| I'm a Microsoft employee. Can I submit games? |
Microsoft Employees may submit games for distribution on Xbox LIVE Marketplace in compliance with the Microsoft employee moonlighting policy.
Contingent staff at Microsoft are subject to the same rules and restrictions around peer review and game submission as Microsoft employees. Contingent staff should check with their employers for any moonlighting concerns.
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| How do I set the rating for my Indie Game? |
Xbox LIVE Indie Games are not rated by a ratings board. Instead, the games are reviewed by XNA Creators Club Online members. These games will have a game classification before they appear on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.
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| What are the requirements for my game binary? |
The game binary must be less than 150MB compressed (as a .ccgame package) and compiled to run with the XNA 3.1 Framework or higher. It must be virus-free and contain only intellectual property you own the rights for. More detail is given here about submitting a game.
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| What are the requirements for promotional materials that accompany my game submission? |
They are the following:
- Title: 30 characters
- Description: 400 characters
- Thumbnail: One, 64x64 pixels, JPG only
- Box Art: One, 584x700 pixels, JPG only
- Screenshots: One to Four, 1000x562 pixels, JPG only, < 150K size
- Video: Many creators find it helpful to promote their game by hosting a video of gameplay (or marketing the game).
Note: Descriptions in local languages help sell games. You can have descriptions in as many as languages we support, however, you will need to recruit peer reviewers to speak these languages in order to approve your game. A game will not pass peer review if its descriptions are not reviewed.
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| What are the requirements for game pricing? |
Depending on the size of the game, there are two sets of prices:
- Games with binaries less than 50 MB in size can be 80, 240, or 400 points.
- Games with binaries equal to or greater than 50 MB in size can be 240, or 400 points.
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| What happens if my game is rejected? |
If your game is rejected in peer review, the email address associated with your profile will receive a notification along with any data the reviewers could offer about the reason for rejection. Remember to playtest your game before submitting to peer review - it allows you to find problems before the game hits peer review.
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| When do consumers receive the updated version of my game? |
After the updated version of your game has been approved, consumers who have downloaded previous versions will be prompted to download the new version when they launch the game. If they accept the update, then the updated game is added to the download queue and the old version is deleted.
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| Game Peer Review |
| Who can peer review Xbox LIVE Indie Games? |
A member of the XNA Creators Club Online whose premium (paid) account is in good standing and is a legal adult (for the countries we currently serve this means 18 years of age or older).
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| I'm a Microsoft employee. Can I peer review Xbox LIVE Indie Games? |
No. Microsoft employees are not permitted to act as peer reviewers of games submitted to Xbox LIVE Indie Games; this includes, but is not limited to, downloading game packages, viewing screenshots, and/or reading descriptions for any game before it is available to the public on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.
Contingent staff at Microsoft are subject to the same rules and restrictions around peer review and game submission as Microsoft employees.
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| Why does my game have to be peer-reviewed? Why can't I just send it to Xbox LIVE marketplace? |
Peer reviewers help creators write better games, and protect game players from experiencing highly offensive or malfunctioning games. Peer reviewers will reject your game if:
- Your game contains prohibited content, which is content not allowed on Xbox LIVE services
- You misrepresent what is in the game play or in the promotional materials for the game. All games must have a trial mode that showcases the actual game experience. If you fail to do so, or use this method to provide your game for free, your game will be failed in the Peer Review process. Games are NOT available for free currently on the system. This system is NOT a video hosting service and should not be used as such.
- The promotional content for your game ( for example, the box art, description, banner or title) is not appropriate for all ages on Xbox LIVE Marketplace
- The game crashes, it has too many bugs, or it is technically defective in some way
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| What happens if somebody sneaks prohibited content into a game? |
Microsoft reserves the right to take down a game retroactively without notice. Microsoft encourages peer reviewers to report objectionable content in a game. In addition, Microsoft will initiate a series of punitive actions against creators who willfully submit games with misleading content indicators. Punitive actions could include the loss of subscriptions and the removal of the creator or creators from the site. Also, Microsoft will comply with all legal requests where required by law.
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| How do I get started reviewing games? |
Select a game in review from the games catalog where you speak the language listed for the game. If this is your first time, the Peer Review Agreement will pop up, and if you agree with it, you can continue to peer review games. The agreement will only show up once.
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| What are the rules for a game to be approved? |
You need a certain number of peer reviews of average strength to pass a game. The number will vary based on the reviewers' individual peer reviewer score.
Each reviewer must speak a language or languages associated with the game. Its promotional materials must be reviewed in their respective languages as well, so if there is an English game with a Spanish description, you will need at least two Spanish-speaking reviewers to approve the game as well.
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| What do you mean by "one world" approval? |
Each game has to match the standards of all countries we support - that means the strictest standard will be applied for all countries. A game must pass all criteria before being allowed for sale in ANY Xbox LIVE marketplace.
Peer reviewers, before playing a game they have downloaded, should review the list of prohibited content listed on peer review page 2; that list has changed from the US beta to reflect that a game may be submitted to multiple markets and it needs to pass a worldwide bar.
