Xbox Live Indie Games (XBLIG) were quite the revolution when they first launched on the Xbox 360. At the height of the ‘indie-revolution’, XBLIG allowed bedroom programmers to get their stuff onto the same marketplace as the big guns. Sure, it was the dusty and dimly-lit corner of the marketplace, but it was a step in the right direction for how the likes of Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo treated indie developers.
There’s No Marketplace Like Home
We were told earlier in the month, via Twitter, that you won’t be able to buy XBLIG anymore and that the last day to purchase ‘vibration’ games was going to be today – the 29th of September.
FYI, September 29th will be the last day to purchase new XBLIG games on Xbox 360. You will still be able to re-d/l games you own, of course.
— ID@Xbox (@ID_Xbox) September 11, 2017
Good news though. You’ve got an extra week! The 7th of October is when you’ll no longer be able to purchase any of the weird and wonderful (?) offerings available on XBLIG. You’ll also still be able to re-download any titles you’ve purchased after the 7th of October.
Whilst it’s fair to say that XBLIG hasn’t been relevant in ages, some may argue ‘ever’, it’s still worth taking a moment to reflect on what was an important part of indie games breaking into the mainstream.
Goodbye XBLIG, you’ll be missed remembered.