Course OverviewIntroduction to XNA Game Studio Express

Game Design ExperienceProf. 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 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

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, 10:30am-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!

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

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

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

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 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)

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

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

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”)

Windows APIs, DirectX

Common Language Runtime (CLR)

XNA Framework

Game code (C#) & content

You provide Provided for you

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

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

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