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During Gamesfest, Microsoft announced that they are now developing a new product that will allow indie developers and students to develop games simultaneously on Xbox 360 and PC. Not only do they get to create, they also get to share their products with others in a new Xbox 360 "Creators Club".
Here's how it goes: Anyone with a Windows XP-based PC can access XNA Game Studio Express. This will provide them with the so-called "Microsoft's next-generation platform for game development".
However, the games created within the Studio Express will not initially be available to regular Xbox 360 users, although, the longer-term objective of the company is to create a less restricted distribution market using Xbox Live. According to Microsoft, the new product "...will democratize game development by delivering the necessary tools to hobbyists, students, indie developers and studios alike to help them bring their creative game ideas to life while nurturing game development talent, collaboration and sharing that will benefit the entire industry."
The XNA Game Studio Express Beta becomes available on August 30 as a free download on Windows XP, for development on the Windows XP platform. By this year's holiday season, it is expected that the final version will then be available.
Meanwhile, the due date of Game Studio Professional, a second XNA toolset originally scheduled for an early 2006 release, has been set back to spring 2007. This is tailored for professionals aiming for Windows and XBLA game releases.
Joining the XNA Game Studio Express' "Creators Club" will enable you to build, test and share your games on the Xbox 360, as well as access a great amount of resources to help speed the game development progress. Subscription to the club is priced at $99.
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