14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft revealed that a new update for the XNA Game Studio Connect application is cooking and will be made available, but failed to provide a timetable or any sort of deadline. Michael Klucher, program manager – XNA Community Game Platform, revealed that the title update to XNA Game Studio Connect would be offered “soon” to Premium Creator. The promise from the Redmond company is that, following the release of the update, developers will be able to better test the content they produce before the games go live on Xbox LIVE Community Games.
“Many of you have reported subtle differences (and in some case crashes) in the way your game behaves when playing from XNA Game Studio Connect versus the way it works on Xbox LIVE Community Games. When we set out to release XNA Game Studio 3.0 we worked hard to provide a very consistent experience between them. After we launched user-feedback helped us discover a few things Creators really needed to be able to test when developing and even peer-reviewing a game,” Klucher stated. “With this feedback we’ve added some new functionality that brings the XNA Game Studio Connect experience even closer to the experience consumers get when running an Xbox LIVE Community Game.”
In order to test drive Xbox 360 games built with the XNA Game Studio, developers have to resort to XNA Game Studio Connect. The component has to be deployed on an Xbox 360 console, and permits developers to not only install the game, but also to debug, test and peer review it. The upcoming update is designed to repair inconsistencies between the behavior delivered by games while tested with the XNA Game Studio Connect and that of actual installs as community games. Klucher indicated that the update would be made available in the coming weeks, revealing that Microsoft aimed to deliver no more surprises to developers when it came to the way the content performed after being published as Xbox LIVE Community Games.
Via the update, Microsoft will add to the XNA Game Studio Connect: “Splash Screen: when running the game from your console in XNA Game Studio Connect, you’ll now see a splash screen much like the one you see when you play a Xbox LIVE Community Game,” Klucher added. “Trial Expiration Screen: you’ll now be able to test the Trial Expiration Screen from XNA Game Studio Connect. This can only be activated by selecting “Play Trial Game” from the Xbox 360. When the game is launched this way, after the trial time has expired (which is currently 8 minutes) Creators will see a similar expiration screen like a consumer does.”
Microsoft XNA Game Studio 3.0 is available for download here.