Microsoft: new 360 dash helps indies

Microsoft has answered concerns that the recent Xbox 360 dashboard update marginalises Xbox Live Indie Games, insisting the new set-up will work better for independent developers.

A spokesperson for the platform holder told Eurogamer, "Microsoft continues to support the efforts of independent game developers."

Independent developers have reportedly been up in arms about the decision to move Xbox Live Indie Games from the game store proper to a new Speciality Shops tab. It makes it harder for consumers to find their games, they insist. Not so, claims Microsoft.

"The intent of the Specialty Shops section was to provide access to marketplaces that focus on a specific type of content, with unique ways of sorting through that content. We wanted to give Xbox Live Indie Games that full marketplace experience and felt this was the best place to do it, alongside other popular channels like the Avatar Marketplace.

"In fact, since the launch of Avatars, Xbox Live members have made more than 290 million customizations to their Avatar's clothing, so we expect many people to regularly visit the Specialty Shops section."

And that's not the only benefit of the new dashboard, Microsoft says. "We've updated the Xbox Live Indie Games marketplace and Xbox.com to provide new ways for people to browse and sort indie games.

"You can now browse the top-rated, top-selling and most recent games by genre. You can also find indie games by 'best selling today' and 'best selling of all time' on Xbox.com.

"In addition, the Top Rated and Top Downloaded lists have grown from 20 games to 50, allowing for greater exposure of more indie games. We've also kept the Contest Finalists and the IGN Picks sections, so users can sort through titles in a number of different ways."

So there you have it, indie dev types. You've never had it so good, understand?