In a presentation held in the Student Union on Sept. 17, representatives from Microsoft introduced a new game development platform that enables anyone with a computer and Internet connection to create and distribute games for PC and Xbox 360.
According to Gus Weber, academic relations manager for Microsoft, the platform - called XNA - is free to download and features complete access to an online code database as well as a drag-and-drop interface, one that minimizes the need to write original code.
"This is a video game development for the masses. Anybody can write games for the Xbox, as opposed to in the past when only triple A studios with million-dollar budgets and many programmers had the capacity," Weber said. "A sign that Microsoft recognizes and embraces the gaming community, XNA is free for all to download."
Weber believes that the biggest draw for XNA is that it allows users to design games for the Xbox 360.
"The number one advantage for XNA is that, with one set of code, you can make a game for both PC and Xbox 360 without worrying about compatibility issues," he said.
According to Weber, though the software is primarily intended for amateur programmers, professional studios such as Garage Inc. have incorporated XNA into the design process.
"Garage Inc., the Xbox arcade games and the Burger King games for Xbox all use XNA," he said. "This just shows the versatility and power of the program."
Weber contended that while XNA does not constitute a technological leap, it has opened game-development opportunities to computer hobbyists around the world. Through its content pipeline, the software allows both companies and individuals to upload original code to an online database. Included in this code library are popular and difficult-to-replicate physics engines such as Havoc and TorqueX.
To create a game, users can download artwork, sound, physics engines and any other needed code from this database. Thus, the program enables the user to create a game from large segments of prefabricated code in a process similar to the assembly of a jigsaw puzzle. This means that the user will never have to build from scratch.
"What makes XNA golden is the content pipeline. It's essentially software that anybody can download - starter kits, graphics, engines. Plus, it does all the basic boilerplate code for you," Weber said. "My 12-year-old son just made his own levels for a game called Space Wars. If he can do it, so can you."
Karthik Kathiresan, a senior computer science major and paid student ambassador for Microsoft, believes that XNA will lend the Xbox 360 a big advantage over its main rivals, the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. It continues a trend set through Internet blogs and online video providers like YouTube to empower the everyday computer user.
"This is the first time in video game history that a game development platform has become available to everyone," Kathiresan said. "I think it revolutionized the way video games are made."
Kathiresan feels that the legions of XNA-powered amateur designers represent a positive trend.
"This opens the door for a lot of people. While it generates many jobs, the video game industry can only hire so many computer science majors interested in making games," he said. "Now, you can create top games without all the equipment and money. You don't have to work at a major studio - you can do it at home."
Both Weber and Kathiresan acknowledge that XNA does come with some financial and technical drawbacks.
"It currently does not support the multiplayer mode and Xbox Live. You can plug in more than one controller but you can't play against someone over the Internet," Weber said. "The 2.0 version that will be released in six to eight months may include this ability."
Kathiresan said that in order to play self-produced games on Xbox hardware, creators will need a subscription to the Xbox creator's club, which will cost $40 to $90 depending on the length of the game's code.
"With a subscription, you can upload your game to Microsoft," Kathiresan said. "After they make sure it's not a virus or malware, you can put it on your Xbox or share it with friends."
Most of the audience at the presentation consisted of computer science majors. Many in attendance viewed the XNA platform as something they could use themselves.
Nicholas Jackson, a senior computer science major, liked the open-source nature of the XNA-facilitated game design process.
"I think it's a powerful open-source software for game development. The advantage is that the program has a higher-level architecture with object-orientated design versus the harder alternatives," he said. "The modularity - the fact that you can use other content from online - is another big bonus."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
