Microsoft Announces XNA Game Development Platform

Thanks to GameSpot for its story revealing that Microsoft is unveiling its XNA game software development platform later this morning at the Game Developer's Conference in San Jose. XNA is "designed for use with future iterations of all Microsoft game platforms, including Windows, Xbox, and Windows Mobile-based devices" to make simultaneous platform development easier and cheaper, and the company is also expected to announce "Xbox Live-style functionality for billing, security, and matchmaking being made available to Windows developers... [and] the introduction of controllers that are compatible with all Windows and Xbox game players" as part of this move. IGN Xbox has an interview with Microsoft's Jay Allard and Dean Lester which explains XNA as being a cross-platform, evolving toolset that will ensure backwards compatibility, giving the example: "...[if] Adobe was writing an application for Win95, and then WinNT came out there were special features they could take advantages of -- they didn't have to throw it all away and start again." Update: 03/25 00:46 GMT by S : Microsoft has made the official XNA site public, including streaming video from unspecified next-generation games.

Comments

I hope Sony an Nintendo pull out the Anti-Trust

[bADlOGIN]

Sounds like they're extending the deskop monopoly yet again. Even if it's a load of crap, a nice Billion dollar threat would help level the playing field. After all, will other game development systems that run on windoze be able to work with these new controlers? What about 3rd party controlers that Sony or Nintendo develop that could work with Windoze PC games as well? Will they not be required to support them?