Braid Dev: Microsoft, Stop Advertising in Paid-For Themes
Monday, 12 Jan 2009 11:43
Braid Premium Theme
Braid developer not only complains about Microsoft's reluctance to give Xbox themes for free, but also about the company's advertisement obsession.
The hit Xbox Live title Braid,
soon coming to the PC, received a Premium Theme last Thursday at the cost of 250 Microsoft points. But developer Jonathan Blow isn't happy. He'd have preferred to have given the theme away for free, and calls out Microsoft on
his blog;
“Unfortunately, we had to charge the standard Premium Theme price of 250 Microsoft Points (which is about $3.10 in American money). We want to make it free, but Microsoft doesn’t like giving things out for free.”
Blow then goes on to criticse Microsoft's need to place advertisements in paid-for premium themes;
“But if you do buy it, you can be secure in the knowledge that you own one of the few Premium Themes that is not an advertisement — there is no text in the Braid theme anywhere. (Seriously, Microsoft, what is with the Subway: Eat Fresh Theme?)”
He has a point, should real-world advertisements really be allowed to infect our console experiences?