Minecraft creator welcomes Xbox One indie policy

Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson has spoken out to praise Microsoft's new independent developer policy, specifically the news that every Xbox One can be used as a development kit.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea to have the actual box be the dev kits,” Notch told Edge. “This makes it easier for both the developer and for Microsoft, and presumably they could make it a lot cheaper since they’d only sell unlock codes."

"I realize there are other factors at play here, though, like a perceived need to make sure only ‘legitimate’ developers get access to it, so a monetary barrier might still be in place," he added.

Microsoft announced the news on Wednesday. Under the terms of the new policy, independent developers can self-publish titles on Xbox One, something Microsoft previously said would not be allowed.

Notch is not the only independent developer to praise Microsoft's new policy. He joins Bungie founder Alex Seropian, who said the stance is a "great move" for the industry overall.

Microsoft believes the new policy will benefit children and students by giving them an opportunity to learn to program and build games. Many details remain unclear, though Microsoft has said it will share further details on the program at Gamescom next month.