Xbox Project Moorcroft Will Bring Early Game Demos To Xbox Game Pass

Microsoft is working on Project Moorcroft, a program designed to bring early game demos to Xbox Game Pass subscribers. The demos will be similar to the limited levels and early samples of games that fans would typically spend hours waiting in line to play at E3 or PAX. From a report: These early game demos have largely been lost in the transition to virtual game conferences during the pandemic, and they're key for indie developers trying to generate awareness for their titles. Sarah Bond, Microsoft's head of gaming ecosystem, describes Project Moorcroft as a way to bring back that E3-like experience. "Why don't we take Game Pass, and make it like the show floor?" says Bond. "Why don't we make it possible for a developer to take a piece, a level of their game, release it into Game Pass, generate excitement for what's coming, and also get that really valuable feedback as they're tuning and preparing their game for launch."

What ever prevented this?

[drinkypoo]

What prevented game developers from doing this at any time before? Just Microsoft's policies? What would an honest headline look like, Microsoft stops shooting self in foot?

Re:

[GoTeam]

... What would an honest headline look like, Microsoft stops shooting self in foot?

Only because "Microsoft stops shooting self in foot long enough to take aim at other foot" isn't 'punchy' enough.

Re:

[_xeno_]

Best guess? Yes, they're relaxing their policies, in that they're allowing far earlier and far more buggy builds as demos. But they're also going to be paying developers to do it. So I wouldn't quite phrase it as "Microsoft stops shooting self in foot." They're trying to build out something that's more like a "here's the future of Xbox gaming" E3 booth, with early demos of games that won't be released for several years.

And hopefully they'll make that clear. With demos at E3 you often get really early builds

Re:

[mjwx]

What prevented game developers from doing this at any time before? Just Microsoft's policies? What would an honest headline look like, Microsoft stops shooting self in foot?

Well yes, it is entirely MS's policies that prevented developers from releasing demos and early access because simply, MS sells the consoles at a loss and needs to nickle and dime the developers (and the users) to make money. They can do this because on the XBox, nothing can happen without MS's express permission.

Early access and pre-release demos are both a blessing and a curse in the PC world. If your early access is shit, people will find out before your carefully paid for reviews come out and not buy

Demo Discs

[muh_freeze_peach]

The monthly demo discs from PCGamer Magazine are one of my favorite childhood memories. Demos kind of disappeared with all the publication and marketing that games get nowadays. They should make these demos available to everyone though, not just subscribers.

I like it. But then I already liked Game Pass.

[Petersko]

My console gaming is almost exclusively through Game Pass. I don't mind being a game generation back for the most part, and I never *not* find something worthwhile.

Interesting personal arc (well, interesting to me)... I was always a die-hard physical media guy. Pay for it up front, own it forever. Buy the DVDS (then the Blu Rays, then the UHDs...) . I bought several thousand movies and CDs over the years, for sure. But I've now given it all up. I converted my audio library to digital, and gave away nearly e

will this include Minecraft (beta & pre-releas

[morrischris]

Will this also bring games like Minecraft, cookie clicker etc? If yes, its really gonna help Minecraft gamers who play all day, practice with cps test [cpstest.pro] consistently, and stream their games to earn something. BTW, this project's name 'Moorcraft' really got me thinking!