Microsoft Unveils XNA Framework, Opens Xbox Live Services
- Thread starter scoopex
- Start date
/optimistic 
It is a good thing, if it's taken on board by a small team of respective and dedicated coders like Introversion.
/pessimistic
It's horrific news too because it's gonna mean you'll get some bunch of idiotic bedroom coders who think they're über-l33t skills can produce the next retro-based pacman clone with HDTV support and 5.1 surround.
It is a good thing, if it's taken on board by a small team of respective and dedicated coders like Introversion.
/pessimistic
It's horrific news too because it's gonna mean you'll get some bunch of idiotic bedroom coders who think they're über-l33t skills can produce the next retro-based pacman clone with HDTV support and 5.1 surround.
Soldato
- Joined
- 21 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 6,496
- Location
- West Sussex
~J~ said:/pessimistic
It's horrific news too because it's gonna mean you'll get some bunch of idiotic bedroom coders who think they're über-l33t skills can produce the next retro-based pacman clone with HDTV support and 5.1 surround.
Thats how most of them started out, they had the tools made the bedroom game and have become what they are now. I personally think its a good thing to encourge new programmers and the likes
XNA can't be used for serious games because of this little problem:
It'll be brilliant for arcade games, but too slow for a serious game. You need C++ due not only to the highly optimised compilers, but the ability to use in-line Assembly and handle memory yourself. In time C# may be fast enough, but for the moment I have my doubts. We're talking about a console here, they don't have the spare power.
It'll be brilliant for arcade games, but too slow for a serious game. You need C++ due not only to the highly optimised compilers, but the ability to use in-line Assembly and handle memory yourself. In time C# may be fast enough, but for the moment I have my doubts. We're talking about a console here, they don't have the spare power.
Presumably other features of XNA can be used even if you don't use the .net stuff. Also it's possible to use C# as a scripting language that will interface with faster C++ code.Boogle said:
I think the ability to use C# is probably aimed at making games for Live arcade. In fact I've been discussing the possibility of publishing a game via Live arcade with some people I've been making a mod with.
~J~ said:/optimistic
It is a good thing, if it's taken on board by a small team of respective and dedicated coders like Introversion.
Ahhh Introversion
I remember having to get a mail order copy of uplink. Darwinia was good but really didn't draw me in, looking foward to defcom. War without all the politics, YAY
OK, think you can do a better job than those that do it for a living?
Get it here...
http://www.microsoft.com/xna/
Get it here...
http://www.microsoft.com/xna/
*Holy thread revival!*
I saw a Channel 9 interview last night with one of the guys that's doing this. It looks pretty good. He showed a pretty good racing game and it was only running on one core.
But I think the worst thing was the subscription. On top of your Xbox Live annual sub, you have to pay the same price again for the 12-month XNA sub. This allows you to compile your own games and run them from the XNA launcher on the 360. Then I guess if they offer other people's games you will need to shell out MS points for those too!
I saw a Channel 9 interview last night with one of the guys that's doing this. It looks pretty good. He showed a pretty good racing game and it was only running on one core.
But I think the worst thing was the subscription. On top of your Xbox Live annual sub, you have to pay the same price again for the 12-month XNA sub. This allows you to compile your own games and run them from the XNA launcher on the 360. Then I guess if they offer other people's games you will need to shell out MS points for those too!
Associate
- Joined
- 27 Jan 2005
- Posts
- 790
- Location
- Newcastle
ic1male said:
At the moment you won't really be able to put games up on Live, you'd have to contact MS and show them your game. They'll probably recieve hundreds, they'll only release the best onto Live and at a fairly limited rate, like one a week.
I went to a presentation on this and although it looked nice for small developers, it's not going to mean a lot to the average consumer.
ic1male said:
No, top play other peoples 'homebrew' you won't have to pay, not unless it gets a publisher and a goes comercial. The money is for the software, the support and to recoup some of the loss leader nature of the hardware.
If you think it is expensive, just remember you get a fair amount of what a full 360 dev kit can do only at 1/100th (litterally) of the price!
Soldato
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 9,378
Video about XNA over here: http://channel9.msdn.com/Showpost.aspx?postid=261254
That's pretty much what I am doing. Going to get some stuff developed and working properly on the PC, then when I am fairly happy with that, subscribe and see how it works on the 360. Although I am thinking it will be later next year rather than earlier.thor said:
It all seems rather restrictive though. The only way anyone else can play your games on the 360 is if they are also subscribers. I think they'll have a major case of too many developers and not enough players. Still, I guess from the MS point of view that's all good - they're training the hobbyists and indie studios how to code for the 360 - for a fraction of the price of getting a dev kit. They'll get new novel games being developed regularly - and probably will put quite a few on the marketplace in the end. How to get the next gen of coders more used to xbox hardware than Sony. Perhaps I am reading too much into this - but MS are definitely playing the long game here.
