Some things change everything

Computers changed everything. I hear sliced bread did too. So did Sesame Street. Microsoft is now trying something new, grassroots game development. Some are saying it’s a You-Tube concept, and while I love it, it’s not quite that.

Today the XNA creators club was launched where for $100 a year you can access the games created by others, and if you are the type to dabble in software development you too can move your game to the XBOX. Without it, you have to dabble on your Windows XP box, which honestly is a decent deal. Earlier this year they provided XNA Game Studio Express to anyone. It’s part of an overall push to let people who want to learn to program get decent quality software to do it with. It also gets them started using the Microsoft technologies which when they move into more serious development are much more expensive. Frankly they are doing a god thing for the programming community , and digging their feet in even deeper than before.

Even still, this is an exciting thing for XBOX owners. I remember all the free little games available when the Internet was young, and despite the high bar of entry, this could be much like this. Many crappy little games, and a few really impressive ones. Many clones of other games, and a few innovative exciting new game concepts.

I think that eventually I will buy a ticket in. Not to program, (though part of me wants to give it a stab, the other is pretty freakin’ lazy) but to see what the community is coming up with. Someday, if this is total free or ad supported, then it will be like You-Tube. Almost there, but until, I don’t think I care. This is a good thing.