Free Xbox 360 Game Dev Tool!

[AzBat]

Big news out of Microsoft's GameFest...

Microsoft Invites the World to Create Its Own Xbox 360 Console Games for the First Time

<SNIP>

During his keynote presentation today at Gamefest 2006, a Microsoft® game developer event hosted by Microsoft in Seattle, Chris Satchell, general manager of the Game Developer Group at Microsoft, announced details of the new technology, which will be broadly available this holiday season. XNA Game Studio Express will be available for free to anyone with a Windows® XP-based PC and will provide them with Microsoft’s next-generation platform for game development. By joining a “creators clubâ€￾ for an annual subscription fee of $99 (U.S.), users will be able to build, test and share their games on Xbox 360â„¢ and access a wealth of materials to help speed the game development progress.

<snip>

Source: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/aug06/08-13XNAGameStudioPR.mspx

Other articles...

USA Today Microsoft to let players design own games


One word: WOW

Tommy McClain

 

[DudeMiester]

Well this doesn't surprise me, given how Sony intends to make the PS3 just as open. Although, I don't think there is a yearly fee with them, just no tech support or high-level libraries. Since MS is supplying an "express" edition, I think it's safe to assume that it won't have the super fancy libraries either. Still, it'll likely be better then what Sony has to offer.

If I was going to buy a 360, I'd give it a go.

 

[AzBat]

More reports...

Gamespot: Microsoft unveils 'anybody' XNA

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Software Notebook: Xbox offers do-it-yourself games

Gamasutra: BREAKING: Microsoft To Enable User-Created Xbox 360 Games

C|Net News.com: Play your own Xbox game

Ars Technica: With Game Studio Express, Microsoft wants you to be a game developer


Looks like it comes with a free game called Spacewars and you can customize it all you want. Later you'll be able demo and sell your games on Xbox Live!

 

[one]

How far will hardware access be allowed? Will it be possible to use a mouse and a keyboard for non-game applications?

 

[AzBat]

Well this doesn't surprise me, given how Sony intends to make the PS3 just as open. Although, I don't think there is a yearly fee with them, just no tech support or high-level libraries. Since MS is supplying an "express" edition, I think it's safe to assume that it won't have the super fancy libraries either. Still, it'll likely be better then what Sony has to offer.

If I was going to buy a 360, I'd give it a go.

Looks like the $99/year subscription fee is for development sources:

By joining a “creators clubâ€￾ for an annual subscription fee of $99 (U.S.), users will be able to build, test and share their games on Xbox 360â„¢ and access a wealth of materials to help speed the game development progress.

I haven't read anything where it says that's required, but it could be.

As for libraries, GarageGames has provided a few:

In addition, GarageGames, technology provider and developer of one of the most successful Xbox Live® Arcade titles, “Marble Blast Ultra,â€￾ has migrated both its Torque Shader Engine and new Torque Game Builder 2-D visual game designer over to the XNA Game Studio Express platform.

Also Autodesk is allowing the use of it's FBX file exchange format.

We'll know more when we're able to download a beta of the free tool on August 30. Final version will be available by "this holiday season". Another XNA tool geared toward professionals should be available by "spring 2007".

Tommy McClain

 

[LightHeaven]

More reports...

Gamespot: Microsoft unveils 'anybody' XNA

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Software Notebook: Xbox offers do-it-yourself games

Gamasutra: BREAKING: Microsoft To Enable User-Created Xbox 360 Games

C|Net News.com: Play your own Xbox game

Ars Technica: With Game Studio Express, Microsoft wants you to be a game developer


Looks like it comes with a free game called Spacewars and you can customize it all you want. Later you'll be able demo and sell your games on Xbox Live!

Are you sure about that? i thought you would depend on some publisher to bank and promote your games's way to live...

EDIT: Nevermind, just saw on gamespot, they will release a pro version, wich will have license to sell games...

 

[Colourless]

This is pretty damn cool and I guess it means Microsoft are now very sure of the platforms security that they will be willing to allow people to run arbitrary code to run on it. I'm definately going to be checking it out. Of course IMO requiring people to pay the $99 subscription fee to play the content is double dipping.

Oh and BTW the GarageGames Troque engines can be thought of as being Indie "Middleware" rather than as "libraries".

 

[Graham]

I for one am *very* eager to get my grubby little mits on this. Ooooo yes

MMM targetting my engine for multicore was a good idea.

