XNA Game Studio Express FAQ not entirely worthless
Ever since Microsoft announced their intentions to open up the stage and let any tonedeaf buffoon grab a microphone and engage in the game developing equivalent of drunken karaoke, gamers and hobbyists have been asking questions. Frequently. That's largely the reason the delectable acronym sandwich and informative document, XNA Game Studio Express FAQ, exists for all to peruse and to briefly summarize on video game blogs. The important questions with matching answers:
What's in the XNA Game Studio Express package?
We'll tell you. XNA Game Studio Express is comprised of the XNA Framework, a stash of managed code development libraries which is intended to increase productivity, and the XNA Framework Content Pipeline, a collection of tools designed to aid in adding 3D content to games. Included documentation, how-to's and starter-kits help you come to grips with the basics.
Can I make a commercial Xbox 360 game with it?
Only if said game is actually about commercials, possibly a Joe in the Fast Lane take on the exciting life of a marketing mastermind. In fewer words: no. You can sell Game Studio Express titles for Windows, but you'll need Game Studios Professional (available next Spring) to hawk your goods on the Xbox 360.
Isn't this just another annual Xbox 360 fee I have to pay?
You and your entitlement complex don't have to do anything. XNA Game Studio Express for Windows is free. If you want to create, share and play custom Xbox 360 games, however, you need to sign up to a "Creator's Club" subscription through Marketplace for $99 annually or $49 for four months. It's your choice.
Speaking of choice, I just switched to Mac OSX.
No.
I haven't even asked the question yet!
XNA Game Studio Express will only be available on the Windows and Xbox 360 platforms.
Fine. When does the beta of this thing come out?
It'll be released on 30 August, 2006.
Tell me, why doesn't the beta release support Xbox 360 games?
"Microsoft does not release beta software on the Xbox 360 for security reasons."
And yet Call of Duty 2 was a launch game. BURN!
Your mother uses DVORAK.
Do I need a hard drive to run this stuff, or can I use a memory card?
You must have a hard drive -- a memory card will not suffice.
But then, how do I share my masterpieces with my friends?
There are four requirements that must be met before you can share games with these hypothetical "friends" of yours:
The individual you are planning to share the game with must be logged in to Xbox Live and have an active subscription to the XNA Creators Club.
The receiving user must have downloaded the XNA Framework runtime environment for the Xbox 360.
The receiving user must have XNA Game Studio Express installed on their own development PC.
The game project, including all source and content assets, must be shared with the receiving user. The receiving user then compiles and deploys the game to their Xbox 360.
What if I don't want to make games?
You could make non-gaming applications for Windows easily enough, but the jury's still out on whether or not you'll be able to do so for Xbox 360.
Has the jury made up its mind up about minimum hardware requirements for running Game Studio Express?
A Direct3D 9.0 graphics card with Shader 1.1 support is the minimum, though Shader 2.0 support is recommended.
Does the jury know anything about Xbox Live functionality in the games I make?
Look, there is no jury. It's a figure of speech. And no, Game Studio Express creations will not be able to network with anything -- yet.
I bet they can network with your mom.
This is juvenile. Neither of us actually exist. We are nothing more but imaginary vehicles for relaying information in a simple and entertaining way.
It was pretty stupid.
Now that, we can agree on.
