Posted on Friday 20-Jan-2012 3:00 PM

Microsoft to accelerate Xbox Live update process

Minecraft could be the first game to offer 'constant updates'

Microsoft plans accelerate the frustratingly slow certification procedure for game patches over Xbox Live.

Xbox Live Screenshot
Paddy Burns, chief technology officer at 4J Studios, the developer responsible for the Xbox Live Arcade port of Minecraft, told out friends at Edge: "Microsoft knows that to do a similar thing that's on PC where they constantly update it, that's a very difficult thing to do on Xbox because you have to go through the full tests.

"But they are quite keen to move towards that - they do see it as the future, so I think we might be the first to do constant updates."

Asked if 4J would be releasing Minecraft updates as it sees fit, Burns said: "I don't think it'll ever come to that. I think that there will always be Microsoft testing involved.

"But the whole turnaround of that testing they're hoping to speed up, so we can maybe roll out every two months. We'll have to see how that goes ... I'm really looking forward to it being updated with patches and new features after it's released."

Want to get even more out of Minecraft? Be sure to check out our recent Minecraft texture packs feature, where we take an in-depth look at the best free texture packs on the market.

[ Source: Edge ]

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Comments

4 comments so far...

  1. BenThomasFoster on 20 Jan '12 said:

    PC - 1
    Consoles - 0

    Correct me if i'm wrong but the only service on consoles that can do this to games is Steam and portal 2?

  2. KMakawa on 20 Jan '12 said:

    Yeahh this is still quite a new thing for consoles to adapt to, however turn around times are speeding up, I can only hope we reach the time where updates come right from the developer, and theres no need for Microsoft/Sony to test them beforehand, but speeding it up and patches being out on the day.. not a week or two after they've been submitted to the two giants.

  3. dicky1993 on 20 Jan '12 said:

    what, can't arcade games get updates?

  4. Old Skool Gamer on 21 Jan '12 said:

    About f**king time as XBOX LIVE is being around long enough, but the games developers are so lazy now stuff is broken when released.

    PR is No.1 and shoddy product is what you get!