Satchell: No business model yet behind XNA

Microsoft has been so focused on developing tools and partnering with people in the community that it hasn't yet established any business models behind XNA.

"At the moment it's not really about business models and transaction models and everything else," XNA group manager Chris Satchell told GamesIndustry.biz.

"It's about 'Let's enable that creativity and that connection, that community', because I think that's what will make our platform stand out, that's what gamers would love - with the hundreds of new games they can play with creative concepts - and that's what creators want.

"They want a stage to perform their best work on. So we've really focused on the infrastructure to do that more than a business at the moment."

Although it seems odd for Microsoft - or any company, for that matter - to go into something without a clear view of how it will make money, this is apparently the situation with XNA.

"We've been extremely focused on how we enable a great experience on all sides, from people in the community that have creativity that want to build and create something and gamers that want to see new concepts," Satchell explained.

He said that Microsoft first put out the tools for all the developers and is now working on distribution to enable gamers to see all the great work that has been done.

Figuring out how to monetise XNA - asking if there is a business model and deciding what it would look like - is actually the next to last part.

"So, yeah, we've really focused on it that way - which is let's enable creativity first and worry about the business side of it later."

The complete interview with XNA group manager Chris Satchell may be read here.