Create a game and configure game setup

Important

This article describes features that require enrollment as an XBOX creator. To get started, register for an XBOX developer program. If you're already enrolled but aren't able to use the described features, speak to your XBOX contacts.

This article describes how to create an XBOX game and configure the Game setup page in Partner Center.

Prerequisites

This article describes how to use Partner Center to create a game for use with the Game Development Kit (GDK) and configure the Game setup page.

Prerequisites

Create a Game product

  1. Sign in to Partner Center.
  2. On the Home page, select Apps and games.
  3. On the Apps and games | Overview page, select + New product and then select Game.
  4. In Create your game by reserving a name, enter the name of your game in Name. Select the Check availability link to determine if the name is available. If the name is available, a green check mark appears. For more information, see Create and reserve your game name.
  5. Select Reserve product name.
  6. Partner Center automatically shows you the Game setup page.
  7. Optionally, you can select Enable limited XBOX services. These services let you start developing your game by using the Game Development Kit (GDK), but you can't use certain features, such as XBOX achievements.

Before you can select Enable full XBOX services, you need to request product onboarding.

Create a GDK game product

  1. Sign in to Partner Center.
  2. On the Home page, select Apps and games.
  3. On the Apps and games | Overview page, select + New product and then select GDK game.
  4. In Create your game by reserving a name, enter the name of your game in Name. Select the Check availability link to determine if the name is available. If the name is available, a green check mark appears.
  5. Select Reserve product name.
  6. Partner Center automatically shows you the Game setup page.

Note

If you can't reserve a name for which you hold the trademark or other legal right, or if you see another app in the Microsoft Store using that name, contact Microsoft.

Device family availability

The Device family availability section lets you control which devices your game support. By default, only the Desktop device family is active.

  • Retail is required for publishing to the RETAIL sandbox. If you select this option, the system automatically selects the sandboxes option.
  • Sandboxes is required for publishing to a development sandbox.
  • For more information, see Sandboxes.

For XBOX games, the XBOX device family is active only after you enable XBOX services. Configure this section after you request product onboarding.

Request product onboarding

XBOX creators need to send the Store ID for new game products to their XBOX contacts for onboarding. This process grants access to full XBOX services and features in Partner Center.

  1. Go to the Game setup page for your game.
  2. In the Identity details section, select Show details.
  3. Copy the Store ID value.
  4. To request product onboarding, send an email to your XBOX contacts.
    • Subject Product onboarding request: <Product name>—<Store ID>—<Creator name>
    • Body I'd like to request product onboarding for the following product:
      <Product name>
      <Store ID>

Configure Game setup

If you're already on the Game setup page, go to step 5.

  1. Sign in to Partner Center.
  2. Select the Apps and games workspace from the Home page. The Apps and games | Overview page appears.
  3. On the Apps and games | Overview page, use Search to find and select your game.
  4. Select Game setup from the left navigation pane.
  5. Select Enable full XBOX services.
  6. In the Device family availability section, select Sandboxes for each device family your game supports. You can also select Retail now, or select it later when you want to publish the game to the RETAIL sandbox.
    • Select Desktop if you're developing an XBOX on PC game.
    • Select XBOX if you're developing an XBOX console game.
  7. In the Primary XBOX services development sandbox section, select a development sandbox.
    • If you need to create a new development sandbox, first select Manage sandboxes.
    • For more information, see Sandboxes.
  8. Select Show details in the Identity details section.
  9. Note the identifiers and links. The Store ID, Package manifest values, and Package family values are especially important since they identify the title and build by the Store. They're also used to license your game. To learn more about the identifiers, select the information icon next to it.
  10. After configuring and reviewing the Game setup page, select Save draft.

Full XBOX services are enabled for the game. After a few minutes, XBOX services is available on the page navigation. Refresh your browser page to see the new menu options.

Enabling XBOX Play Anywhere (XPA) Unified Entitlement for XBOX games on PC and Console

If you're developing an XBOX Play Anywhere game, select both the XBOX and Desktop device families in the Device family availability. When a customer purchases your game, they automatically get the entitlement to download and play the game on XBOX consoles and XBOX on PC. This entitlement is called XBOX Unified Entitlement. Don't create separate games for PC and Console if you're supporting XPA.

Enable XBOX services (Optional)

XBOX services are a collection of micro-services that expose features such as profile, friends and presence, stats, leaderboards, achievements, multiplayer, and matchmaking. XBOX services aren't required if you only want to publish a game to the Microsoft Store on Windows.

To use XBOX services and publish XBOX games, you must first enroll as an XBOX partner. To get started, register for the ID@XBOX program at XBOX Developer Programs.

Save game identity details

Your game has a unique identity, assigned by the Microsoft Store. When you package your game by using the GDK, you need to use the values displayed in the Identity details section of the Game setup page. Note the following values to use when packaging your game.

  • Game name
  • Package/Identity/Name
  • Package/Identity/Publisher
  • Package/Properties/PublisherDisplayName
  • Store ID

Next steps

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