Microsoft Releases XBox 360 Homebrew Tools (off topic, but cool!)
I've been waiting a long time for this... Microsoft's following through on a promise for the 360 Sony only gave lip service for on the PSP... but I still hold out hope for Sony's official homebrew kit for our beloved (yes, I used that word) machine.
As of Monday, you can start writing your own games using Microsoft XNA Game Studio Express. The language is C#, so the learning curve isn't as fraught with peril as C++, and many, many .NET developers already know and love C#. Of course, I wonder if you can write the game code in C# and lots of other support code in VB.net, since all the .NET languages are supposed to work with each another. The games you write will run on the XBox 360 *and* Windows PCs, so you can really show of your talent to a very large group!
From the CNet article:
XNA Game Studio Express 1.0 is a framework for creating games with the C# programming language and a content pipeline for incorporating 3D-rich content. It includes libraries of 2D and 3D content that can be applied to games. XNA games can be played on the Xbox 360 itself or a Windows PC. The development tool package is free to download, though a subscription service is required for developers to share the games they create with anyone else with an Xbox 360.
The new tool is part of a push from Redmond to create a YouTube-equivalent for video gamers. Microsoft also plans to release a professional version of XNA Game Studio in 2007 that will allow independent developers to create commercial games.
You can read the entire CNet article here:
http://news.com.com/DIY+games+for+the+Xbox/2100-1043_3-6142658.html?tag=nefd.top
And you can download the XNA Game Studio Express here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/directx/XNA/default.aspx
Have at it!
Best,
-Auri