Microsoft to sell game making tools

[Jujubie]

Microsoft to sell game making tools Mon Aug 14, 9:26 AM ET REUTERS


Microsoft Corp. on Monday will announce the availability of software tools aimed at encouraging independent and hobbyist video game makers to create titles for its new Xbox 360 console.

The move from Microsoft, which kicks off its two-day Gamefest video game development conference in Seattle on Monday, comes as the popularity of user-created content on the Internet grows and as the software giant builds a large audience for its Web-connected Xbox Live online service.

Microsoft said its tool kit, called XNA Game Studio Express, will make it easier for enthusiasts to create games to run on Microsoft's next-generation Xbox 360 console or personal computers running its Windows operating system.

A test version of the tool kit will be out by August 30. The final product will be available this holiday season for an annual subscription of $99 (52 1/2 pounds) per year for Xbox 360 game development. The software will be free to people making games to run on Windows.

Microsoft said more than 10 universities, including the University of Southern California and Southern Methodist University, will include XNA Game Studio Express and Xbox 360 development in their fall curricula.

YouTube is a wildly popular Web site featuring videos from ordinary people around the world. Its star has risen as Internet giants Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO - news) and Google Inc. have been investing in user-generated content such as Web logs, known as blogs, and video.

Peter Moore, vice president of Microsoft's interactive entertainment business, said individuals will own the games they create using the tools and that the company will do revenue sharing deals with people who create games for the Xbox 360.

"I'd love to send a royalty check to a kid," said Moore, who added that Microsoft hopes to get the tool kit into high schools.

[Eternus]

That sound you heard was the box of interactive amatuer 3d porn for Xbox360 hitting the shelves made by independent subscribers. Man now anyone can make Xbox360 games it sounds like lol.

[Septimus]

Sounds like Microsoft is trying to take a bite out of Macromedia Flash's userbase.

[Alleya]

Sounds like Microsoft is the only developer trying to bring real innovation into the gaming market.

[Manako]

I think its pretty cool what they are doing, with consoles advancing so much it is very difficult for small/new groups of people to start out doing game dev pretty much you are currently limited to the PC or Gameboy. So who knows, hopefully this will start people developing things that are less mainstream, and stop the market from stagnating.

[Lbelle]

Yeah, I really see nothing wrong with this. It's motivating more creativity into the market imo, and I love that. I hope alot of good comes out of this,and can't wait to see what happens. Good for Microsoft.

[Eternus]

Who said there was anything wrong with this? I know I am looking forward to seeing the output of the segment of the gaming community that gets their hands on these kits and start making games. It isn't like the game industry is overflowing with weird and creative games.

[Raineer]

It just doesn't "feel" right to see mr. gates doing anything that remotely resembles open source/open market/notgivinghimallyourmoney.

[Eternus]

It just doesn't "feel" right to see mr. gates doing anything that remotely resembles open source/open market/notgivinghimallyourmoney.

he retired recently lolz

[Raineer]

It just doesn't "feel" right to see mr. gates doing anything that remotely resembles open source/open market/notgivinghimallyourmoney.

he retired recently lolz

That explains it

[Manako]

Its not the only open source project endorsed by Microsoft. DotNetNuke is developed by a different company but is heavily endorsed by Microsoft, its their answer to PHP Nuke. I am interning at a company that uses DNN, and when I first got here they were all like "are you amazed by the fact that we say open-source and Microsoft in the same sentence?" I don't see the big deal about it, but meh. They do expect you to pay $99 a year for the 360 toolkit, I assume they think they will get alot of hobbyists buying it and not doing much.

I just hope this is better than DNN... DNN is mostly painful.

[Zigma]

Sounds like Microsoft is the only developer trying to bring real innovation into the gaming market.

There is nothing really innovating about this because people have been doing since the early atari 2600. The only difference here is that instead of people having to hack the console, they'll have a low cost SDK that will allow them to create games more easily.


If you ask me, they're doing it for the $.

[Genosync]

Sounds like Microsoft is the only developer trying to bring real innovation into the gaming market.

Wii is the innovation in a console I've wanted for years, susry.

[Haelian]

I'm looking forward to trying out the tools myself for Windows, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's severely limited, much like BYOND.com's game developing tools. Good god, I don't think I can stand another RPGMaker2000.

Maybe this way the internet will have actual games that consume more time than the crap you find at addictinggames.com that are pieced together with code snippets of Java by the kid down the street.

[JoOeetheplatypuS]

Sounds like Microsoft is the only developer trying to bring real innovation into the gaming market.

I lol'd.

[Dein]

Innovation rarely comes out of these sort of programs. It makes for a nice hobby I suppose but unless MS offers some sort of decent pay for well made games no one will just pick this up and try to make a serious game that will bring a huge change to the market.

[Not Kuno]

I expect no less then 20,000 FF7 sequals.

[Groovebox]

A test version of the tool kit will be out by August 30. The final product will be available this holiday season for an annual subscription of $99 (52 1/2 pounds) per year for Xbox 360 game development.

This kind of stuff is always cool, I'm really surprised it's only $99/year for the console kit... I figured it would be more. The thing about this is that the 360 is basically a windows machine, so a lot of people already know how to develop for it. I'll be excited to see what comes from this.

[Elcura]

I'm looking forward to trying out the tools myself for Windows, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's severely limited, much like BYOND.com's game developing tools. Good god, I don't think I can stand another RPGMaker2000.

LOL QFMFT.

That was so the first thing I thought off. Sure there were 1 or 2 good games, but the rest were shit and even the good ones were kinda boring because there was no variety except for the story (and that's pushing it)

[Jujubie]

It just doesn't "feel" right to see mr. gates doing anything that remotely resembles open source/open market/notgivinghimallyourmoney.

He has retired and now is big into philanthropy. He is giving mega millions to fighting AIDS. Hell even Warren Buffet is leaving more than half of his fortune to the Gates Foundation.