Xbox 360 Problems

Published by: Codrut Nistor, in News

July23rd2008

Still having Xbox 360 problems on your mind? Well, did you ever wonder how it would have been if Microsoft allowed third parties to create applications for this platform? I know it may sound like a crazy idea, but this is happening as we speak! This is as close to software as can be, so today we're going to talk about the latest Xbox 360 news here, on SoftDistrict, probably for the first time. Anyway, if you want to know more about Xbox 360 games, you should pay a visit to PlayerzBlog. Now, let's digg in!

While today's decision may cause additional Xbox 360 problems for a lot of people, including those Microsoft, "democracy" is the keyword in the software industry these days, and opening the Xbox 360 to third parties is expected to expand the number of games for the platform, making it more attractive than it is now. Since it would be nothing new under the sun to see a platform with more games going higher than its (usually better) competitors, I guess it's only a matter of time and luck now,

because third parties can make things better, but sometimes they can also create a big mess.

According to Chris Satchell, chief technology officer for Microsoft's interactive entertainment business group, "Not only are we democratizing game development with Xbox LIVE Community Games later this year, but we're creating an opportunity for aspiring developers to start their careers on the world stage."

Do I really have to point out that Microsoft decided to offer independently produced Xbox games via the Xbox Live Community just in time for the holiday shopping season? Don't get me wrong - it's just marketing, and I have nothing against it, as long as users also have a benefit, and this winter may be probably one of the best ever for Xbox users, if not the best so far!

The tools behind this initiative are already available, and the XNA Game Studio was downloaded over 1 million times, but has also seen adoption in "more than 700 universities," according to XNA General Manager Boyd Multerer. "For some perspective, the incredible creative community we've unleashed worldwide is more than 25 times the number of professional developers in the industry," he concluded.

So, Microsoft is dreaming to get support from entire legions of passionate game programmers, and the idea of having a "YouTube for games" starts to get a shape. For now, I wouldn't bet on Xbox yet, but today may become a day to remember, either as a spark for a brilliant future, or the spark for a big fire, one to top all Xbox 360 problems we had to face so far...