XNA: The best thing to happen to hobbyist games developers since free IDE's
I've been looking into XNA more and more lately, having read that it's mandatory to sell your XNA on the 360 rather than offer them for free (presumably because of the infrastructure required to keep it all going) and that the developers get 70% of the sales.
Previously I'd been quite uninterested due to it being a MicroSoft API (ew), uses a MicroSoft designed programming language (ew) and requires a subscription to the "Creators' Club" at $100 a year (ewww.) However, having got over my hump with .NET based shit, C# really does look quite simple and easy, as does XNA. Nothing I've seen of it so far makes it look ZOMFGAWESOMEBESTPLATFORMEVER but it really doesn't look bad and shouldn't take too long to learn. I was going to mess around with it on windows for now and seeing where I go with it before trying it on the 360 but the problem is... I got a free 12 month trial membership to the creators club :D Yup, the Dream.Build.Play competition gives free 12-month trial memberships to everyone who registers then a 4 month Premium Membership (so you can get "premium" content like full game examples, the TorqueX engine, etc.) if you submit an entry before September 28th.
Sooo... very simply API and language, seemingly easy to use content pipeline, a requirement that the indy developers make money if they want their games on the 360, free year trial for just signing up and a platform to springboard into the console gaming industry from. Even though the Xbox Community Games is still in beta form and not publicly accesible yet XNA games are getting quite some coverage, for example IGN are addicted to an XNA game Gymnast.
Previously I'd been quite uninterested due to it being a MicroSoft API (ew), uses a MicroSoft designed programming language (ew) and requires a subscription to the "Creators' Club" at $100 a year (ewww.) However, having got over my hump with .NET based shit, C# really does look quite simple and easy, as does XNA. Nothing I've seen of it so far makes it look ZOMFGAWESOMEBESTPLATFORMEVER but it really doesn't look bad and shouldn't take too long to learn. I was going to mess around with it on windows for now and seeing where I go with it before trying it on the 360 but the problem is... I got a free 12 month trial membership to the creators club :D Yup, the Dream.Build.Play competition gives free 12-month trial memberships to everyone who registers then a 4 month Premium Membership (so you can get "premium" content like full game examples, the TorqueX engine, etc.) if you submit an entry before September 28th.
Sooo... very simply API and language, seemingly easy to use content pipeline, a requirement that the indy developers make money if they want their games on the 360, free year trial for just signing up and a platform to springboard into the console gaming industry from. Even though the Xbox Community Games is still in beta form and not publicly accesible yet XNA games are getting quite some coverage, for example IGN are addicted to an XNA game Gymnast.