Xbox 360 Dev Kits for.... 100 bucks?!?

[Serapth]

This was just reported (http://news.com.com/2061-10797_3-6052255.html) at this years Game Developer Conference. That Microsoft is rumoured to be talking about releasing an XBox 360 developer kit for around 100$.

No idea what limits will be place on the kit, or what it will actually contain. But this could be a HUGE boon for the 360 game library, especially on Live Arcade. How many quirky Katamari type games could end up being created with this lower cost of entry? Plus, if the price rumours about the PS3 devkit costs are true, this could be huge at swaying smaller development houses to the 360 side of things.

Lets just hope MS puts really good QA standards in place so only the best of the best see the light of day. I would hate to see a thousand bejewelled clones flood Live Arcade.

[Zanzibar]

XNA, baby. I'm sure that all it does is allow a network connection between a Windows PC and the 360 - you develop your code on the PC and download it onto the 360 at runtime. There's absolutely no reason why it couldn't happen.

[Serapth]

Well, no technical reasons they couldnt do it. I was thinking more security and logistics issues. Right now limiting the developers is security in and of its self. How many more people will be looking for a software hack if they can get a legit dev kit for 100$?

That said, god I hope MS does it.

[Royal Fool]

Well, it's cheaper than a retail unit so it can't have any of the normal 360 functionality.

[Donut11]

Well, it's cheaper than a retail unit so it can't have any of the normal 360 functionality.

Unless they would be willing to take a lost on a couple of thousand dev kits in order to sell a couple of tens of millions of consoles. Who knows?

[Steve_Erhardt]

Lets just hope MS puts really good QA standards in place so only the best of the best see the light of day. I would hate to see a thousand bejewelled clones flood Live Arcade.
Well, considering how well MS has handled Live in general, and Live Arcade in particular, I'm comfortable believing that they wouldn't just throw up every submission they received.

[Zanzibar]

Pretty sure that the $100 requires you to already have a retail 360 and a (Vista?) PC. All the $100 package will do is include the libraries that will let you download to the 360 via a network connection.

[bapenguin]

Well, considering how well MS has handled Live in general, and Live Arcade in particular, I'm comfortable believing that they wouldn't just throw up every submission they received.

I know for a fact it's something that is going to be heavily moderated. That is how Live separates itself from the PC side of things with shareware and stuff. They want to keep things focused.

[jeffool]

Okay, so, which other EvAvers wanna get together and build some games? :D

(I would also like to announce the formation of the "Buy Jeffool a X360 and Dev Kit Fund!" Inquire within!)

[cppcrusader]

XNA, baby. I'm sure that all it does is allow a network connection between a Windows PC and the 360 - you develop your code on the PC and download it onto the 360 at runtime. There's absolutely no reason why it couldn't happen.

That could definitely be possible. The only thing you need a 360 dev kit for is for the Live features, 360 specific input, etc. Considering that they recently announced they're opening up the Live Server Platform, this $100 dev kit could simply be a Live enabled box that you download code too.

Pretty sure that the $100 requires you to already have a retail 360 and a (Vista?) PC. All the $100 package will do is include the libraries that will let you download to the 360 via a network connection.

That actually makes more sense.

[ElectricMonk]

if they do this i'll be getting a 360 the day they release this.

[Serapth]

if they do this i'll be getting a 360 the day they release this.

To develop on, or because of the added support?

Personally I came inches away from getting a PS2 linux dev kit ( Net Yaroze ) when they were offered, just for hobbiest reasons. The 800$ USD price tag was too much to bite. That said... 100$. Shit, I have wasted that much money on things im much less proud of! :) Plus, if I could find myself a good artist I would actually think about developing a good Live Arcade game, especially if XNA proves to be as sweet as it sounds.

[Chandler]

XNA, baby. I'm sure that all it does is allow a network connection between a Windows PC and the 360 - you develop your code on the PC and download it onto the 360 at runtime. There's absolutely no reason why it couldn't happen.

Piracy could be an issue.

These devkits will probably run with some kind of emulator on the PC, after all, xbox live arcade games dont need that much horsepower.

[Soap]

If some EA reader could just develop an online version of Zombies Ate My Neighbors, I would sign over my first born to him or her.

[askheaves]

This is exciting as hell. I don't generally develop games in my freetime, but this could totally change me over.

As for bejeweled clones, anybody played Crystal Quest yet? or whatever it's called... the one released a week or two ago. I got ANGRY at that game because it was such a cheap knockoff.

