Developer Resource Documents

Please note that some of the documents on this page are publicly available documents from developer conferences in the past. As such, some of the requirements stated in these documents may have changed over time. Please consult the most recent requirements for any of our platforms for which you are interested in making your game available.

Multi-Platform & Overview

• Partner Day Seattle 2007 - Marketing Across Multiple Platforms: MumboJumbo CEO Mark Cottam delves into the business case behind building games for a variety of platforms, including MSN Games, XBLA, retail, Windows Live Messenger, and Windows Vista with a focus on the performance of hit game Luxor 2. (This is an abbreviated version of the presentation delivered at Microsoft Partner Day on July 16, 2007.)
• Partner Day Seattle 2007 - Branded game experience, exclusivity program, and network-supported promotional opportunities: This presentation describes three opportunities available to developers, advertisers and publishers who wish to improve the impact of their presence on MSN Games and Windows Live Messenger. (This is an abbreviated version of the presentation delivered at Microsoft Partner Day on July 16, 2007.)
• Partner Day Seattle 2007 - Portfolio Directions: Guidance on the sorts of games we're seeking for our MSN Games, Messenger, and XBLA destinations. (This is an abbreviated version of the presentation delivered at Microsoft Partner Day on July 16, 2007.)
• Partner Day Seattle 2007 - PC Games Services Update: A business update on games for Windows Live Messenger, MSN Games, and Games for Windows, including best practices for maximizing download revenue and usage statistics. (This is an abbreviated version of the presentation delivered at Microsoft Partner Day on July 16, 2007.)

Xbox LIVE Arcade

• Stainless Games offers eleven top-tips for Xbox Live Arcade development (develop magazine: tutorial)
• Partner Day Seattle 2007 - XBLA Business Update: In this update, we provide statistics on XBLA business performance, improvements made to the service to date, the process by which games are published on XBLA, and game concept submission guidance. (This is an abbreviated version of the presentation delivered at Microsoft Partner Day on July 16, 2007.)
• Partner Day Seattle 2007 - Making Live Arcade Titles with Microsoft: Steve Taylor, President of NinjaBee (part of Wahoo Studios, Inc.), subtitled this presentation "How to Exploit and Enslave the Live Arcade Team" and filled with advice for fully utilizing the numerous resources Microsoft provides to game developers who publish on Xbox Live Arcade.
• GDC 2007 - How to Develop and Pitch a Successful XBLA Game Submission: Whether you're seasoned or brand-new to the platform, the Xbox LIVE Arcade team has some new best practices, pitch guidelines and other advice designed to help its developers succeed in this fast-paced new world. Topics include an XBLA process overview from start to finish, six pillars for building a successful XBLA game, how to make your concept submission stand out, and more. (March 2007)
• Microsoft Gamefest 2006 - Developing Casual Games for Xbox LIVE Arcade: In this presentation, the Xbox LIVE Arcade team talks about what goes into a great arcade title, and how to get your game onto the service. Be sure to see the Gamefest website for other developer-focused materials for Microsoft platforms and tools. (August 2006)

XNA

• Partner Day Seattle 2007 - A (Very Brief) Overview of XNA Game Studio: The vision behind XNA Game Studio, its performance to date, and an overview of some of the great content that independent game developers have created for the service. (This is an abbreviated version of the presentation delivered at Microsoft Partner Day on July 16, 2007.)

Windows Live Messenger

• Partner Day Seattle 2007 - Integrating the GoPets Virtual World into Windows Live Messenger: Eric Bethke, CEO of GoPets, Ltd. and Junhan Kim, Technical Director of GoPets explain the process by which they integrated GoPets Virtual World into Windows Live Messenger. (This is an abbreviated version of the presentation delivered at Microsoft Partner Day on July 16, 2007.)
• Microsoft Gamefest 2006 Presentation - Developing Casual Games for Windows Live Messenger: In this whirlwind tour of the process around developing games for Messenger, developers are walked through the process of creating a sample game and how to do so using our GDK. Be sure to see the Gamefest website for other developer-focused materials for Microsoft platforms and tools. (August 2006)

MSN Games

• MSN Games Game Approval Policy: This document describes technical and content guidelines for games to be offered on the MSN Games service.
• GDC 2007 Presentation – Casual Games and Windows Vista: A presentation covering recent changes on MSN Games, how the Vista launch has affected gaming, how to get your game on MSN Games while being Vista compatible. (March 2007)
• GDC 2007 - History and introduction to MSN Games: Advertising Revenue Share Program information, Vista showcase games, and how to get your game on MSN Games. (March 2007)
• Microsoft Gamefest 2006 - Developing Web-Based Games for MSN Games: This presentation gives an introduction to the development of Flash or custom Active-X web games for the MSN Games site. Be sure to see the Gamefest website for other developer-focused materials for Microsoft platforms and tools. (August 2006)
• Microsoft Gamefest 2006 - Preparing Casual Games for Windows Vista: This presentation gives an overview of what is new in Windows Vista from the game developer’s point of view, and discusses aspects unique to casual games in particular. Be sure to see the Gamefest website for other developer-focused materials for Microsoft platforms and tools. (August 2006)
• Austin Game Developers Conference 2006 - Developing for MSN Games and Vista: As one of the leading casual games portals, MSN Games is a great channel to get your games into customers’ hands. This presentation looks at changes coming to MSN Games, including different business models, game requirements and new developments aimed at connecting consumers and games. It also touches on Windows Vista support in casual games, and what Microsoft’s new operating system means to developers of casual game developers looking to take advantage of the new Games Explorer and Parental Controls system. (June 2006)

Additional materials are added on an ongoing basis.