Xbox Live programming for the Masses

[Scull]

Today Microsoft announced that they will be releasing a scaled down version of the XNA Framework called XNA Game Studio Express. XNA Game Studio Express will run $99 a year.

"It's going to allow very talented individuals to actually be able to do a game in a few weeks instead of taking years and spending millions of dollars," said Richard Doherty, research director at the Envisioneering Group.

Learn more about it here (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MICROSOFT_GAME_SOFTWARE?SITE=NVREN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT).

[Dracula-X]

Microsoft++;

[shnastybiznastic]

Let me be the first to say that having to pay $99 a year won't make me any more likely to make a game, hell I spend most of my programming time messing around to see what works right. Who's going to mess around when every second they arent making something is a second that costs money.

If they want to get the "Casual Programmer" market, they need to use the open source model. Get tons of documentation and helpish code, and tell people to go wild. Run executables in a jail to keep them from using it in ways you don't like (or don't do that and get points with the fanbase), and use a Subversion system to keep everyone who is subscribed to a certan game's content up to date. Shit, just having the ability to turn to half the fucking internet for help is a plus.

Microsoft++;
They already have that, it's called .NET!

[Baron Samedi]

Great news! Let's hope Nintendo follows suit.

[[VSK]BadCRC]

Great news! Let's hope Nintendo follows suit.

Even better, Nintendo sells you whole development kit for $2,000.

[NeoSuplex]

Actually, the tools are free to download and it's free to release a game on the PC. It only costs money if you want your game downloadable over XBox Live I believe.

That said, I really like this: it's exactly the type of thing to boost creativity in console games. It makes homebrew games very accessible to casuals w/out them having to hunt them down on obscure sites. The only downside I can see is: why pay for something to release on the 360 when you can do it for a PC for free? Hopefully the Advanced Pack will come with access to the Creator Club at least.

[Rafer]

So it's sorta like the Net Yaroze all over again?

[Siraris]

Sounds a lot like what Sony announced at E3 this year.

[NeoSuplex]

Whachu talkin' bout, Sir?

[Deathbane27]

Edit: Disregard, but leaving up. More released information indicates you won't be able to host any commerical games with this... I can't find any point in paying to share these games with other devs on the 360.

The only downside I can see is: why pay for something to release on the 360 when you can do it for a PC for free?

File servers, bandwidth, payment collection infrastructure, and copy protection aren't free. Microsoft still takes a cut of each sale, but it sounds like this $99 annual covers the hosting on Xbox Live Marketplace.

[mandarin]

Random tidbits:

The beta will be PC only.

The release version at the end of the year will allow deployment to Xbox 360. To do this, you need a 360 retail console with a Creator's Club membership activated. You basically dump code from the PC to the Xbox 360 over your local network with a "send to 360" mechanism.

You can run other projects this way--fellow developers just send you their project via email, web, burned CD, whatever, and you load it on your PC and dump it to your 360.

MS is planning on some kind of Live Marketplace distribution next year (think "Creator's Arcade" alongside Live Arcade). They're working out details for how to handle submissions to make sure they're not broken, malware, or infringing material, and how to distribute them to end users.

So, in short, this won't allow distribution to end users with normal 360 consoles for quite some time. Still rather amazing, though!

[Xerxes]

I think alot of things like this won't take off until later. You won't see the goods for a while.

[Captain Awesome]

Oh wow, this sounds very, very interesting.

[soco]

so i guess the rumours floating around earlier this year were true, after all.

my only question is whether or not this is the binaries are compiled into .NET code, or whether it's native code. i'd hope that if it's native we see a new XBMC like player available soon after it all gets settled, so that we can finally play xvid/divx videos :D

i'd also like to port my emulator there :)

unfortunately, i'm betting on a sandboxed .NET app and not like managed C++.

[Demo_Boy]

1. This is crazy awesome.
2. Minter, YOU CAN NOW MAKE TEMPEST 2000 for XBL!!!
3. The Garagegames guys can now port ZAP! for XBL!!! OMG!!
4. The Garagegames guys just had their market drop out from underneath themselves.

5. Viruses on X360, it is the future!! Pop up ads while you are playing Call of Duty 2!

[Frogleg Special]

Masses don't like to program. They only want to play games.

[NeoSuplex]

Tell that to the thousands of people that make Mods and games every day. I bet they'll get a kick out of it.

To Demo: If what Mandarin said is true, MS will filter anything they decide to put on Creator's Arcade or w/e. Hopefully they'll be doing more than just killing emulators and the like.
I'm willing to bet that the 'Load to XBox' feature could be put to some use though...