How it works - submit your app or game
As an App Hub member, you can share your apps and games with the world on Windows Phone Marketplace and Xbox LIVE Marketplace. It’s easy: Once you've a completed your project, you’ll submit it to the App Hub via your dashboard, where it will be either certified for Windows Phone by Microsoft or reviewed by other developers for Xbox 360. The submission and certification process is quick and easy, and ensures that customers stay safe and happy.
Submit your app or game
Windows PhoneXbox 360
Windows Phone – Upload and submit for certification
Once you have an App Hub membership and have created a game for Windows Phone, you can submit your app or game to the Windows Phone Marketplace. The Marketplace is available on every Windows Phone 7 in the world, and customers can buy and download applications directly from their phone. Payments are automatically handled for you. The Marketplace enables you to implement a trial mode for your application, giving you the option of allowing users to try your application before buying it.
Prior to submitting your project, you should review the Application Certification Guidelines to ensure that your app or game is ready for submission.
When you’re ready, sign into the App Hub, go to your dashboard, and create a new application submission. Then upload the XAP file and enter metadata: description, category, and iconography. Then select the distribution countries and pricing. Your XAP file is validated during the metadata submission; if it passes validation, you’ll be able to choose if you want it published immediately after certification, or at a later time. If the XAP file doesn’t validate, we’ll let you know why.
Validated XAP files are repackaged for automated and manual certification testing on an actual phone to ensure that it adheres to the Application Certification Guidelines. If the app or game meets all the certification requirements, the repackaged XAP and assembly files are signed by Microsoft and are officially certified and eligible for publishing to the Windows Phone Marketplace. If your app or game fails certification, we’ll provide you with a failure report.
View walkthroughs of the Windows Phone Marketplace application submission process.
1. Xbox 360 – Create a new Game Project
Once you have an App Hub membership and have created a game for the Xbox 360, you have the option of sharing the game with other members on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Your game could be the next hit on Xbox LIVE!
Making that dream a reality requires only a few simple steps. Start by packaging your finished XNA Game Studio game as a .ccgame file. This process is straightforward and is detailed in the Create Your Game tutorial.
Remember that the .ccgame file must come from an Xbox 360 project in XNA Game Studio, and must be a complete game with no errors.
After you’ve located your .ccgame file, sign into your account on the App Hub and select the My Dashboard menu option. Click Xbox 360 and then click Create New.
Type in the title of your game, click Done, then click Game Information to confirm your game's title; then move on to the next step.
2. Xbox 360 – Set Game Info
At this screen, you'll add information about your game. Start from the top and work your way down.
General Information: In the drop-down box, select the genre that most closely matches your game. Under the Gameplay Capabilities section, indicate the number of players that can play the game according to each indicated game type. Set the maximum resolution that your game supports next to the Maximum HDTV Mode setting, and select whether or not your game supports using custom soundtracks as a replacement for in-game music. The Xbox LIVE Capabilities section indicates how many players can play in a session, and if cooperative play is supported. Set these values accordingly.
Game Descriptions: These are the descriptions that will be visible to anyone who downloads or plays your game. Only one description is required, but it's a good idea to have a translated description for every language that your game supports.
Classification: This set of controls enables you to identify the types of mature content in your game. It's very important that you classify your game accurately. Others will review your game and verify your ratings. According to their evaluations, they'll either approve or reject your game from Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Roll over the slider controls to understand what each category means. Set the sliders based on the content in your game.
Media: In this section, you must upload images to represent your game on the Xbox Live Marketplace and Xbox.com. Additionally, you're given the option of providing a video trailer for your game. All screenshots and video trailers must be safe for all ages, and they must abide by App Hub Terms of Use.
All games must have a trial mode that showcases the actual game experience. If you fail to create a trial mode, or if you use the trial mode to provide your game for free, your game will be failed in the Peer Review process. Games aren't available for free on the system. This system is not a video hosting service and shouldn't be used as such.
Select Done at the bottom of the page to proceed to the Playtest/Release page, where you'll set your game's price, upload your binary file, and enter information about your release.
3. Xbox 360 – Submit release to review
Just like the Game Information page, the Playtest and Game Release page includes a series of sections that provide information about your game release. Start from the top and work your way down.
Game Information: This section is a composite of all the information entered on the previous page. By clicking the edit game information link, you will return to the previous page and will be able to edit any game information.
Game Binary: This section lists all information related to your .ccgame package. You can upload a new game binary by clicking the upload new game package link.
Game Price: Select a price for your game from the drop-down box. If your .ccgame package is over 50MB, the lowest price-point won't available. Once the price for a release has been set and the game passes Peer Review, the price can't be changed, so consider the price carefully.
Countries: This section includes a list of countries in which your game will be made available for purchase. Once you've decided to support a country, future releases of a title will automatically be published to that country. However, new countries may be added. Adding a release to additional countries enables Peer Review in those countries.
Forum Comments: This section contains a text box where you can enter any details, comments, or instructions about your game that you wish to display to the community. When your game is submitted, a forum thread will automatically be created for your game, and this message will appear as the first post.
Playtest/Release: In this section, you select if you wish your game to be submitted as a playtest or a release. If submitted as a playtest, the game will be downloadable on the App Hub by members of the App Hub for a period of one week. After the playtest has concluded, the game may be resubmitted. If submitted as a release, the game will enter the Peer Review process. If it passes Peer Review, it will become available for purchase on the Xbox Live Marketplace and Xbox.com.
Upload New Game Package: Browse to where you placed your .ccgame package, and then select the .ccgame package. Make sure this is the package that corresponds to the descriptions you wrote, the media you provided, and the classifications you gave.
Once a game is submitted for review, you can’t modify it until the review process is done. Therefore, make sure all your information is correct before you select this option.
The game enters review as soon as you submit it. Other creators will notice the game and will start to review it. From here, there are two possibilities:
- Your peers verify that your classification is accurate, that no prohibited content or errors exist in your game, and that your description and media for your game are truthful. Your game is approved.
- Your peers identify errors, prohibited content, mismatches between your game and the media or description you provided, or mismatches between the classification you provided and the classification they found. Your game is rejected.
If your game is approved, it appears on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. If it's rejected, you can edit the classification, submit a new package, and try again. Once the status of your game changes, an email will notify you of the change. While you're waiting for your game to be reviewed, try reviewing games that others have made.
Click Submit when you're finished to submit your release.
