Over the last few days I’ve come across complaints on social media from several smaller developers who claim they’re really struggling to get access to the Marketplace. Now, I’ve no idea about the processes involved in gaining access but I do know that very few of us (or maybe even none of us!) want to see endless shovelware that’s either poorly crafted or created by AI algorithms (most of us know the devs I’m referring to).
It might not be any of my business, per se, but as a customer who typically buys between one and five add-ons per week, does my opinion re who should be selling in the official Marketplace not matter?
Most of these guys out in the cold are one-man-bands and they don’t have bottomless pockets with which to continue funding projects that are currently loss-making. One is suggesting giving up development because it’s too expensive without Microsoft endorsement. The loss of these smaller, niche developers would be a huge blow to the community — far greater than the loss of the 206 V* S*****s packs we see flooding the market each week (looking at the lack of reviews, no one appears to buy them).
Should there not be some sort of system in place to make sure these smaller devs get a shot? Perhaps driven by quality, popularity or demand? The current process seems to be letting both developers and customers down.
Because they’ve already released a number of sceneries, to critical acclaim. They already have a presence at many stores but since their products are often few and/or quite niche — and the Marketplace allegedly generates around 80% of all add-on sales — they’re not managing to break even (which is all many of them aim to do).
Would the community rather have the option to buy the aforementioned shovelware… or, purely for example’s sake, KiwiFlghtSim’s excellent Polynesian airports?
I agree it’s an absolute disgrace the type of content available in 2024 with all the good stuff stuck in an endless loop vaporware
For Xbox users the 2024 MP currently is simply not an option. Apart from a few liveries everything is poor. There isnt a single decent major airport available nor is there any decent study level esque aircraft.
It’s mostly Mscenery spamware and Captain Sim type aircraft.
What a joke
I don’t particularly want access to anything (being on PC, I can buy the work of these devs outside the Marketplace) — what I want to see is talented devs rewarded for their efforts, because their giving up would, as I said, be a huge blow to the community.
Setting up an AI algorithm to produce packages isn’t a labour of love. Developers who care about what they do offer us the best experience.
First of all, I’m on Xbox, and the only way for me to get any addons, is through the marketplace, and I definitely think that the “signal-to-noise ratio” at the moment is not great. But I’m also wondering about why the situation is what it currently is.
What does this mean? Are they not allowed to submit their products to the marketplace? Do they not have developer accounts, and are they not being approved to receive them? A clarification would be welcome.
I also wonder about the backlog of 2024, are there a lot of submitted products, sitting in approval limbo? Or is it more like a case of making quality addons, that take advantage of all the new 2024 bells and whistles, simply takes time?
I’m not entirely sure how the system works but I believe devs have to make an application — but I don’t know what criteria have to be met. I do know, however, that some seem to be waiting over a year without any sort of hint as to how the process is progressing. Since the devs in question make solid stuff, I’m guessing quality isn’t a major part of the criteria (I think we can all agree that many devs on the Marketplace make consistently sub-par products).
There just seems to be little foresight. If we lose these devs, we lose whole areas of the world that others might not be interested in addressing. Again, I think we can all agree that the loss of V* S*****s would go unnoticed.
Just lately, looking through the Marketplace new releases is tedious. And I’m far from the only one to say this. There used to be a good variety each week but now it’s the same shovelware from the same two or three low-tier devs. I only tend to notice stuff now if it features on the Marketplace front page, or if I know in advance a product is a Marketplace exclusive.
Yes, you apply to get into the Marketplace. I don’t know who’s currently waiting right now, but I know that in the past, some developers said they were on the waiting list for years. People can request certain developers in this official thread.
Regarding the so-called shovelware, I wonder if the initial rounds of devs in the Marketplace were accepted based on, at least in part, the number of addons they had ready to go. (Again, just to be clear: I don’t know if this is true. But it would make sense.)
Back in March 2023, Marketplace ingestion priority was supposed to have changed, with the team evaluating any number of criteria, including perceived quality, community feedback, ratings, and sales volume. It’s hard to say if this is still in practice, given certain products the community has noted, such as the CRJ v2. At the same time, we don’t know what internal tests something like that may have passed or failed. I will say this, though: This wish about ingestion priority hasn’t been resolved in the 26 months since that announcement, leading me to question if this is still in practice.
While all well and good for devs who have an existing MP presence, it doesn’t really help those who are trying to break through. Unless of course you source customer feedback from third-parties (i.e. other stores).
But one thing’s clear: the community doesn’t want the current glut of shovelware.
My comment was just a response to your previous comments about shovelware, trying to find a rationale (however right or wrong they may be) as to why they were there, etc.
(By the way, I somehow forgot what year it is. I meant 26 months.)
It’s depriving customers of products they actually want and deters developers from continuing to plough money into their R&D. To boot, MS also loses out as they make nothing from products people don’t want/buy.
I am by no means the first to express a degree of frustration at much of the rubbish on sale in the MP. I think MS needs to check in with customers every now and again, to better understand their needs…
I usually find myself agreeing with Jorg but I think weeding out rubbish from the MP is a pretty big priority, since sales generated there allegedly contribute a good chunk to Asobo’s R&D budget.
I’d honestly like to see how sales are for VA Systems packs (I’ve given up redacting their name — everyone knows those devs who spam the MP). I looked a few weeks ago and there are practically zero reviews for any of them, which can only mean no one’s buying them.
VA are not alone, though. There are other, very low-quality devs who’re offering awful products at similar prices to the more renowned guys. Of course there is a market for some shovelware (Bredok’s low-fidelity aircraft, for example) but the majority of it is just pointless.