XNA Game Studio 2.0 coming tomorrow, includes LIVE support

by Ross Miller { Dec 12th 2007 at 10:50PM }

Aspiring game developers using Microsoft's free-to-use XNA development toolkit will be happy to know than an upgraded version, Game Studio 2.0, will be released early tomorrow, December 13. The new version sports a reported fifteen new features, among them online play through Microsoft's LIVE system.

According to the press release, "The new version ... includes the ability to create online, cross-platform multiplayer games for Xbox 360 and Windows using Xbox LIVE and Games for Windows - LIVE, respectively." We think that means cross-platforms games and multiplayer games, not cross-platform play for Xbox 360 owners wanting to duke it out with their Windows cohorts - sorry, folks, go ahead and add that to your wishlist of Studio 3.0 features. Matchmaking features, however, are integrated.

XNA Game Studio 2.0 "fully supports game development with all versions of the Microsoft Visual Studio product line." View the entire list of new features here.

Tags: BreakingNews, microsoft, vista, windows, xna, xp

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Smoke_Dawg_187 @ Dec 12th 2007 11:01PM

I gots to learn me how to make some of these kewl games.

JonFitt @ Dec 13th 2007 10:19AM

Yeah. Everyone here should:
1) try it
2) fail to produce anything
3) give up because making games is harder than you think
4) quit giving developers such a hard time

It can be a learning experience.

YukshiSmart @ Dec 12th 2007 11:03PM

can't wait until they have a flash version to play the games. I hate downloading windows products, they should do something like titanstrike or kongregate for their games.

goldfire @ Dec 12th 2007 11:19PM

Since XNA is little more than an interface to DirectX, this is pretty darn unlikely.

Jdaman @ Dec 13th 2007 1:26AM

If you guys would read the article you linked to you would know that cross platform multiplayer play is indeed included with the update to 2.0

Obie @ Dec 12th 2007 11:08PM

Can anyone name a single XNA game that is any good?
Beuller? Beuller?

gonk @ Dec 12th 2007 11:49PM

i've never even heard of any made with it

Marc Federico @ Dec 13th 2007 3:27AM

actually a lot of xbla games are made in XNA. The torque engine was created with it and is available from GarageGames, so you can figure any GarageGames game is derived from XNA (Marble Blast Ultra is probably the most popular, and is real fun. check it out for $5 on the Marketplace). with this networking component built in, xna is going to definitely take off much more than before. also, remember this stuff is all totally free for windows and xbox 360 development, it just costs $100 for a year of the game creator membership to allow the porting and running of the game on the xbox 360. also, microsoft is going to add a section into the dash for user created content soon for subsribers. think of it as the youtube of game development. great stuff, ms is heading in the right direction with this.

DvsDevise @ Dec 13th 2007 5:11AM

The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lscKqMsnpJY

Looks amazing. Coming to Xbox Live Arcade next year.

JonFitt @ Dec 13th 2007 10:41AM

The Torque Game Engine was not created with XNA.
It has evolved from the engine used for Tribes 2 in 2001. It is akin to the Unreal Engine or Source Engine.

They have used XNA to create the Torque X 2D engine thingy, but that's not what Marble Blast used.

XNA is really just a framework of useful tools to make modern game design more accessible, and not an "game engine".
It gives you a leg up and helps with the basics that every game engine needs.

It is a definite help for small indie developers, but will in no way turn every drooling xbox owner into a game creator.

If you used to make little games years ago but have found it hard to produce anything using DirectX because games nowadays are vastly more complicated, then it should help.

a ham sandwich @ Dec 12th 2007 11:41PM

i think xna's got a lot of potential. i look forward to see what people do with the features in this update.

James Lhi @ Dec 12th 2007 11:57PM

honestly does anyone care about XNA anymore?

Negativecool @ Dec 13th 2007 12:04AM

:WARNING - Off topic rant:

Ugh, marketing makes mental midgets of us all. Microsoft has "XNA." And now Sony has its new "HDNA" campaign. For god sakes, pick a new scientific principle to base your marketing on and quit destroying the beauty of deoxyribonucleic acid!

I'm also tired of the word "Fusion" on everything from razors, to drinks, to cars!

Get different buzz words and new marketing strategies!!

/end rant.

Can't wait to see what real creativity can come up with using this.

monkeymonkeymonkey @ Dec 13th 2007 12:40AM

How do you get the games on your Xbox 360?

