XNA Game Studio Beta Opens
Microsoft announced the release of the XNA Game Studio Express Beta release to the public today, opening a new door to homebrew gamers and independent developers that until now has been looked down upon.
The XNA Game Studio is a toolset that opens the protocols and development for Windows and Microsoft’s Xbox360 console. This marks the first time that a console maker is opening it’s secrets up to the hobbyist, student and independent developer to create content for use and delivery. The beta for the tool is available free of charge starting today and the games created with the software can be migrated to the 360 console starting later this year for those who pay a $99 a year subscription fee. A 4 month trial can also be purchased for $49.
Several major university programs have already begun integrating the tool into curriculum plans and beginning summer of next year, DigiPen in Seattle will beging offering game programming workshops to children from 10 through 16, creating a unique opportunity for young children to start on the path to a game development career.
You can download the beta for yourself here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/xna. XNA Studio Professional will be available spring, 2007.
