Retail Embargo
Retail Embargo helps to prevent certain kinds of data from being exposed to users via service calls or in the Xbox UI. During the embargo period, only the product or its custom access policies will be able to make calls to get the embargoed data. Retail Embargo goes into effect once you publish your product to the RETAIL sandbox and lasts until the date and time that you specify. You can also choose to opt-out of Retail Embargo if you do not feel that you need to protect the social data of your product.
Retail Embargo also helps to prevent sites that leak achievements and other game content early from getting protected information. Additionally, all endpoints for Xbox Live data are protected from sharing this information.
Retail Embargo only affects the RETAIL sandbox; you can publish to your own sandbox without configuring Retail Embargo. Achievements and other content will still work as normal in your own, non-RETAIL sandboxes.
Previously, we recommended that products obfuscate achievement information prior to final certification, and that testers lock down their privacy settings on their profile when launching the game prior to release in order to prevent leaks. With Retail Embargo, you should no longer have to perform these steps to keep your product’s data confidential once it is propped to the retail environment.
Important When you publish your product, you must configure Retail Embargo by setting a date and time, or opt-out of Retail Embargo. If you do not configure Retail Embargo, you will not be able to publish your product.
The following table lists whether Retail Embargo applies to a feature:
| Feature | Embargoed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Leaderboards | Yes | |
| Achievements & Challenges | Yes | Achievements will display toasts to the user, but others will not be able to see the achievement. The embargoed product will not show up in the achievements app during the embargo period, and the Achievements Tracker app will not show the achievements of the embargoed product. |
| Presence | Yes | |
| Stats | Yes | |
| Hero Stats | Yes | |
| Game Progress | Yes | |
| Real Time Activity | Yes | |
| Screenshots | Yes | Local capture is allowed. Upload is not allowed. |
| Game DVR | Yes | Local capture is allowed. Upload is not allowed. |
| Broadcasting | Yes | Embargoed regardless of the capability set in Xbox Developer Portal (XDP) |
| Social Sharing | Yes | Embargoed regardless of the capability set in XDP
|
| Static Files (trailers, artwork) | No | |
| Marketplace Availabilities | No | Existing mechanisms are in place and unrelated to Retail Embargo.Hidden availability will prevent the Game Detail Pages (GDP) from being browsable.Token availability can be used during the Retail Embargo period.Pre-order GDP will be visible. |
| Game Hub Posts | No | Achievements earned (in the embargoed product) by the Community Manager do not appear in the Activity Feed.Community Manager posts will appear in the Activity Feed. |
| Game Help | No | Game Help is a static file and is not affected by Retail Embargo. Keep spoilers and unannounced game content out of Game Help. |
| Title Callable UI (TCUI) | No | Titles need to invoke some shell features in order to work properly (e.g. People Picker). |
| Game Invites | Yes | Customers won't see game invites from those playing an embargoed game. |
| Custom Access Policies | No | Custom Access Policies (e.g. Web Services) are still in effect-if your game's web service calls into Live Services and displays information (e.g. Recently Played) on your endpoint like web or mobile applications, this is not embargoed. |
Considerations
Retail Embargo is applied on RETAIL publish only, and the Certification Group does not perform testing in RETAIL. We recommend that you set a Retail Embargo date set before you submit your game for certification to prevent delays at Release From Certification (RFC).
Once your product is live in RETAIL, no future content is embargoed. That includes downloadable content (DLC), updates, etc. When configuring this content, be sure to opt-out of Retail Embargo.
Configure Retail Embargo
- Navigate to the product page (either by searching for your product’s name in the top right search box or by finding it on the product group page) and, under Product Configuration, click RETAIL Embargo. Or, in the left navigation menu, click RETAIL Embargo.
- You will be taken to the RETAIL Embargo page. Under the label Limit your product’s social data exposure in RETAIL until a specified date and time (UTC), use the date/time picker to set a date and time for when you want Retail Embargo on your product to end. You set one date/time for all regions. If you want to opt-out of Retail Embargo, check the box next to Opt-out.
Important Content updates to products in RETAIL should opt-out. - Click Save to save your configuration.