Last week, Microsoft released a small, mandatory update for the Xbox 360. Aimed at providing the "best possible Xbox LIVE experience", the update restored the Xbox LIVE Indie Games service to prominence, making it visible on the "top level" of the Marketplace section next to tabs for Xbox LIVE Arcade and Games on Demand.
While this may not make a giant difference for a majority of gamers, it should help appease indie developers who were angered when the November dashboard overhaul to the more Metro look hid indie games behind an additional 'Game Type' button. Some indie developers went so far as to say indie games wouldn't survive the transition from the current Xbox 360 to the next-gen Xbox.
Microsoft or Major Nelson, at the time, didn't say anything about this change to the indie games section, but Microsoft did release a statement to Eurogamer explaining that the move "reflected that feedback" from the developers.
As you've now noticed, the Xbox Live Marketplace was updated to change the way games are surfaced to customers. Microsoft is continually working to better organize our digital game content on the platform and your feedback played a part in that.
Part of this new organization means that Xbox Live Indie Games now has a tile on the top level of the marketplace right next to Xbox Live Arcade and Xbox Games on Demand. Inside of the new Xbox Live Indie Games section, you'll notice that there are New Release, Top Download, A-Z, and Genre options, as well as a rotating carousel that shows off Kotaku's Picks, Contest Finalists, and can be used to house other content as desired.
This update is something we are extremely excited about as it really brings Xbox Live Indie Games to a higher level of visibility in the dashboard. We believe these changes will help even more gamers find and experience the great offerings you've all developed for Xbox Live Indie Games.
The current update also fixed a "color issue that some were experiencing" during video playback when using certain Xbox video apps.