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| How does the peer review system know to present me a game for review? |
Your creator profile is now used to indicate what languages you speak (your Xbox LIVE account official language is checked by default in your profile, but you can add more to this list). These are the languages that are used to determine whether you can peer review a game or not so only check those in which you are proficient.
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| I want to submit a game for sale. What should I consider before taking the step to help it pass peer review? |
You may want to consider these things:
- You may want to review the list of prohibited content listed on peer review page 2; that list has changed to reflect that a game may be submitted to multiple markets and it needs to pass a worldwide bar.
- The gameplay language and the language of the related metadata determine the people who will peer review your game. Be sure to go on the XNA forums and recruit peer reviewers who speak these language(s).
- If your game does not get enough reviewers who speak its language, eventually your peer review for the game will expire and the game will be rejected. You should receive an email if your game is rejected due to expiration. The current setting for expiration is 1 month.
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| Making Money |
| How do I earn money with my game? |
All royalty calculations are calculated by taking the Points value for the game and multiplying it by the number of units sold. A percentage split is applied to that based, and any promotional adjustments are made. At that point the points are converted to U.S. Dollars (In US Dollars).
Once a creator reaches the minimum payout limit then a currency conversion occurs to the Creators local currency.
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| What currencies do you support? |
We support the following currencies, depending on the country being paid out to:
| Country |
Currency |
| United States |
USD
|
| Canada |
CAD
|
| United Kingdom |
GBP
|
| France |
EUR
|
| Spain |
EUR
|
| Italy |
EUR
|
| Sweden |
SEK
|
| Norway |
NOK
|
| Netherlands |
EUR
|
| Denmark |
DKK
|
| Ireland |
EUR
|
| Singapore |
SGD
|
| New Zealand |
NZD
|
| Australia |
AUD
|
| Japan |
JPY
|
| Germany |
EUR
|
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| How do I register to get paid? |
On the XNA Creators Club Online site there will be a link to fill in your Personally Identifiable Information (PII). This data includes your bank and tax details so you are able to be paid.
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| What information do I need prior to filling in my PII? |
In order to get paid for your games that have been purchased on Xbox LIVE, you will need to fill in your personal and tax information:
Tax Information
The following information can be entered:
- First Name, of the person filling in the form (Required)
- Last Name, of the person filling in the form (Required)
- Country, where the entity is based (Required)
- Account Type, Individual or Business (Required)
- Company Name. If you selected Account type Business then you need to provide a Company Name
- Street Address. Where the Individual/Business resides (Required)
- City (Required)
- State/Province/Region (Required but this may not show depending on your country)
- Zip code/Postal Code (Required but this may not show up depending on your country)
- Primary Telephone Number (Required)
- Fax Number
- Email Address (Required)
- U.S Taxpayer Identification Number (May be required, see below)
You will also need to gather the additional tax information depending on
where you are based:
U.S.-based Creator
A U.S. based Creator is one who for federal tax purposes is considered a U.S. Person as described by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service Form W-9.
According to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service Form W-9, the definition as of November 2008 is as follows:
Definition of a U.S. person. For federal tax purposes, you are considered a U.S. person if you are:
- An individual who is a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien*,
- A partnership, corporation, company, or association created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the United States,
- An estate (other than a foreign estate), or
- A domestic trust (as defined in Regulations section (301.7701-7).
[*You can find more information on the definition of a U.S. resident alien on page 3 of the Form W-8BEN Instructions.]
If you are a U.S. Person you will require one of the following Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TINs) in order to be paid:
Non-U.S. based Creator
Non-U.S. Creators are those not considered a U.S. Person as per the W-9 definition. In order to get paid, you must submit the relevant Form W-8.
Creators who are residents of certain countries may be eligible for a reduction or exemption from U.S. income tax on their revenue. The list can be found in Publication 901 (see Table 1, Column 12 – Copyright Royalties, Other, and Footnotes). The publication was last updated April 2008.
A Taxpayer Identification Number is not strictly required to get paid, although without it you will be subject to an automatic 30% U.S. tax withholding even if your country provides for a lower rate of U.S. taxation. If your country has a tax treaty with the U.S then you will be able to take advantage of that providing you have a relevant Taxpayer Identification Number and submit a properly completed treaty claim on Form W-8.
In order to take advantage of any treaties between the U.S. and your country you will require one of the following Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TINs):
IRS Form W-7 may be used to apply for an ITIN. IRS Publication 1915, including the example on page 27, provides information on how to complete this form and file it directly with the IRS. You may need a letter from Microsoft confirming that you need a US TIN. Click here to download the form.
The form is provided in PDF format in English only. The following information has to be entered to be considered a valid form:
- Date. The date you print the form in MM/DD/YYYY format
- To. The Creator’s physical name
- Royalty recipient Account Number. The Creator name as registered on the Creator’s Club Online
Microsoft does not provide tax advice. For more information refer to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service website.
