Also, Walking Dead's episodic format was at risk by Microsoft's XBLA release policy, where publishers are given slots that they can have, and you don't get any

Also, Walking Dead's episodic format was at risk by Microsoft's XBLA release policy, where publishers are given slots that they can have, and you don't get any more (think like airstrip use at an airport). So they had to end-run it by having each episode as DLC, rather than getting a new announcement and a stand-alone program. Microsoft's old policies were workable but obnoxious. Instead of opening things up, they're making it worse. Nuts.