[emjoi]

I would Love Console makers to release dev kits to general, non-gaming developers.
Consoles are cheap, easily replaceable, very standardised, hardware.
I'd love to use them in technical situations where a single simple program has to be run.

[Serapth]

What im starting to wonder is if Microsoft would allow non - game software to be developed. Given the 100% broadband + microphone combination, something like Skype could be huge.

At the same time, I kinda hope they dont.

[Zanzibar]

If some EA reader could just develop an online version of Zombies Ate My Neighbors, I would sign over my first born to him or her.
Just so happens....

I'm sitting right across from the guy who designed it. He's my boss.

[askheaves]

I'm thinking about porting our company's software to it now, given the graphics horsepower on it (heavy 3d, not quite a game).

Hey, if you guys want a compile of Descent for the 360, I may be able to talk my work- neighbor into it as he was on the team for 1 and 2.

[Varsity]

If these replies are anything to go by, we're in for one hell of a good time. :)

[Atorak]

If some EA reader could just develop an online version of Zombies Ate My Neighbors, I would sign over my first born to him or her.

What a fantastic, fantastic game. Any truth to the rumor that it's hidden in Oblivion as a mini-game?

[motor]

My guess is that you'll need a retail kit and that this will be some kind of dongle. If it was pure software it would probably be free. A dongle would let them do some more serious security stuff.

[jeffbax]

Might be like, software for your computer and if you code using XNA (so its Windows / 360 only) the code will work on both?

I dunno if they sound like they're giving out an actual machine.

[askheaves]

It has to be almost purely software. There's probably debugging hooks on the box that this dev kit (SDK?) activates for uploading apps to it via network, breakpoints, etc. Perhaps a dongle to go with it, but I'm not sure why that would be necessary (or even useful).

[benig]

I think it would be cool if Live had a DIGG like interface for homebrew games. Everybody can post their games up and once they go through a very simple Quality Assurance test (Does it work, bug-free) that does not take into account the actual entertainment factor of the game. The front page would have games that people find most entertaining, and you can dig through the whole games library if you really want to. It wouldn't have the bullshit of DIGG, because people would actually have to buy the games, so you wouldn't have people purposely digging games that aren't good.

[Paranoia]

I expect to see a lot of Japanese dating sim developers taking advantage of the cheap kits.

[ascl]

I think you guys have missed the point a little here. What does releasing a cheap dev kit do? It destroys the *one* legitimate reason for moding your xbox! In some countries it is currently legal to mod an xbox due to it allowing people to run homebrew software. If there is a cheap dev kit which allows anybody to run homebrew software, there is no reason to mod except for piracy. It makes it much clearer from a legal perspective.

Of course, the benefit is that we can create some funky homebrew, so I see this as a good thing... but I understand MS's motive for doing it (assuming the rumour is true of course). Hopefully XBMC can be ported to XNA and run as home brew!! :-D

[ElectricMonk]

To develop on, or because of the added support?

Personally I came inches away from getting a PS2 linux dev kit ( Net Yaroze ) when they were offered, just for hobbiest reasons. The 800$ USD price tag was too much to bite. That said... 100$. Shit, I have wasted that much money on things im much less proud of! :) Plus, if I could find myself a good artist I would actually think about developing a good Live Arcade game, especially if XNA proves to be as sweet as it sounds.

to develop on.

i also bought the ps2 linux dev kit, and turned it into a media pc like device.

[mister_slim]

As for bejeweled clones, anybody played Crystal Quest yet? or whatever it's called... the one released a week or two ago. I got ANGRY at that game because it was such a cheap knockoff.
Isn't that a port of a 20-year-old Mac game?

[bobbler]

I don't think this is what you think it is.

[Montgomery_Python]

Zombies ate my neighbours was pretty bad. I still have a working copy.

[bivith]

If this transpires, I will bet that it is a sandboxed run-time enironment that only exposes the system functionality at a very high level, to prevent the developer from doing anything too naughty, but still enabling cool games to be made.

[MrMeatshake]

yeah, so we're pretty sure that this is just software to go on your dev. machine? this is a great idea, and makes perfect sense, i guess this is one of the benefits of thier new development environment just running on PCs.

i still hold that ms could do very well indeed if they target the casual/non-hardcore gamer market more with thier live arcade - the price of the HDD 360 is prohibritive, though. they just need a separate (lower) set of hardware requirements for all live arcade games, and a 360 lite (or xbox 180, perhaps ;)) for ~£100... and the rev. would never see the light of day :) actually, i want a rev. scrub that.