4 ms·

What is the feeling about XNA? I haven't followed the area, so I found it unfortunate that it was treated in the original post without explanation. Was XNA a go

by jcrites 13y ago

What is the feeling about XNA? I haven't followed the area, so I found it unfortunate that it was treated in the original post without explanation. Was XNA a good thing or a bad thing? Why?

pjmlp 13y ago
It was loved by Indies for XBox 360 development, got so popular, Microsoft decided to make it the way to develop games on the Windows Phone 7. When Windows Phone 8 came out, the native renaissance was full speed inside Microsoft, C++ with DirectX became the official way and XNA was canned while Microsoft left MonoGame and Unity pick up the C# developers still willing to invest into the platform. The sad thing is that this is not a native vs managed issue, because even C# gets compiled to native code when targeting Windows Phone 8. Just plain product management decision to kill the product, which was being sold as the way to develop Windows Phone games.
- illuminate 13y ago
  "XNA was canned while Microsoft left MonoGame and Unity pick up the C# developers still willing to invest into the platform" I have no insider information to suggest otherwise, but don't you think that a replacement will be released with the new console?
  - bentcorner 13y ago
    My gut feeling is that even if they do, indie developers aren't going to fall for that one again.
    - ams6110 13y ago
      What choice will they have?
      - deleted 13y ago
        [deleted]
  - cpleppert 13y ago
    No because microsoft isn't going to support a toolkit it has no intention of using on mobile or the desktop and will never be used by commercial game developers.
    - illuminate 13y ago
      "a toolkit it has no intention of using on mobile or the desktop" Right, I find it likely that XNA was killed to work on a better toolkit for all three.
    - pjmlp 13y ago
      Are you aware there was a Premium version of XNA for AAA studios?
      - eropple 13y ago
        As far as I know, the XDK Extensions were intended for XBLA developers, not "AAA studios".
        pjmlp 13y ago
        It was announced in a different way at a Meltdown or PDC conference, around 2008 if I am not mistaken. Sadly those videos seem to no longer be online after MSDN was redone. Maybe someone can correct me if I am wrong.

by jcrites 13y ago

What is the feeling about XNA? I haven't followed the area, so I found it unfortunate that it was treated in the original post without explanation. Was XNA a good thing or a bad thing? Why?

pjmlp 13y ago

It was loved by Indies for XBox 360 development, got so popular, Microsoft decided to make it the way to develop games on the Windows Phone 7. When Windows Phone 8 came out, the native renaissance was full speed inside Microsoft, C++ with DirectX became the official way and XNA was canned while Microsoft left MonoGame and Unity pick up the C# developers still willing to invest into the platform. The sad thing is that this is not a native vs managed issue, because even C# gets compiled to native code when targeting Windows Phone 8. Just plain product management decision to kill the product, which was being sold as the way to develop Windows Phone games.

illuminate 13y ago
"XNA was canned while Microsoft left MonoGame and Unity pick up the C# developers still willing to invest into the platform" I have no insider information to suggest otherwise, but don't you think that a replacement will be released with the new console?
- bentcorner 13y ago
  My gut feeling is that even if they do, indie developers aren't going to fall for that one again.
  - ams6110 13y ago
    What choice will they have?
    - deleted 13y ago
      [deleted]
- cpleppert 13y ago
  No because microsoft isn't going to support a toolkit it has no intention of using on mobile or the desktop and will never be used by commercial game developers.
  - illuminate 13y ago
    "a toolkit it has no intention of using on mobile or the desktop" Right, I find it likely that XNA was killed to work on a better toolkit for all three.
  - pjmlp 13y ago
    Are you aware there was a Premium version of XNA for AAA studios?
    - eropple 13y ago
      As far as I know, the XDK Extensions were intended for XBLA developers, not "AAA studios".
      - pjmlp 13y ago
        It was announced in a different way at a Meltdown or PDC conference, around 2008 if I am not mistaken. Sadly those videos seem to no longer be online after MSDN was redone. Maybe someone can correct me if I am wrong.