GDC: Microsoft might offer cheap 360 devkits
Straight from the GDC floors comes the rumor via CNET News that Microsoft will announce cheap Xbox 360 development kits on Wednesday. Over the last year Microsoft has repeatedly expressed concerns about game development becoming too expensive for casual developers like the Arcade game studios.
The development kit would allow anyone to build games for the console and PC’s, and could be priced as low as $100. As with the old C64 and Amiga days, when anyone with a $10 shareware program could develop whatever they wanted, this could mean a huge upsurge of ‘homebrew’ games if it turns out to be true. Especially Xbox Live Arcade could profit immensely from opening up this huge untapped source of quality developers.
Ironically, Xbox 360 firmware hacker Robinsod mentioned in our exclusive interview yesterday: “If MS would sell me a home developers XDK that allows me the opportunity to write code for what is a fantastic piece of kit then I would have no reason or excuse for doing this. […] I doubt a copy of VC++ and a key to sign homebrew for execution from DVD+R needs to be expensive.” When contacted about this new rumor, his first response was “OH YEAH!!!!!” Did Microsoft just find the perfect way to stop hackers trying to breach their console security?
As usual, Microsoft representatives declined to comment on rumors and speculation.
Good To See Microsoft Supporting Devs Like This!
Sure Loads Of Homebrew Games Will Start Appearing On Marketplace If This Is True!
Still Dont See It Reducing 360 Hacking Thou
jok3r: the good hackers are just in it for the challenge to breach security and to get homebrew working on this power machine. If you take away half their reasons, you take away half the hackers.
Thing is, the good hackers are not in the game for piracy, the modding community mainly relies on crooks depending on the good guys’ research to capitalize on it. Less real hackers automatically means less crooks in this case.
Yer I Understand They Hack Because Its A Challenge… But Lets Face It Thats Only A Small Percentage!
And If This Hack Is As Easy As Some People Say It Is Im Sure People Will Result To This As It Will Be Cheap, Download Own Games Etc Meaning Less Money For Game Developers
But Theres Nuthin I Can Do But Buy The Games I Want And That Deserve My Money
j0k3r360 please, for all that is holy, please don’t start every single word with a capital letter! It’s even worse than writing in all capital letters.
lol Mattias. I was thinking the same thing while reading that!
Cheap dev kits can only mean good things for the consumer, in my oppinion.
Sorry people
Just habit i guess lol, there from now on ill write normal like this
Cheers, must say it was also getting on my nerves
Thanks j0k3r360. We love you already
WhAt HaPpEnS iF i WrItE lIkE tHiS?
I’d consider entering your IP address in our firewall as “do not respond to any traffic originating here”