLIG, indie gaming today shines a little brighter. And, because of what began on XBLIG, our future as gamers has never been brighter.
XBLIG developers and fans: please share your memories or gratitude for XBLIG in the comments.
Indie Gamer Chick 
my memories: i never heard about XBLIG before i met you in 2014
Although you never reviewed my game, you brought a lot of attention to XBLIG so it surely got more notice than it would have without you.
I understand perfectly what you mean when you say you loved them all, I used to review XBLIG games on my blog too and I really liked the amateurish atmosphere of the platform, far from the lures of mobile stores’ big money, and with practically no “stars” with their associated dramas.
It was just games, games, and more games, nice ideas, crazy ideas, the occasional gem, anything was possible and every game was a surprise.
Nowadays the XBLIG spirit can be found in some browsergame websites, on places like itch.io or during game jams, but it’s not the same thing, as it’s a bit scattered around.
It was very nice while it lasted. 🙂