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 • If you have already taken CS 80 K, 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 80 K last year can substitute it for the CS 20 degree requirement

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

Course People • Professor ► ► Jim Whitehead Associate Professor, Computer Science Office hours: Tuesday, 10: 30 am-12 pm, 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!

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 ► Foundations of Interactive Game Design Shift perspective from player to designer • Write software to create a simple game ► Shared with CMPS 80 K In an object-oriented language, C# Exclusive to CMPS 20

Relationship Between CS 20 and CS 80 K • 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 80 K 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 80 K students Extra lecture per week

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

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

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 2 K games One for each team member Separate judging for CS 80 K games • Also possible to enter Microsoft Dream. Build. Play contest ($3, 000 prize) ► Deadline is January 27 (www. dreambuildplay. com)

XNA Game Studio Express • XNA GSE is a series of libraries for creating 2 D and 3 D 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

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

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, Direct. X You provide Provided for you

XNA Features • 2 D & 3 D 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

Installing XNA Game Studio Express • Follow instructions at: ► http: //creators. xna. com/Education/Getting. Started. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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