Microsoft is rolling out a new pricing structure for titles released through its Xbox Live Indie Games program, with prices starting as low as a dollar, or 80 MS points.
Prior to this move, Microsoft allowed hobbyist developers to price their titles at varying price points of 800, 400, and 250 MS points. Under the revised pricing tiers, developers can price their game at 80 MS points if it is under 50MB in size. Anything above that limit can be priced at either 240 or 400 MS points, meaning 800 MS points is no longer an option.
Microsoft says indie efforts currently priced at 200 MS points will be automatically moved down to 80 MS points, but can be moved back up at the developer's discretion. Meanwhile, titles carrying the premium price tag of 800 MS points will stay there unless the developer chooses to release an update, from which point they will be required to choose from the revised pricing system.
Sounds like a good move on both fronts, for consumers and developers. By mandating lower price points developers will be more inclined to deliver shorter, pick up and play type experiences, which is essentially what the indie games section of Xbox Live was designed for.
Xbox Live Indie Games Launches New Pricing Structure [Gamasutra]