Microsoft XNA
Real World Applications
XNA is used by real-world developers to create and sell commercial games. It isn't just
a learning tool.
Popular Platforms
Games made using XNA can run on Windows, XBox 360, Zune, and Windows Phone.
Freely Available
Although some restrictions and fees apply when developing games for XBox Live, Windows
games created with XNA can be distributed for free, even for commercial purposes.
Accessibility
XNA is very well documented, and Microsoft, as well as several third parties, provide
useful tutorials and ready-made starter kits to speed learning and development.
Microsoft XNA (cont.)
Game Template
The developer extends the Game class and overloads methods in a template to build a
game. Intialize() is called first to set up the game's resources. LoadContent() then
loads the game's graphical assets. Update() and Draw() are then called alternatively
in a loop to run the game. Finally, when the game finishes, UnloadContent() is called
to clean up.
Useful Classes
XNA contains a rich library of useful classes that help with both the high-level design
of the game as well as the low-level implementation details. Subsystems of a game are
encapsulated in GameComponent Subclasses. The library also includes a set of algorithms
and data structures to help with graphics and math.
