Chapter 1. Getting Started
Computers truly are amazing machines. Contemplating how a modern computer starts with nothing but 1s and 0s and ends up with the tools we use on a daily basis is both awe-inspiring and mind-boggling. Perhaps nothing does a better job of harnessing the power of the computer and the interest of the user than a good computer game. From the early days of Pong to the latest titles of today, video games have captured the imaginations of billions of people.
With Microsoft's XNA game development framework, writing exciting games for the PC has never been easier. On top of that, XNA 3.0 offers individual developers an unprecedented opportunity: the ability to develop your own games for the Xbox 360 and the Microsoft Zune. Never before has access to software development kits targeting next-gen consoles or the latest handheld media devices been so readily available.
I'm sure you're ready to get started and begin building the next great game, so let's get right to it. This first chapter will help you get everything installed so you can dive in and start developing in XNA 3.0.
System Requirements
This book uses XNA Game Studio 3.0, which is an integrated development environment (IDE) extension to Microsoft's Visual Studio for developing games in XNA. XNA Game Studio 3.0 uses the XNA Framework 3.0, which provides developers with a skeleton XNA game to begin with and the ability to customize and extend that game in order to create their own games in XNA.
XNA Game Studio 3.0 ...