XNA Beta 2 released, with a screenshot
Last Wednesday the second Beta was released for XNA, a tool for wannabe game makers. The software is the same as what current developers often use. The new Beta has many added features listed below, and it bridges the gap to getting your games on your 360, as the full release of XNA hits in December.
Extra features now included are overall optimizations, a preview program known as the Xbox 360 Project System that allows game developers to pre-compile their games for the 360 before the full version of XNA launches this December, and better support for importing content created with the most popular 2D and 3D animation software. Pretty good, and helps all of you to create better games I imagine!
The full release in December will be compatible with Vista, for anyone wondering. It’s certainly an exciting time for anyone trying to break into the games industry, as the screenshot below shows exactly what the options are on the 360.
Deployed? It’s not a space shuttle MS
Unfortunately I have no skill in this area at all, but it would be great to see what some people can come up with, and if you’ve created a game that you think we should know about, head over to the forums and tell everyone!
You can download the software here.
Thanks to J1980 for the picture, and the countless others who told us about this!
Hmm, even though I suck at game design I may pick this up…it’d be fun to make my own games and play them on the 360.
I wonder if it supports online gaming. Does anyone know?
I don’t know….I wonder if you can put in your own achievements? That’d be fun.
doubt it, otherwise game designers with this program will have a gamerscore through the roof
I am wondering, will I be able to download homebrew games to my Xbox360 from, just like the marketplace. I won’t be making my own games, but I really like to be able to enjoy other peoples contraptions.
If this is possible, will I be paying for this?
Yeah I think you need a subscription, and to play other peoples games I think they’d need to be burned on a DVD disc, but I agree that I too would like to play other peoples games
The easiest distribution method will be to download the source to your pc from an online hosting site and then deploy it yourself to your 360.
A few of us 360 users have already got together to help each other out with development etc and we’re looking into hosting. Early days yet though.
Just found some nice faq, all answers are there: http://msdn.microsoft.com/directx/xna/faq/
To play those games you will need to pay 99$ a year. There is no XBLA-type of game disctribution, you will need to find game sources in other places, but you can download them from another person in xbox live if I undestood that correctly.
And no, there is no online. Only a local multiplay.
If there was multiplayer I would buy it probably, but without it I dont think 99$ is a good deal…
Over time you might find it worth taking out a six month subscription to the Creator’s Club, multiplayer or not. Once the 360 homebrew scene takes off more and more games will become available. Among them will be some really quality games, or clones of old arcade games that aren’t (or never will be) available on XBLA. If there’s upwards of twenty good games available forking out $50 to deploy them on your 360 might actually be a bit of a bargain.
yeah online multiplay with video feeds would be brilliant. Someone could recreate UNO with about 10 video cams and the explicit card theme deck..lol
i’ve seen atleast 1 wicked homebrew already its a snowboarding scroller over at xbox360homebrew.com… oh oh and their was a wicked looking 3d flight sim as well… both definitly indie made but very sexy for indie developed games
and its just getting started.
Daffy: remember this is version 1.0 of the gse they said they have more expanded stuff planned for in the future but they had to lock a feature set to shoot for … for version 1.0 for this december….
Also your correct their is no path from indie dev in GSE/XNA to retail XBLA game yet… thats what Game Studio Professional is for thats supposed to be coming next year… its the stepping block between the Express version and the full blown XDK for professional indie developers looking to actually sell their titles… but thats coming out in late 2007