Another week, another reversal of an Xbox One policy. This time, Microsoft is relenting and making the console more open to indie development. We also discuss two great new RPGs.

First up, Game Informer’s news editor Mike Futter calls in from New Jersey and joins host Matt Helgeson and editor Matt Bertz to speak about the most recent Microsoft course correction. Mike and Matt Bertz broke this story on the web and discuss what it means for indie development on Xbox One – and the way it can affect the long-term outlook at the console.

Batting second is Matt Miller, who’s here to speak about his review of Shadowrun Returns. It’s among the first high profile Kickstarter games to be released, and will please fans of old-school ’90s RPGs.

In the ultimate segment, Game Informer’s resident JRPG fanatic Kim Wallace makes an all-too-rare appearance at the GI Show to speak about Shin Megami Tensei IV, the newest within the daring series. Kim was impressed by the game’s challenging combat and philosophical bent. It’s definitely not your run of the mill JRPG. Listen in to determine why you ought to give it a try.

EA Sports is giving its embattled NBA franchise another go, and has announced that Cleveland Cavaliers star point guard Kyrie Irving might be its cover athlete.[Exerpt]

“We couldn’t imagine an improved cover athlete for our game than the dynamic, explosive Kyrie Irving,” said Daryl Holt, VP and GM of basketball for EA Sports. “Kyrie is among the best ball handlers within the league, and with our next-generation technology we will arm players having the ability to replicate his impressive on-court feats, in addition to the fantastic signature styles and talents of different pros in NBA Live 14.”

The “hopefully” on this story headline, needless to say, refers to EA’s recent difficulties releasing its basketball titles. With both NBA Elite 11 and NBA Live 13 cancelled, the corporate hasn’t successfully launched a hoops game since October of 2009 when NBA Live 10 came out.

Our Take:
Kyrie Irving is a smart choice for the quilt of NBA Live 14. While he doesn’t have the global recognition of rival NBA 2K14’s Lebron James, basketball fans do know him as probably the most sports rising young talents. And let’s accept it: there is no topping Lebron. The selection of Kyrie is additionally perhaps symbolic. Just because the Cavaliers try to rebuild from the aftermath of Lebron’s high profile departure, NBA Live is making an attempt to revive this once great franchise after many years within the development wilderness. Regardless of who’s at the cover, just shipping a basketball game of any kind this year could be a win for EA.

The Xbox One launch lineup continues to be a piece in progress, as evidenced by a brand new delay that may push Kinect Sports Rivals from day one into 2014.

The website Polygon broke the scoop, receiving official word from Microsoft that Kinect Sports Rivals was delayed and won’t available for launch. Some retailers (including Game Informer’s parent company Gamestop) have been selling bundles of Xbox One launch units packaged with Kinect Sports Rivals, so it’ll be interesting to look how those orders are filled.

The game, developed by Rare, might be shown on the upcoming Gamescom convention in Germany and should be playable on the show.

Our Take:
I’ll be honest; i am not exactly losing sleep over the delay of this game. However, I do think it is a loss for the Xbox One launch lineup. By including Kinect in every system, the corporate is largely forcing people to purchase a Kinect, and – in my mind – it can be a superb move to have as many titles available that utilize the peripheral as possible. Also, i’m intrigued by one of the crucial game’s new activities, especially wake racing.

In a brand new interview, Ouya head Julie Uhrman revealed numbers that confirmed the reports that – thus far – Ouya owners aren’t inclined to pay for games.

In an interview with The Verge, Uhrman said that “Monetization on Ouya is so far better than we expected. It takes time to construct what traditional consoles have had decades to construct.”

However, the sales numbers she provided seemed fairly bleak. Based on Uhrman, only 27 percent of Ouya owners have paid for content, with most choosing to exploit the system without charge-to-play games, demos, and illegal NES and SNES emulators.

The games that Uhrman cited because the system’s most successful, TowerFall and Hidden in Plain Sight, have earned $21,000 and $4,381 respectively. This will have something to do with TowerFall creator Matt Thorson’s recent announcement that he is bringing the sport to PC.

Uhrman also talked of increased developer interest within the system. There are actually over 21,000 registered Ouya developers. To boot, she said the systems rate of upgrade from free to paid version (8 percent) is truly incredible within the free-to-play market.

Source: The Verge

Our Take
While Ms. Uhrman can spin the numbers any way she likes, the truth that your system’s breakout game (TowerFall) has only earned $21,000 is bad news. On the grounds that the sport sells for $14.99, that’s only around 1,400 paid downloads. Which, simply stated, is pretty pathetic for a game pretty much as good as TowerFall. Between PC, mobile platforms, and next-generation consoles from Microsoft and Sony in an effort to be even more indie-friendly, small developers have loads of options. If Ouya desires to succeed, it is going to should convince the industry that it is a place where companies could make money.

The Neverwhere writer is creating Wayward Manor, a macabre puzzle/adventure game developed in partnership with the indie studio The Odd Gentlemen.

The author, who’s favorite in comic and fantasy circles for lots books including Neverwhere, American Gods, and the classic comic book series Sandman, was a lifelong gamer and is now trying his hand at making them. Inspired by early 20th century farces like Arsenic and Old Lace, Gaimen envisions Wayward Manor – which casts the player as a ghost looking to scare people out of an old mansion – as a hybrid of the puzzle and adventure genres.

We’ll leave it to Neil himself to offer you the pitch inside the video below. While the sport isn’t doing a Kickstarter, they’re raising money through tiered pre-orders that include perks (essentially a Kickstarter not on Kickstarter). One of many pre-order bonuses is dinner with Gaiman himself, for under $10,000 (though you need to provide your personal travel). Whadda guy.

Our Take
While Neil Gaimen seriously isn’t a game developer by trade, he’s certainly landed with an efficient partner: The Odd Gentlemen, who created the great The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom, among other games. Their offbeat, old-fashioned visual vibe perfectly suits Gaiman, and their skill as a developer will never be in question. Their expertise coupled with Gaiman’s writing generally is a superb combination.