Microsoft helps evolve gaming!

Gaming is being evolved thanks to Microsoft’s XNA Game Studio.  For the first time, amateur developers can create games and put them on a gaming console, Microsoft’s Xbox 360.  Also announced is the future capability to bring such games to the Zune, a portable media player.

For years Windows, Dos, and to a smaller degree Linux have been at the center of the curious and amatuer learning to develop games.  These operating system and even older systems have inspired people to get involved in computing and push forward the technology we see today.  In fact the internet is swarming with free games of various quality that have been created as a hobby or as a stepping stone to development as a career.

Microsoft has always been keen on bringing people to technology and enabling developers.  A big part of their Xbox 360 gaming system marketing has revolved around games, including it’s impressive high quality library.  Scientists have even supported gaming due to the research tools created by gaming that scientists can use to solve problems.

XNA Game Studio has been available for free in an express version, and people have used this special game creating tool in conjunction with Visual Studio.  This tool created both for Windows and Xbox development has created some impressive games.  The Xbox 360 Community Games has launched and I took the opportunity to play some of the games.  Called the XNA Creators Game Launcher you can currently demo 7 games.

This is very exciting, as gaming on a controlled platform has had its pluses such as knowing your specs are good to play all games for that platform, but normally such platforms haven’t received the free games Windows PCs have had access to.  Not only that, but it will breath fresh air and inspiration into the gaming community.  Now anyone, with enough dedication, can learn to create games and publish them.

Lastly, the most interesting aspect is Microsoft’s announcement that the next version of XNA will support creating games (or porting existing games) to their Zune device.  This will push the platform higher and allow people to innovate with the new touchpad controls of the Zune 4, 8, and 80.  But also it shows Microsoft’s continued respect to their Zune customers as the older Zune 30 will also be supported.  For those of us that enjoy gaming, include the free flash games on this site, it is a step to let people be more involved and have games on increasingly diverse platforms.