Requirements for RTM
The following components are required before a disc binary can be approved for RTM.- Certified disc binary
- Approved packaging materials
Certified disc binary
Games that are intended to release on physical discs must have test discs ordered and approved by the XBOX Certification team. When you certify a package intended to be manufactured on disc, submit a disc order after submitting the package to Final Certification. If your XBOX team approves the disc order, test discs are manufactured and delivered to the designated recipients for approval. For more information, see Submitting disc and digital games for Final Certification.Approval of packaging materials
Required packaging artwork must be submitted for review and approval via the Apollo tool in advance of your RTM date. For more information about accessing Apollo, see Useful Links. For more information about the disc packaging requirements, see Disc Packaging Requirements. In addition, before the pack-out of your product, you must have all other packaging components approved, including any components not approved at the time of RTM. Review the disc packaging templates and ensure that you provide all required components for review and approval.Related resources
All users of the Apollo tool should read the Apollo User Guide (see Useful Links for access), which includes guidance on submitting packaging artwork for review and approval by Microsoft Art Certification. If you have any questions about the Apollo submission process, contact Microsoft Art Certification Support. For more information, see Branding and Marketing.Approving Release to Manufacture (RTM)
After you validate your test discs and receive a pass result from XBOX Certification, send confirmation of your approval to RTM to your XBOX contacts. State the game name, binary ID, and Store ID. Your Microsoft representative processes the request, including validating that all necessary packaging materials and royalty tier declarations are approved. Your XBOX contacts provide confirmation after the binary is released to the Authorized Replicators (AR) that you selected in your disc request.Royalty tier declarations
Submission of royalty tier declarations isn’t a requirement to RTM. However, to avoid delays because of manufacturing or billing issues, you should have the royalty tiers selected, submitted, and approved at least 30 days before the start date of manufacture. Royalty tiers must be submitted for all editions (also referred to as SKUs) you’re manufacturing, including Review Discs.For more guidance about selecting the correct Royalty Tier, use the supplementary information provided in the Retail Programs and Tier Selection Guide available in the XBOX Publisher Guide.