Bank Information
In order to get paid you need to provide Bank Account Information
| Country |
Account Number
|
Routing Number
|
Swift Code/BIC
|
IBAN
|
| US |
Required |
ABA, Required |
N/A |
N/A |
| Canada |
Required |
Transit Number, Required |
Required |
N/A |
| Italy |
N/A |
N/A |
Required |
Required |
| Netherlands |
N/A |
N/A |
Required |
Required |
Ireland
|
N/A |
N/A |
Required |
Required |
Germany
|
N/A |
N/A |
Required |
Required |
| Spain |
N/A |
N/A |
Required |
Required |
| France |
N/A |
N/A |
Required |
Required |
| Sweden |
Required |
N/A |
Required |
Required |
| Norway |
Required |
N/A |
Required |
Required |
| Denmark |
Required |
N/A |
Required |
Required |
| UK |
Required |
Sort Code, Required |
Required |
Required |
Australia
|
Required |
BSB Code, Required |
Required |
N/A |
New Zealand
|
Required |
BSB Code, Required
|
Required |
N/A |
| Singapore |
Required |
N/A |
Required |
N/A |
Japan
|
Required |
N/A |
Required |
N/A |
The other Bank Account information that can be entered includes:
- Account Holder Name (Required)
- Bank Name (Required)
- Branch Name
- Street Address, of the bank
- City
- State/Province/Region
- Zip code/Postal Code
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| What does the US withholding apply to? |
For a non-US person the withholding, whether 30% or a treaty rate, will only apply to content sold within the US. Any content knowingly sold outside the US is not eligible for withholding.
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| I'm based outside of the United States. What are the tax implications? |
Non-U.S. based persons will need to fill in the PII form and will also need to send the relevant W-8 form. Once the relevant W-8 form has been received and processed, they will be able to be paid. If required, you will be mailed an IRS Form 1042-S annually. This form reports any taxable royalties you received and U.S. income tax withholding deducted from your payments.
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| If I'm a non-U.S. based person. Which is the relevant W-8 form? |
There are four types of W-8 forms available on the IRS website. While Microsoft does not provide tax advice, we can let you know that Form W-8BEN is the most frequently submitted form and please note the following language on the top of Forms W-8EXP, W-8IMY and W-8ECI: "Do not use this form for: A beneficial owner solely claiming foreign status or treaty benefits. Instead, use Form W-8BEN."
If you have a TIN and are claiming a treaty benefit on your Form W-8, you may wish to refer to this IRS page which has a link to all U.S. Double Taxation Income Tax Treaties where the relevant Article numbers can be found.
For further information, please contact a tax professional.
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| When are the dates of these quarters? |
See the table below:
| Quarter |
Last PII change date |
"Where's My Payment" Requests |
| April - June 2009 |
7/15/09 - Wednesday |
8/31/09 - Monday |
| July - September 2009 |
10/15/09 - Thursday |
11/30/09 - Monday |
| October - December 2009 |
1/15/10 - Friday |
2/26/09 - Friday |
| Jan-March 2010 |
4/15/10 - Thursday |
5/31/10 - Monday |
| April - June 2010 |
7/15/10 - Thursday |
8/31/10 - Tuesday |
| July - September 2010 |
10/15/10 - Friday |
11/30/10 - Tuesday |
| October - December 2010 |
1/15/11 - Saturday |
2/28/11 - Monday |
| Jan-March 2011 |
4/15/11 - Friday |
5/31/11 - Monday |
| April - June 2011 |
7/15/11 - Friday |
8/31/11 - Wednesday |
| July - September 2011 |
10/15/11 - Saturday |
11/30/11 - Wednesday |
| October - December 2011 |
1/15/12 - Sunday |
2/29/12 - Wednesday |
Using the example of the quarter April-June 2009:
- The Quarter ends. The Creator has earned royalties over the following last three months: April 2009, May 2009, and June 2009.
- The last date the user can change their PII is on the 15th of the month after the period ends. That would be July 15th, 2009.
- We only accept support requests of "Where is my payment" on the last US Business day of the month that payments have been processed. That would be August 31st, 2009.
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| What are My Tokens? |
Xbox LIVE Marketplace Tokens are provided for each game as a tool to the Creator to promote their game. Creators will receive 50 tokens upon their game passing Peer Review. Tokens are one-use each; please ensure you do not give out the same token twice.
|
| So who can I give these tokens to? |
Whoever you like - friends, family, your postman - it is up to you. It’s recommended that you use the tokens to help promote your game and send them to influential critics, members of the press, etc.
|
| Developers from which countries are able to sell their games? |
XNA Creators Club Online Premium members in Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, and the United States are able to sell their games. We are continually working to add additional regions, but these are the only countries were XNA Creators Club Online is enabled to pay their residents.
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| Why don't I see the XNA Creators Club Online premium membership offered on Xbox LIVE Marketplace? |
If you don't see the XNA Creators Club Online subscription service, it could be you live in a country that doesn't offer that service currently. The list of countries that the XNA Creators Club Online is currently offered in is Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States.
It is not currently available in India or the Republic of Korea.
Other countries not listed above are still being investigated for future inclusion into the XNA Creators Club Online.
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