For the past ten days or so, it appeared as if Microsoft might be deactivating inactive accounts for its popular Developer Mode for Xbox consoles and Windows. Today, Director of Project Management at Xbox, Jason Ronald, Tweeted that the deactivations were accidental and they are looking into restoring them. "We have no plans to remove or disable Developer Mode on Xbox consoles," stated Ronald unequivocally. "We continue to believe in and support a healthy independent app and game development community on Xbox." He goes on to say if your account was affected, you can email them at [email protected] to have it restored faster.

Several posts had appeared on social media questioning an email from Microsoft informing them their Developer account has been suspended due to inactivity, usually with at least one other person responding to confirm they also received the email. Last week, reddit user u/The Axodoxian posted an email they received informing them of the suspension, and Twitter user @Nanjizal_net posted the same email on the same day. GBAtemp user @tech3475 also posted a thread on our forums about the same thing.

The email allegedly redirects users to the Code of Conduct for Developer Mode, which does stipulate that Developer accounts need to stay in good standing, including "staying active in the Store," though exactly what defines active or inactive is not specified. The Code of Conduct page has also not been updated since September 28, 2021, so while the policy may have existed for some time, it appears that Microsoft has only recently started to enforce it.

Developer Mode has been popular on the Xbox consoles as it allowed users to run Retroarch and emulators on their Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles with only a small fee required to get a Developer account. Many saw it as a clever way for Microsoft to allow hardcore users to run emulators without the need to modify their consoles, severely limiting the number of people interested in hacking the two most recent Xbox consoles.

 

[the_randomizer]

who got triggered?

he's nice i'm subbed to him, also used some of his shit back in the day, and you're right when it comes to developing and documenting he's very good, but he takes a lot to the heart and it almost looks like a joke.

Don't give me that bullshit response

 

[tech3475]

People are jumping the gun in assuming MS has reversed stance on the dev deactivations:



Jason Ronald's very words were: "no plans on discontinuing developer mode" for consoles, he didn't say they're stopping the "publish or perish - 90 day edition" for individual accounts policy. It's always important to read what spokespeople say carefully, like a legal document.

Well ****.

Time to prep a god awful app .

 

[ZeroFX]

Don't give me that bullshit response

Sorry, i just gave one that was on the same level as yours.

 

[MissingN0pe]

Feels more like a backpedal than a "mistake" but okay

 

[matpower]

Their policy wasn't changed at all, notice how they carefully have chosen their words. Anyone who thinks they're backpedaling should be aware they might/will keep doing it.

Speaking of Genesis and Dreamcast, there was a "Sega Xbox" or something like it planned back then, but it didn't happen.

Still, the Xbox platform is the one that feels like the successor of Sega's consoles. And plus, Xbox had Shenmue 2 while GC and PS2 didn't (though GC received SA2 but that game kinda sucks, imo).

The original Xbox sure was, the 360 more or less, nowadays they aren't even close to how innovative SEGA used to be. SEGA hardware pushed the envelope or was forwards thinking, while all MS seems to be pushing for DRM and game leasing. They pulling the rug for permanent dev mode isn't a surprise.

 

[jakeem]

Whew I’m glad they fix the issue

 

[tech3475]

Their policy wasn't changed at all, notice how they carefully have chosen their words. Anyone who thinks they're backpedaling should be aware they might/will keep doing it..

I think if they are still doing the ‘publish or perish’ condition, then this will still go down badly once it’s confirmed as it still effectively makes dev mode useless for allot (if not most) users and they might as well have stuck with the email, since at least they can say ‘devs can get their accounts reactivated one time’.

Every now and then I like to mess around with stuff and have written a couple of pieces of software for private use, never with the intent of actually publishing anything.

 

[the_randomizer]

Sorry, i just gave one that was on the same level as yours.

Aww, and I didn't even have to try.

 

[LightBeam]

That's good they are embracing the thing honestly, I mean they don't really have any reason not to, and it makes the Xbox so much better, tho playing retro games with just this controller .... Well it's absolutely fine for 3D games but 2D, eh

 

[ZeroFX]

Aww, and I didn't even have to try.

here's your cookie that looks like a bone, now you can move on.

 

[cashboxz01]

That dev mode made the xbox series s quite easily the best emulation box. The only other alternatives are either an Nvidia shield which is outdated, or Chinese emulation boxes which also cost like $200 and offer garbage performance as the software isn't optimized.

 

[scoobydude51]

Something tells me this was as much of a "screw up" as when they mentioned how they were gonna increase the price of their subscription service and backed down on the grounds of "we heard you and were never planning to do so, it was just a mistake". So, testing the grounds and seeing if they could get away with it.

Same here.

 

[stanleyopar2000]

still says disabled...should I just email Microsoft about this?...i'm not really a developer...

 

[Marc_LFD]

still says disabled...should I just email Microsoft about this?...i'm not really a developer...

You paid for it so they can either give you access or not.

Evidence that you're a dev would help, but you're not really one.

 

[CMDreamer]

What a screwup! Glad it was just a mistake

It was a "mistake"... If they were to say that it was an extraterrestrial phenomena many people would still believe them, how naive are they?

It's about a business being run, nothing more. But we have just seen how "the masses" can decide above a "single person". One person had to commit that "mistake" after all.

 

[codezer0]

Dev mode and backward compatibility is why it was basically the practical choice to get an xbone or series system. Without dev mode for the homebrew stuff, it's basically a cat & mouse as to which can be jailbroken. because it absolutely would garner the spite to ensure that it is.

Hell, the only reason I even had, for considering a ps5 at all, was because of the exploits found to hopefully see CFW on the system. But if I got one now, it'd literally just be sitting in the box to gather dust because of how much Sony frustrated me in the past.

 

[SpaceMunkey]

For me, dev mode is the biggest feature of current Xbox, because the thing has no games made for itself, so they should keep Mega Drive, Dreamcast and other actually good systems making their platform more fun.

Not that this current generation is struggling to sell or anything (it is more of the opposite), but the lack of games, either released or announced, is absurd at this point.

Bro, "the has no games made for itself" where did u get this info from because they have been feeding u with lies. Trust me, u need to widen ur search when looking for Xbox games.

"Lack of games, either released or announced, is absurd at this point" - u sound like a paid anti Xbox agent bro... I would have listened to you if u actually made any sense but guess u are just another fan boy $hit show...

 

[Pipistrele]

No need to get triggered because he's a dev and you're not

When content creator screws up his research, makes a big deal with clickbaity article out of it, and refuses to elaborate when beng corrected, then whether he's a good dev or not is kinda irrelevant. Hell, we may be jealous of his admittedly competent emulation-making chops (I'm aspiring to other stuff personally), yet that won't change the fact that MVG fell face first into a puddle with these "breaking news".

 

[smf]

because it absolutely would garner the spite to ensure that it is.

So why are you complaining?

Microsoft seem to think it's impossible to hack, I am inclined to agree.

 

[smf]

I think if they are still doing the ‘publish or perish’ condition, then this will still go down badly once it’s confirmed as it still effectively makes dev mode useless for allot (if not most) users and they might as well have stuck with the email, since at least they can say ‘devs can get their accounts reactivated one time’.

Who cares if some scene bottom feeders lose the ability to run retroarch?

This guy's kinda a joke in my humble opinion.

I don't know him, but his videos are borderline unwatchable and a complete waste of time. He should stick to game development.