In order to counter the rising price of gaming, Microsoft came up with a daring solution by slashing the cost of development. Their counter is to release an innovative development toolset to the public, namely XNA Game Studio Express. Since all game developers were hobbyists at some point, Microsoft thinks it's only a question of time until we see the next big thing shining out of the dirt. Who's going to be the next Doom? Who's going to be the next Counter-Strike? The XNA Game Studio Express beta will be available as a free download for Windows XP on August 30, 2006, and the final version will be available this holiday season.

Microsoft is to be supporting the Creators Club; a hub of shared knowledge that will allow individuals to "build, test and share their games on the Xbox 360." Although the service has an annual subscription fee of $99, it's far less costly than any other developing kit alternative. The main goal is to create an environment where the costs are low enough to be an incentive for smaller developers and hobbyist game makers. The XNA Game Studio Express toolkit will let users develop for both Windows XP and Xbox 360, essentially opening up the 360 as a medium to develop on. It basically spells homebrew, with the added benefit that Microsoft has a slight shade of control.

In an official statement, Microsoft suggested that the new toolkit "will democratize game development by delivering the necessary tools to hobbyists, students, indie developers and studios alike, to help them bring their creative game ideas to life while nurturing game development talent, collaboration and sharing that will benefit the entire industry."

Microsoft talked about supporting independent developers for the Live Arcade, beyond the influx of retro titles, and the public release of an XNA toolkit is certainly a step in the right direction. In addition, more than 10 US universities and their game development schools have already pledged to integrate console game development and XNA Game Studio Express into their curricula, with Xbox 360 being the only console at the center of all the coursework. Is Microsoft finally going open source? It's highly unlikely, yet this is as close as they'll ever get.