VBGamer

Well, the only thing I can say about XNA is... WOW !!!!!!!! Unfortunately they don't make it for other plataforms (of course :)

Heh, I think the only reason they changed to something else was because they ran out of DirectX version numbers ^^ (10 just looks dumb)

Hum, I don't know, in fact XNA includes DirectX in it, then there will be a new version of DirectX. Anyway, this 'new release' has been called 'DirectX Next' I think...

They're probably just trying to sound hip. Obviously failed, though. =P

I took a look at the XNA site. It appears to be a development library for the XBox containing Xbox Live™, Controller Input, PIX, XACT and HLSL routines. The Xbox live routines maybe interesting as it would allow developers working on Windows games to be able to use the billing, security, login, friends and matchmaking tools which are integral to the Xbox Live service. Although it's not clear whether PC gamers will be expected to pay Live-style subscription fees for these services. Knowing MS - probably! The XNA site goes on to state: [quote] The DirectX® API and the Visual Studio® development system will continue to be the baseline environment for both platforms [/quote] I guess both platforms being Xbox and PC. From what I've read it can only be deduced that DirectX will live on.

Yeah from what I got it's a platform for designing games for Windows, XBox and Windows-powered mobile devices (read: pocket pc). The thing is, you develop the same code for all platforms (win, xbox and pocket pc). At least that's what I understood.

The question that's bugging me is: what is it for VB game programmers?

As MS said: We'll be able to develop games for both PC and XBox at the same time by using both Visual Studio and DirectX. I think that means it will be possible to create games for the XBox using VB.NET...

How this pertains to VB is to see if Microsoft pushes .NET forward as a platform for game development. If you're keeping up with the direction of Microsoft's technology, you know that the next version of windows will be heavily integrated with .NET, so much so that older windows programs based on Component Object Model technology won't run as well as .NET code will. I'm not sure there is a reason for such a limitation other than to make developers use Visual Studio, but that could be an entirely different discussion is not related with VB in game development. With XNA, which really seems to be a fancy name for programming games with Visual Studio and DirectX with a few extra content creation programs provided by microsoft, it will be of importance to see if they push .NET technology for use in game programming or if they simply want unmanaged VC++ to be used for the PC or XBOX. If they do push for .NET to be used on the XBOX, then they are trying to recruit more game programmers. Hobbyists, such as VB game programmers, will be a potential source for game development on the XBOX 2. If the XBOX needs anything, its games, and such a direction will help to provide the programmers to create such games. If Microsoft doesn't push for .NET to be used as the development platform for the XBOX 2, then I'm not sure what the reason for calling DirectX and VisualStudio C++ the name XNA. If they do go in this direction, then it means that their support for VB in directx 7, 8, and .net support in 9 is all simply a way for them to keep a potential monopoly on vb developers with a interest in multimedia programming. If you've been around long enough, you know that Patrice Scribe provided type libraries for Directx 3, 5, and 6. If Microsoft doesn't promote VB as a game programming language, I don't see any reason why they would have taken away Patrice's role in the vb game programming community, which was providing vb support for directx.