Molyneux: developers are “lucky bastards” because of XNA
You remember that Microsoft bought Lionhead Studios, right? Well, Peter Molyneux (the boss of Lionhead Studios) has things to say about Microsoft‘s XNA Game Studios Express platform for game developers. As you know, Chris Satchell talked all about the YouTube concept, and we already looked at what Dave Mitchell had to say about PS3 Linux and XNA.
Molyneux said in a speech, “You’re lucky bastards, because the web is a fantastic place to get your ideas out there. If XNA really is going to be the YouTube of game design then that will be a brilliant, brilliant thing.”
He also said some things about game design. “If you want to get into the games industry there is nothing better than a demo,” he said.
“You have to have a great excitement for what you do. You cannot do this without finding it almost orgasmically exciting.”
Well, we tend to agree. XNA Game Studio Express, as you might know, is a free download meant for homebrew developers and hobbyists (professionals will have to wait for XNA Game Studio Professional – it should be out sometime in 2007). Because of the “starter kit” nature of XNA, it’s easier to make games for Windows and for Xbox 360. Remember, developers can make Windows games free using the XNA Framework for coding their games, and to run games on Xbox 360, developers only need to pay a US$ 99 fee to join the XNA “Creators Club.”
So it’s not just developers who are lucky bastards. We all are lucky bastards, because XNA means more Windows and Xbox 360 games for us.
You remember that Microsoft bought Lionhead Studios, right? Well, Peter Molyneux (the boss of Lionhead Studios) has things to say about Microsoft‘s XNA Game Studios Express platform for game developers. As you know, Chris Satchell talked all about the YouTube concept, and we already looked at what Dave Mitchell had to say about PS3 Linux and XNA.
Molyneux said in a speech, “You’re lucky bastards, because the web is a fantastic place to get your ideas out there. If XNA really is going to be the YouTube of game design then that will be a brilliant, brilliant thing.”
He also said some things about game design. “If you want to get into the games industry there is nothing better than a demo,” he said.
“You have to have a great excitement for what you do. You cannot do this without finding it almost orgasmically exciting.”
Well, we tend to agree. XNA Game Studio Express, as you might know, is a free download meant for homebrew developers and hobbyists (professionals will have to wait for XNA Game Studio Professional – it should be out sometime in 2007). Because of the “starter kit” nature of XNA, it’s easier to make games for Windows and for Xbox 360. Remember, developers can make Windows games free using the XNA Framework for coding their games, and to run games on Xbox 360, developers only need to pay a US$ 99 fee to join the XNA “Creators Club.”
So it’s not just developers who are lucky bastards. We all are lucky bastards, because XNA means more Windows and Xbox 360 games for us.
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