Calling All Hobbyists
Microsoft's just released two projects that look pretty cool. If I only had some extra time on my hands….
First up is XNA Game Studio Express, which hit v1.0 yesterday after the program was first unveiled at Gamefest mid-August (with a beta toolset release at the end of that same month and a second beta at the beginning of November). The basic package is Windows-only (compile and run) and free. For $99 per year (or, alternatively, a four-month trial for $49), you get access to sample artwork, technical support, and source code, and you can also play your masterpieces on your or other Creators Club members' Xbox 360 consoles.
Frankly, I'm not quite sure why Microsoft is charging for this, except perhaps as a 'seriousness' filter to increase the program's SNR. I mean, they'll probably get some great Xbox Live Arcade titles out of it….anyhoo, Ars Technica has a nice writeup, and I'd recommend you use Xbox 360 News to post announcements regarding your XNA-developed titles as well as peruse your peers' projects.
If robots are more your thing, check out the Microsoft Robotics Studio, which was also released yesterday. Non-commercial applications can use the toolset for free; revenue-generating development incurs a $399 licensing fee for each 200 copies of the runtime component set. They've even got a blog. Here's what Slashdot thinks.
