XNA Essentials

This is a lab I originally created for the Carolina Code Camp. The lab covers two main items:

Platformer Starter Kit

• Creating the Platformer Starter Kit
• Compiling and Running Platformer
• Modifying Level 1

Indeterminate Progress Bar

• XNA Framework 2D Basics
• Creating an Indeterminate Progress Bar Demo
• Drawing 2D Text

The lab is adapted from my Microsoft XNA Game Studio 3.0 Unleashed book.

Download the lab and give it try. It takes about an hour to complete.

Happy Programming!

-Chad

I’ve done this presentation a couple of times so far. The PowerPoint presentation without the actual talk doesn’t mean too much by itself, but I have included it as is for folks to refer back to that attended the talks.

Everyone can feel free to download it.

The core of the talk is about best practices when developing games for the Xbox 360 to be sold on Xbox LIVE Marketplace as an Xbox LIVE Indie Game (XBLIG). The slides also mention some ways to use the same code written for the XNA Framework to then be repurposed for a Silverlight game thanks to SilverSprite and even for the iPhone thanks to XNATouch and MonoTouch and Mono.

The best practices section was taken from the chapter in my book “Best Practices for Creating an Xbox LIVE Community Game”.

The last section (bonus!) talks about developing games for the Zune HD. For more information, check out my original blog post where the code can be downloaded.

Happy Programming!

-Chad

Michael Neel (aka @ViNull) interviewed me at the Raleigh Code Camp back in September for his Feel The Func podcast. He edited a little bit, but it is still almost 2 hours in length.

If you are interested in listening to us chat about the game he is making, my book, the XNA Community in general some games we play as well as some XNA topics such as Rich Presence feel free to listen.  I’m sure he’d love you to subscribe.

Also, a much better interview is the one he did with Jame Silva of The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai fame. So make sure to check his interview out too.

Happy Listening!

-Chad

If you are within driving distance of Charlotte, North Carolina you should really take the time to come to the code camp this Saturday, October 10th, 2009. There are going to be many excellent sessions.

I’ll be speaking during two time slots, but it is unclear at this time if it will be the same Hands on Lab in both, or one Hands on Lab and one lecture type session. Regardless, having an entire track for XNA is pretty cool.

The theme for the code camp is Developing for Dollars. – Learn. Develop. Sell.

That’s a pretty catchy theme in times like these.

The event (as with all Code Camps) is free and there are plenty of things to learn so get to Charlotte this Saturday.

When: Saturday, October 10, 2009 8AM – 5PM (Registration opens at 7AM)

Where: CPCC Levine Campus, 2800 Campus Ridge Rd, Matthews, NC 28105

Cost: Free!

http://codecamp.developersguild.org/

So head over to the CPCC campus on Saturday to learn and network!

Happy Networking and Learning!

-Chad