Game Development and XNA - Part I

Charles BihisMicrosoft Student Partner

Why Should We Care About Gaming?

• How many of you…– Play Video Games?– Would like to build a game?– Have built a game?

• What makes video games fun?– The Art– The Interactivity– The Sound

So what’s the holdup…?

• Why can’t we just start making a really great full-feature game?– Games are Complex and Expensive

$10 MillionMillion$40 MillionMillion

XNA Game Studio Express

Introducing the Future…Make it YOUR game!

A sample of what XNA offers..

What is XNA? The Ten Thousand foot view• A new game development platform based

on .NET 2.0 framework and direct X• An extension of the Visual C# 2005 Express

Edition IDE• A cross-platform set of libraries optimized for

games• Provides community for novice and

professional gamers to interact and share ideas, code and vision.

So what do you need to make it YOUR game?

Have the Vision

Create the Code

Create the Art

Make it Fun

How much is it?

Free…No Creators

Club required

99$/yr for a creators

Club membership

Ready to Get Started?

XNA Resources

• XNA Creators Club– http://www.microsoft4me.com/xna

• XNA Team Blog Site– http://blogs.msdn.com/xna/

• TorqueX– http://www.microsoft4me.com/xna

How can I put my Gaming Skills to the Ultimate Test?How can I Change the Environment?How can I get my Game onto Microsoft Xbox Live Arcade?I can make it MY game……The Microsoft Imagine Cup, Game

Design Challenge

What is the Game Development Invitational• Competition of 1-4 students

working to create a serious game to the theme of “Enabling a sustainable Environment for all”

• Conceive, test, and build your serious game using Microsoft’s XNA Game Studio Express

• Winners will have an opportunity to present their entry to the Microsoft games management team as a download in the popular Xbox LIVE Arcade service

The details…• Round 1 Begins: September 1st 2007 all Submissions must be received by

February 1st 2008. – Top 160 teams move onto Round 2– Game Demo, (Vertical Slice) - Submissions should have at least one playable level that

reflects what gameplay and features will be like in the finished version. – A design summary. briefly describe the game premise and unique gameplay features.

• Round 2 Begins February 22nd 2008 all Submissions must be received by May 2nd 2008.

– Top 6 teams will move onto the WW Finals. – 100% Finished Playable game containing a minimum of 1 level. Your game should be

built on the same game you submitted in Round 1.

• World Wide Finals: July 2008.

How to get involved in the Game Design Initiative• Head to www.microsoft4me.com/imaginecup

to learn more and to register• Create your team!• Create your ideas!• Compete!