Microsoft to let players design own games

[wyvrn]

On August 30th, you can download a streamlined version of Microsofts XNA game development program and make games for your PC and XBOX. It looks like some development know-how will be needed, but MS will include a game that beginners can alter. This is a great idea by MS and could lead to a few really good game ideas that wouldn't get produced in the traditional gaming companies.

Story

 

[forfor]

MS > *

 

[Pacemaker]

Microsoft has been successful by helping programmers where they could. This move doesn't supprise me at all. The easier they can make it, the more games get made, the more money they make. From their perspective it's win/win.

They are trying to contrast the PS:3 which costs 20k to get the programming kit and from what I have heard is a pain to program for (and even worse to actually get the most out of it).

 

[cKGunslinger]

Originally posted by: forfor
MS > *

lol?

 

[Tobolo]

Like they need to worry about the PS3. $600? The WII is going to do better than the playstation.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Saw this earlier on /. - you're missing the important part that a $100/yr subscription fee is required to build for the 360. I imagine they have that controlled by making you send the source (or linked objects) to them to be built & signed for 360 usage, and it's a per-subscription key. Interesting point raised there is, will you be required to use Microsoft to distribute any XNA-built games (ie, something in the EULA or whatever that you sign/accept/etc ... also, will they let you build a "run this on anything" executable.

Raises a lot more questions that aren't answered in their FAQ.

- M4H

 

[wyvrn]

Haha this is already turning into a console flamewar thread :roll:

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: Tobolo
Like they need to worry about the PS3. $600? The WII is going to do better than the playstation.

They're fighting for the "underling developer" market. Wii will hopefully have some manner of free/cheap "Virtual Console" sandbox as hinted at in the announcements, and a full devkit is ~$2K. The PS3 is going to have squat for that if Sony's history will repeat itself (that asspoor attempt at the PS2 kit did NOT count), and now there's the 360.

- M4H

 

[bennylong]

XBOX Arcade on the 360 has turned out to be more successful than the 1st Gen XBOX360 game, so I think they are just trying to capture the market for XBOX Arcade. People have no problem paying $5 for games they can download for free.

 

[z0mb13]

damn more and more reasons for me to get a xbox 360!

What are must have games that are not FPS?

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: z0mb13
damn more and more reasons for me to get a xbox 360!

What are must have games that are not FPS?

Dead Rising is the popular game of the moment. It is hard to get online and not see people on your Friend's List playing that. Pretty much all of the XBLA games are great too...Bankshot Billiards being the exception.

 

[Fritzo]

This is a great idea. MS has always helped developers whereever it could. This might lead to games being available that would have otherwise been scuttled by big game publishers.

 

[KarmaPolice]

i rented ping pong the other day...very fun.

 

[forfor]

Originally posted by: KarmaPolice
i rented ping pong the other day...very fun.

that game is so amazing... freaking crazy graphics/controls/movements/effects. i have been playing it every night with some buddies. i always pick liu ping

 

[Thraxen]

I have no game dev skills, so I'll be counting on some of you guys to create some kick ass game I can play on XBLA. Get to work!

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: forfor

Originally posted by: KarmaPolice
i rented ping pong the other day...very fun.

that game is so amazing... freaking crazy graphics/controls/movements/effects. i have been playing it every night with some buddies. i always pick liu ping

mark > *

my favorite part of the game is the club music that comes on after 10 or so hits in a row haha.

 

[wyvrn]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
This is a great idea. MS has always helped developers whereever it could. This might lead to games being available that would have otherwise been scuttled by big game publishers.

That's what I am looking forward to. It's the youtube of games. Mostly mediocre stuff, but then there will be those 1 or 2 that come out of it that really shine.

 

[ImDonly1]

If you can make games... that means you can burn them yourself... that means you can do backups without a mod chip?

 

[BobDaMenkey]

Interesting idea. I kinda like it, and think it's a good move frm MS.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: forfor

Originally posted by: KarmaPolice
i rented ping pong the other day...very fun.

that game is so amazing... freaking crazy graphics/controls/movements/effects. i have been playing it every night with some buddies. i always pick liu ping

mark > *

my favorite part of the game is the club music that comes on after 10 or so hits in a row haha.

This game hurts my thumbs. Seriously, I haven't had a game hurt my thumbs like this since the SNES days.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: ImDonly1
If you can make games... that means you can burn them yourself... that means you can do backups without a mod chip?

Right, because Microsoft hasn't thought of that. :roll:

1) Most likely you'll have to load the games via broadband. Logical assumption that anyone with an XP rig and a 360 has a LAN.
2) Unless someone at Microsoft smoked a LOT of crack, they will probably not be distributing a program capable of generating a signed 360 executable. I suppose you could reverse-engineer enough from making minor changes to the source code to make attempts at the key ... but as I mentioned before, it's probably per-machine or at least per-subscription.
3) It's L33t Ju4r3z Do0dZ like you that f**k up the development/homebrew fun for the rest of us. Knock it off.

- M4H

 

[Queasy]

XNA Team Blog

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: Queasy
XNA Team Blog

That actually answers a few good questions.

Following the path we explored at GDC when we gave away the source code and art to the game MechCommander, we will continue to give away working examples of games that can run on either platform. You?ll be able to get the first one when you download the (windows only) beta of the tools in September.

Free demo game included. Hack away.

Running unsigned code on your Xbox 360 will require a yearly subscription of $99.00.

orly.gif "Unsigned code" eh? That's pretty broad. I somehow doubt it'll run anything you throw at it. Sounds like it'll be a "compile every time" thing, from below:

When we ship XNA Game Studio Express this fall, you will be able to share your final product with anyone on your windows machine that you want, but there is no support for sharing Xbox binaries other than sending your source around.

Because they're not letting the 360 code-signing algorithm out of the building, lest there be Chinese silvers of 360 games running around for pennies on the dollar.

- M4H

 

[forfor]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: forfor

Originally posted by: KarmaPolice
i rented ping pong the other day...very fun.

that game is so amazing... freaking crazy graphics/controls/movements/effects. i have been playing it every night with some buddies. i always pick liu ping

mark > *

my favorite part of the game is the club music that comes on after 10 or so hits in a row haha.

This game hurts my thumbs. Seriously, I haven't had a game hurt my thumbs like this since the SNES days.

why? it doesn't hurt my thumbs

 

[Sheep]

Originally posted by: Queasy
Pretty much all of the XBLA games are great too...Bankshot Billiards being the exception.

Bankshot Billiards would be great if it were $5 and not $15.

Re: MS's plan--it should be quite interesting to see how this plays out. Now all those gamers with a coding background who once said "I could do a better job of this" can actually try to do so. I just hope some of the better games are made available to the public once they've been tested to make sure there's no system-killing glitch (intentional or not) in the code.