Marc Federico @ Dec 13th 2007 3:35AM

you can download anyone's source code/assets from the internet if it is publicly available, and then you just have to open the project and compile it on your machine to run it in windows. to run it on the xbox 360 you have to subscribe to the XNA Creator's Club for $100 a year. this is an amazing price for allowing development on the 360, as normal dev kits are in upwards of thousands of dollars.

doobiwan @ Dec 13th 2007 1:21AM

I'm not so sure that's a misinterpretation of the XBL network interop. Remember Shadowrun, UNO and the forthcoming Universe at War and Huxley are all cross platform playable and are all Live! based, so the platform supports it.

Also consider MS desperately wants to justify "games for windows" and legitimising it by opening it up to the community makes a lot of sense.

Anyway, it'll be out in a day or two then someone can do a quick proof.

I love XNA, I think it's the single most awesome technology for game dev hobbiests. I would never have even considered trying to develop games before it came out. Now I can evan have delusions of grandeur of one day having a console release ;)

Yubastard @ Dec 13th 2007 8:03AM

"Networking in the XNA Framework supports both the Windows and Xbox 360 platforms. Multiplayer games can even work across the two platforms. "

that's what they say, I'm itching to try it out!

rokerovakero @ Dec 13th 2007 1:37AM

Yeah, why use common languages like flash, java, C++, and even windows when you can use XNA and never get your game approved to be released to customers? I went to a developers convention here in my town and Microsoft was promoting their stuff but everything sums up as getting your game to people will be very very unlikely, but they might hire you (you wish) or buy your idea.

what a joke.

Kite @ Dec 13th 2007 7:37AM

Dude, XNA is an extra framework on top of C#. In other words, Language is C#. Extra predefined functions are in the framework.

Secondly, flash is not a language(as is your 'windows - language'). Actionscript is a 'language' in the broad sense of the word.

And finally, what do you think the goal is with making xna free (for pc) or as cheaply as possible (for xbox 360). Microsoft stated that they plan to build up a community of developers. This is a very good idea I think, since it makes work of bringing coders and designers together in one community. It makes games development more accessible.

I can only see good things spawn from this. I'll be watching this with my hopes up.
By the way, I do recommend at least trying it if you are interested. Try the course 'Make a game in 60 inutes'. It gives you a good start in how the overall feel of xna is.

Yubastard @ Dec 13th 2007 8:07AM

well, it's easier to pitch your work if you have a demo. don't be so pessimistic...

if you want to make a commercial game, go buy yourself a shiny new $375,000 Unreal Engine or CryEngine and publish it for Windows...

we use XNA so we can learn, most of all...

JonFitt @ Dec 13th 2007 11:12AM

It is not "as cheaply as possible" on the 360. The reason for need for the subscription is to provide a hurdle to make sure that games deployed to the 360 are done so for hobbyist reasons only. You can't sell your game you have produced and tried on your 360
(everyone who wants to use it needs a subscription and a windows pc with xna on it to compile and deploy your source code). You'd have a hard time even giving it away.

The most you're likely to achieve is swapping it with other XNA users, and for your own personal enjoyment.

Microsoft has control over every game available on the 360. If they like your game there may be a way to get it into XBLA but don't hold your breath.

On the PC though it's all gravy, Microsoft has never had any control over PC software so you can compile and sell XNA games. Hey, and if it takes off and becomes the next Uplink/Geometry Wars, you might get a request to make it an XBLA title...

rokerovakero @ Dec 13th 2007 2:30PM

I'm glad some people like it. it means there's a market for it. Whatever my opinion about it, Microsoft isn't going to stop developing it. I just rather see something that doesn't shut the door in your face after spending time with like more common languages.

And by flash and windows as language it's about making games, you don't a complex coding language to make a game. simple stuff does sell also, even if it's embedded in a html...

Marc Federico @ Dec 13th 2007 3:29AM

XNA is actually just an internal joke. its a recursive acronym standing for XNA is Not an Acronym in the same manner as GNU, etc.

Nate @ Dec 13th 2007 8:53AM

Damn you Microsoft for making such a cool and accessible game development platform! How am I supposed to resist the lure of buying an XBox if you keep tempting me with the ability to make my own games?!?!

Arg if only their hardware didn't suck so much.... the day Microsoft releases a reliable and stable XBox 360 is the they finally get my money.