Irish Market Access

[Anonymous]

Greetings everyone,

I’m an aspiring indie developer currently building my first title. I’m doing so with 2 close friends and as this is our first project we’re starting small and simple and planning to release the title via the XBOX Live Marketplace.

My problem is that currently, residents of Ireland do not have access to the Marketplace. They can release games but cannot buy them.

This concerns me because trying to be an Indie developer is tough. I have counted on my friends and family for a lot support and encouragement. And it would be nice if at the end, I could share with them the end result.

It would also be a great benefit when starting a fanbase via an already established social network of friends.

With all the fuss the Irish government is making recently about encouraging a games industry within Ireland, I feel now would be a good time to ask them to sort this issue out.

Does anyone know how one would bring this to the attention of someone who could begin to do something about this?

Does anyone feel the same?

[Anonymous]

Hi Evian,

Funny you mention it myself and some friends are currently working on a XBL Indie title and have been thinking about the same thing. Its seems mad we can submit to it but can’t download the games we submit.

So just to let you know you’re not alone in wondering about this issue.

[Anonymous]

Hi guys,
Im pretty sure there is a solution to this. If you set up another user on your xbox and sign up with a US address and use the post code 90210 (the only one i know ha) you can download the xbl indie games. Ive done this once and downloaded the minecraft cloan on xbl so I know it works.

*Edit: Just get the silver account no need for gold membership

Hope this helps.
Jaza.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info Jaza, but I can’t expect all of my friends to go through that process just to download our game.
I was wondering if there could be some way, given Ireland’s sudden embrace of the games industry, of getting the ball rolling to fix this issue permanently.

[Aphra K]

maybe contact the Xbox team in Microsoft in Dublin and ask them about it?

Aphra.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info Jaza, but I can’t expect all of my friends to go through that process just to download our game.
I was wondering if there could be some way, given Ireland’s sudden embrace of the games industry, of getting the ball rolling to fix this issue permanently.[/quote:e2051fdecb]

your definately not wrong. I think most people would be mad not to do this anyway as there are great games on the marketplace. Maybe contacting the xbox team in dublin as said above is the best bet.

[Anonymous]

Yea, contacting the team in Dublin is a good idea and I will do so shortly. I’ll keep you guys informed of my progress. Thanks again guys!

Evian

[Anonymous]

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[Anonymous]

I would assume the only people capable of making a difference would be someone high up in the corporate arm of Microsoft. Theres bound to be a executive in charge of XBLA.

But I’m also assuming getting in touch with someone like that would be extremely difficult.

If we could find a point of contact with someone in the corporate structure and hope they are sympathetic, that might help escalate it up the food chain. But thats only guesswork on my part.

[Anonymous]

[Aphra K]

I think letting MS know that there is a demand locally is no harm…

I don’t think Forfas will be able to do anything…but again no harm letting them know that for some companies the Irish market is not that important.

and yes I suspect the decision on this will be made in the US

Aphra.

[Anonymous]

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[Author]

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