Getting started

When I first started the Visual Studio Express, it reminds me of Visual Basic because the interface looks like it. To create a game, it is very simple and easy. Just select new at the file menu, select game type and give a name. Once you click OK, the game will automatically construct itself.
    Hang on, don't congrats me just yet because it just one in a million steps to create a good game. But at least, the game can be run and it shows a window with a light blue screen. The codes pretty much like java (yup, I got a basic knowledge on Java). It inherits from Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Game, which is a skeleton code of a game application. This object itself free’s you from having to create a ton of boilerplate code to create the main window, set up the graphics card and a number of other mundane actions. Additionally, it links in all the various XNA assemblies, regardless to if you need them or not. Other then that, it implemented a default Constructor, the Update method and the Draw method.

Installation

XNA Game Studio Express 1.0 Refresh can be download free of charge at XNA Developer Centre. However, there are certain requirements need to be fulfilled. A Direct3D 9.0 video card capable of supporting at least Shader Model 1.1 is a must on the machine. Recommendation is the graphics card that supports Shader Model 2.0 since many samples and starter kits require it.
Before XNA Game Studio Express 1.0 can be downloaded and installed, there are 3 more applications that needed to be downloaded and installed first. There are

1. the latest DirectX runtime updates (the full DirectX SDK is not required)
2. Visual C# Express
3. Visual C# Express Edition SP1

When I installed Visual C# Express, I taught it was OK to proceed with the XNA Game Studio Express 1.0 installation. But, I got the error message saying that I need to install Visual C# Express Edition SP1. But I’ve tried to installed Visual C# Express Edition SP1 straight (skip file no.2), the installation won’t work. You have to install Visual C# Express Edition SP1 on top of Visual C# Express. Yup, that’s the tip if you having this kind of trouble.

XNA

I’ve decided to make a game for my MSc dissertation using Microsoft XNA. To be honours, I never heard about XNA before. For a couple of week, I’ve started finding about XNA. Basically, XNA is a set of tools, complete with a managed runtime environment, provided by Microsoft that facilitates computer game design, development and management. XNA does this by freeing game designers from writing "repetitive boilerplate code," and brings all aspects of game production into a single system. The XNA toolset was announced March 24, 2004, at the Game Developers Conference in San Jose, California; and a first Community Technology Preview of XNA Build was released March 14, 2006. The final version was released on December 11, 2006. I’ve also knew XNA not only can build PC games, but XBox games as well. Wow! This is quite interesting to further my exploration of XNA.