I'll make a bold prediction that at the end of this console cycle live arcade will have 5,000-10,000 games avaliable

XNA overview video (150mb)
XNA advanced features video (60mb)
XNA build tutorial (17mb)
(edit, it seems these videos are old...)

 

[-=P3tRaN=-]

wow! it sounds cool

 

[A176]

As I understand it, the $99 service gives you access to some kind of MSDN/Wiki type of community with official MS support, as well as gives you the ability to have your game officially distributed by MS.

So far, I cant image what would be stopping a user from distributing windows apps for free on the interweb on their own, as you can use Visual Studio to create the game.

 

[Rodéric]

Interesting, I wonder if I'll have the time and will to port my engine to the 360 just for fun ^^

 

[Inane_Dork]

This was unexpected. I've been rather surprised of late how MS isn't tooth and nail fighting open source anymore. They're not fully behind it, but they are making inroads in a few strategic places.

That said, I doubt this will have more affect than PR.

 

[Titanio]

Really good news, I was hoping they'd announce something like this when there was word of an announcement going around at Gamefest.

As I understand it, the $99 service gives you access to some kind of MSDN/Wiki type of community with official MS support, as well as gives you the ability to have your game officially distributed by MS.

As I understand it, initially at least, your game will only be available to others in the 'club'. I doubt MS is going to put anyone and everyone's code onto Arcade If they were going to distribute it on Arcade, though, I wouldn't view it as a priveledge to pay for, but something they should pay you for!

So far, I cant image what would be stopping a user from distributing windows apps for free on the interweb on their own, as you can use Visual Studio to create the game.

I'm sure it'll be open on the PC side.

Well this doesn't surprise me, given how Sony intends to make the PS3 just as open.

It should be quite a bit more open, if it's just PS2Linux, but now everyone has it. But I'd like to see info on any technical restrictions for both.

 

[Gubbi]

As I understand it, initially at least, your game will only be available to others in the 'club'. I doubt MS is going to put anyone and everyone's code onto Arcade If they were going to distribute it on Arcade, though, I wouldn't view it as a priveledge to pay for, but something they should pay you for!

I'm sure there'll be some kind of screening to ensure a certain level of quality.

Still, a great way to get garage games back in action.

Cheers

 

[patsu]

Cool ! I'll check it out when it's released. This fits MS's strategy much better.

 

[Demirug]

If you want to be an early adopter Tom Miller's blog contains a link to the connect beta programm for the XNA Studio Express.

 

[NavNucST3]

This is what I would call a "big" announcement. I currently already use Torque and have been trying XNA off and on for a little while. The combination of the two and other libraries is great for those of us with tiny teams. $99/year is cheap when compared to say my Apple Select membership, $500/year.

I'm going to be doing a little more reading and might even listen to the MN podcast as apparently there is an announcement on there as well.

 

[AzBat]

If you want to be an early adopter Tom Miller's blog contains a link to the connect beta programm for the XNA Studio Express.

XNA Game Studio Express Beta 1


XNA Game Studio Express is a new offering targeted at students and hobbyists for game development.

XNA Game Studio Express Beta 1 will contain the following:

A version of the XNA Framework targeting Windows development only.
Documentation, how-to’s and kits that demonstrate how best to utilize the XNA Framework.
Fully documented and playable starter-kits that demonstrate end-to-end how to build a game using the XNA Framework.
Beta 1 will be available in late August/early September.

https://connect.microsoft.com/site/sitehome.aspx?SiteID=226


As for them allowing users to demo and sell their own creations, I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft offered a new brand on Xbox Live for it's distribution. They've already hinted that Live Arcade is not really organized well for the amount of titles they will releasing by the end of the year. So maybe they will have a Garage section on the dashboard or Marketplace? Would kinda go with the idea they had for allowing users selling their own content or merchandise on Live.

The biggest question is: Will Microsoft make money on games developed using the free tool? And if so, how much? Sounds like to me they might be taking a page straight from eBay's book. A small listing fee or percentage for each game wouldn't be such a big deal, no?

Tommy McClain

 

[patsu]

Hmm... it can be a consumer-to-consumer marketplace too so MS doesn't have to incur too much cost and be responsible for quality assurance (i.e., buyers beware). They can still take a cut from each transaction.

 

[_xxx_]

I'll make a bold prediction that at the end of this console cycle live arcade will have 5,000-10,000 games avaliable

Of which 4500-9500 will be crap. But still better than nothing, there I agree. Might still be some jewels there.