Indie and Hobbiest Games for Xbox 360

Vailias

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=10458

Im sure 90% of you already read this, but I am extremly happy to hear about this. It's exactly what I was privately wishing for not a month ago. I know I've had ideas best suited to console control and play, but no where near the resources to garner a dev kit.

Now I might actualy be able to make the games in my head for their proper platform!
:dances:

KDR_11k

So everyone taking part in this, either developing or playing, needs to pay 100$ a year?

snemmy

pretty cool of MS to do that.
i'd say im up to a 60% chance of getting a 360 after the Wii .

KDR:
that's less than $10 a month. considering it's almost standard for MMO's to be $15 a month that's a pretty good deal IMO. the big clencher is if it's broken down monthly or a once a year thing.

Toomas

You can develope for free. Only if you want to distribute or play others games you have to pay.
And as i understood the kit lets you make both PC and XBOX games and i guess the PC games you can distribute freely.

Gmanx

The fact that the $99 gives you access to a massive audience for testing and evaluation makes the price worth it.

Kevin Albers

Woot! I think this is a great idea. I had heard that nintendo was going to do something similar, but I'm thrilled that Microsoft is also allowing indies to develop for their console. I'm guessing that Sony will now have to do the same.

Downsizer

Just doing what I do best here... don't expect this to be simple...

As of now, in order to distribute your application/game/whatever, both parties must have the kit and you must transfer ALL of your source files. The recieving party must then compile the game to his xbox for play. So there goes your source code and artwork out the window.

I doubt this will be anything more than hobby, unless the game is picked up by MS etc.

KDR_11k

Having to distribute the source sounds like a great opportunity to put console software under the GPL.

Thegodzero

Hmmm this means i could make a glace 2 for 360 now....

Xenobond

[ QUOTE ]
Hmmm this means i could make a glace 2 for 360 now....

[/ QUOTE ]
That's right. They did say rudimentary.

Dravalen

Pretty cool thing, although the managed languages(C#) only makes for litlle bit of a bummer.

arshlevon

yeah really cool, i hope its simple for artists to develop things. most of the programmers i know are dissing it now becasue the kit dosent give you low level or harware access, but man even if you could just get some guys running around in an enviroment cycling animations with shaders, think of how cool a portfolio that would be, for artists and animators. if microsoft would allow the same access to big console titles like gears of war, i could see huge things comming out of a rejuvenated mod scene. i have always believed the first console to open up to user created content wins an immaculate cresent of gold and silver sent from a devine source through the gateways of eternity in a lightning bolt of infinite power.

Vailias

Yes there are limits on the express edition, much like Visual Studio Express things, but what intreagues me is
"In the meantime, a second XNA toolset named Game Studio Professional, originally scheduled tentatively for an early 2006 release, is now due in spring 2007, and is intended to cater more directly to professionals aiming for Windows and XBLA game releases."
If they price it reasonably, like in the range of Torque or TSE, it could be huge.

Also what is wrong/bad with C#

hawken

yaroze2!

Toomas

Anyways its nothing ultra cool because well if you cant make a game for PC right now, the kit wont most likely help you.