Microsoft’s Project Spark Beta Comes To Xbox One, Offering Cross-Platform Game Creation

Microsoft’s ambitious Project Spark open world game creator launched in beta on Windows 8.1 back in December, with the promise that it would make its way to the Xbox One eventually, too. Today is the day that it ships on the next-generation gaming console, making it possible for Spark creators to build games on Windows 8.1 and play on their Xbox One, or vice versa.

The beta so far has amassed 250,000 sign-ups, according to Microsoft, with “hundreds” more adding their names to the list daily. Microsoft is gating access to the open game building tool, which is likely a wise idea given that it’s a collaborative game creation engine that must carry a heavy server load, and also likely brings a number of challenges in terms of making sure user-created content is appropriate, fun and engaging.

Expansion to Xbox One could open up the gates to a new audience of potential creators, but it’s probably more interesting as a way to get gamers thinking about designing for different platforms, and evaluating their creations in light of the specific demands of console tech. This is also a prime example of how Microsoft’s decision to go with x86-based processor architecture makes it easier to build cross-platform experiences that extend to both Windows and Xbox – seamless cross-platform play like this likely would’ve been far more technically challenging, if not impossible, with the Xbox 360.

To get started with the Spark beta, you still have to go sign up at Microsoft’s teaser page.

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Investor Reaction To Microsoft’s Rumored CEO Choice: We’re Fine With That

Yesterday in after-hours trading, Microsoft picked up a minor gain. The trading period was interesting as news that Microsoft’s board was tipped to select its own Satya Nadella as its next CEO had broken.

This morning, the company’s stock has risen more than 2 percent in a generally down market day. Investors appear at least blasé with the CEO choice.

If Microsoft had fallen sharply, or risen dramatically directly following the news, that would have been a different sort of signal.

Is it negative that Microsoft’s stock didn’t spike following the Nadella news, perhaps indicating that the company could have done better in its choice? You could read it that way, but I think two things can force us — for now — to not be too negative. Primarily, Microsoft has not announced the news itself, so we’re still discussing probabilities and potentialities, no matter how strong the sourcing is.

And secondly, I doubt that the street is too familiar with Nadella. Uncertainty is usually a sell, sure, but Nadella’s coverage has generally mentioned his strengths, perhaps providing some mental insurance to the trading classes.

The caveat, naturally, is Nadella’s weaknesses — such as they are. I’ll be digging into this later today, but the simple summation is while he is tops at technical work and enterprise-facing efforts, he lacks commensurate experience with consumer products and hardware, and could therefore lack the leadership and vision he needs to drive Microsoft forward in those key areas.

For now, however, the market is telling Microsoft it is fine with its supposed choice.

Top Image Credit:  Dan Taylor/Heisenberg Media 

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