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Course Overview Introduction to XNA Game Studio Express

Course Overview Introduction to XNA Game Studio Express. Game Design Experience Prof. Jim Whitehead January 8, 2008. Administrative. If you need a permission code, see me after class In most cases I will give you one, the class is not full

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Course Overview Introduction to XNA Game Studio Express

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  1. Course OverviewIntroduction to XNA Game Studio Express Game Design Experience Prof. Jim Whitehead January 8, 2008

  2. Administrative • If you need a permission code, see me after class • In most cases I will give you one, the class is not full • If you have already taken CS 80K, you cannot receive credit for CS 20 • If you would like to sit-in to learn about C#, that’s OK • Game Design majors that took 80K last year can substitute it for the CS 20 degree requirement

  3. Introductions • Everyone should stand up and introduce themselves • Your name • Game you’re playing right now • Or your favorite game

  4. Course People • Professor • Jim WhiteheadAssociate Professor, Computer Science • Office hours: Tuesday, 10:30am-12pm, or by appointment • Teaching Assistants • Sheena Marquez (smarquez@ucsc.edu) • Ian Rickard (inio@soe.ucsc.edu) • Readers/Tutors • Trevor Prater (tdprater@ucsc.edu) • Take advantage of our expertise!

  5. Goals of Game Design Experience (CS 20) • Understand broad issues in game design • Challenge, conflict, reward structures, rule systems, level design, etc. • Develop ability to critically analyze games • Shift perspective from player to designer • Write software to create a simple game • In an object-oriented language, C# Shared with CMPS 80K Foundations of Interactive Game Design Exclusive to CMPS 20

  6. Relationship Between CS 20 and CS 80K • CS 20 is intended for • Computer Game Design majors • Students with strong programming skills • Students in CS 20 are required to do everything a CS 80K student would do: • Attend lectures, do assignments, learn Game Maker, take exams, etc. • ..with a few exceptions • CS 20 project must be a programmed game • CS 20 students will have a different exam version from CS 80K students • Extra lecture per week

  7. Topics covered in CS 20 (and not CS 80K) • C# programming language • Visual C# Express • XNA Game Studio Express • Mostly 2D capabilities • Strategy Pattern • Collision detection algorithms • Students in CS 80K avoid these issues by using a game development tool like Game Maker or RPG Maker

  8. Computer Game Project • Work in teams of 2 to create novel computer game • C# and XNA Game Studio Express will be taught in class • Very impressive games are possible with this environment • Created games can run on Xbox 360 • Phases • Game concept document – January 30 • Game prototype - February 22 • Final game - March 10

  9. Computer Game Projects • Will have two days of peer assessment of games in small groups • Receive lots of constructive feedback • Best games will be demonstrated to entire class • Will have external judges, commercial game designers • Best game in CS 20 will win a Nintendo DS • Thanks to 2K games • One for each team member • Separate judging for CS 80K games • Also possible to enter Microsoft DreamBuildPlay contest ($3,000 prize) • Deadline is January 27 (www.dreambuildplay.com)

  10. XNA Game Studio Express • XNA GSE is a series of libraries for creating 2D and 3D computer games • Uses C# as the primary programming language • Integrated with Visual Studio C# Express • Also now the full version of Visual Studio • Games can run under Windows or on Xbox 360 • It is possible to create professional games using this toolkit • Quick poll of students with Windows machines • Do we need XNA GSE installed in ITS labs? • Example games: • www.gameprojects.com/projects/?q=xna

  11. Course Textbooks • XNA Game Studio ExpressDeveloping Games for Windows and the Xbox 360Joseph Hall, Thomson Course Technology, 2008 • Programming C#Jesse Liberty, O’Reilly, 4th Edition, 2005 • Rules of PlayGame Design FundamentalsKatie Salen, Eric Zimmerman • Primary text for CS 80K • Available at bookstore

  12. XNA Game Studio Express Architecture • You write your game in C# • Using features in XNA Framework • Runs on top of common language runtime (“Managed Code”) Game code (C#) & content XNA Framework Common Language Runtime (CLR) Windows APIs, DirectX Provided for you You provide

  13. XNA Features • 2D & 3D graphics support • Access to HLSL (High level shader language) • Pixel and vertex shaders • Audio support • XACT cross-platform audio tool • Controller and keyboard input • Xbox 360 controller • Font support • Content Pipeline • Game save storage • Networking • … and much more

  14. Installing XNA Game Studio Express • Follow instructions at: • http://creators.xna.com/Education/GettingStarted.aspx • Install Visual Studio • Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (editor/debugger/compiler) • Unless you currently use Visual Studio, you want “Visual C# 2005 Express” • Two step process • Install “Visual C# Express” • Install “Visual C# Express Editions Service Pack 1” • Both are necessary • Install XNA Game Studio 2.0 • You want version 2.0, the latest version • This was recently released, so textbook covers only 1.x version • Versions are mostly the same: big new feature is networking

  15. XNA Creator’s Club • XNA Creator’s Club Website • http://creators.xna.com/ • Community website for XNA GSE • Multiple complete games with source code • Many tutorials, and code examples • Very active discussion forums • Creator’s Club Subscriptions • Necessary to put game on Xbox 360 • Access to premium content • Costs $99/year, but Microsoft will offer free memberships for educational use in January • No details yet, recommend wait-and-see • I will get everyone a subscription if possible, once this program starts

  16. XNA Community Web Sites • XNA Team Blog • blogs.msdn.com/xna/ • Announcements from the XNA dev. Team • Ziggyware • www.ziggyware.com • Developer-oriented XNA news • XNA Development • www.xnadevelopment.com • XNA tutorials. See also the Links page for links to other quality XNA websites

  17. Instructional DVD • Beginners Guide to XNA Game Studio Express • I have 11 copies, to lend to students • See me to check out and return • Very good tutorial guide, aimed at people with no knowledge of C# • Recommended

  18. Controllers • XNA Game Studio Express allows you to use Xbox 360 controllers • Normal Xbox 360 controller is Bluetooth wireless, and is not recognized by the Windows Bluetooth manager • Hence, when developing game under Windows, won’t be able to test control scheme (bad) • To create a game using Xbox 360 controller, need to buy a corded Windows Xbox 360 controller (~$35 + shipping) • Should buy now, so you have it ready for when you start programming • Google for “xbox 360 controller windows” for multiple online vendors • Can also create a game that uses keyboard input • Will need to change control scheme to port to Xbox 360

  19. Demonstration of Visual C# Express & XNA • Demonstration of loading, compiling, and running one of the sample games for XNA Game Studio Express

  20. Homework • Visit Creators Club website • Download and install XNA Game Studio Express • Compile and run one of the sample games • Read Chapters 1-3 of XNA GSE text

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