NinjaBee producer Ben Bascom recently weighed in on his experience with the ID@Xbox program, Microsoft's self-publishing route for independent developers.

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The developer behind Nutjitsu , the second title to launch through the program, Bascom said the studio will "certainly [make another game with ID@Xbox], and I expect the ride to be smoother than before," in a blog post on Gamasutra Though Bascom outlined many positives of the experience, he also recounted obstacles inherent to the fledgling initiative: initial approval, poor communication early on, and delays in getting development kits and documentation.However many of these concerns were alleviated during the process, and Bascom was pleased with Microsoft's commitment to creative flexibility."The freedom we have been given to make the game that we want to make has been great," Bascom said. "Past the process of initial concept approval, there was no interference from Microsoft in the game design and creation process."Additionally, Bascom cited the program's free development kits that are otherwise notoriously expensive, and Microsoft's promotion of Nutjitsu, which is an area that's "a big deal for indie studios.""We just don’t have the AAA marketing budgets," Bascom said. "While the promotional support on Microsoft’s end wasn’t extensive, we were given some promotional consideration and they made an effort to keep us informed and involved with their promotional efforts."Another topic that's garnered debate in the past is Microsoft’s infamous launch parity clause , which means developers can only release their titles on Xbox One if they haven't already been released on other consoles.Bascom admits that it wasn't a concern for NinjaBee and Nutjitsu, which was released exclusively in Microsoft's ecosystem -- Xbox One, Surface, and Windows Phone. However, Bascom states that Microsoft seemed open to dialog about the issue."Our interactions with the ID@Xbox team have shown that they have a willingness to talk about concerns," Bascom said. "My suggestion, to those who are worried about the parity clause, is to contact someone on the ID@Xbox team. Have a discussion about what they can do for you rather than assume they won’t work with you on your concerns.""The ID@Xbox program is still in its infancy and, as such, has experienced some growing pains," Bascom concluded. "The individuals we’ve worked closest with have been helpful, friendly and proactive. The program appears to be taking big strides to improve."

Brandin Tyrrel is a freelance writer covering games and tech. There's absolutely no reason to follow him on Twitter