XNA Game Studio 3.1

Getting Started with XNA Game Studio

XNA Game Studio is an integrated development environment designed to make it easier to develop games for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 platforms, and Zune devices. XNA Game Studio extends supported versions of Microsoft Visual Studio tools to support the XNA Framework. The XNA Framework is a managed-code class library that contains functionality targeted specifically to game development tasks. In addition, XNA Game Studio includes tools for incorporating graphical and audio content into your game.

The XNA Framework is designed to be similar to the .NET Framework in terms of its design patterns and idioms. With XNA Game Studio, you are able to incorporate functionality in your game from both the XNA Framework and the .NET Framework. Use the XNA Framework for game-specific tasks such as graphics rendering and managing input, and use the .NET Framework for more general programming tasks.

In This Section

Documentation Roadmap: Describes the documentation for XNA Game Studio.
Setup and System Requirements: Describes which operating systems are supported by XNA Game Studio as well as additional software required to use XNA Game Studio.
Connecting to Your Xbox 360 Console with XNA Game Studio 3.1: Describes how to use XNA Game Studio Connect to connect and deploy a game to your Xbox 360 console.
Connecting to your Zune Device with XNA Game Studio: Describes the steps necessary to connect and deploy a game to your Zune device using XNA Game Studio Connect.
Your First Game: Microsoft XNA Game Studio in 2D: Describes the steps necessary to create a simple sprite-based game by using XNA Game Studio.
Going Beyond: XNA Game Studio in 3D: This multipart tutorial takes you through the first steps of creating your own 3D game using XNA Game Studio.
Upgrading XNA Game Studio Projects: Describes supported and unsupported XNA Game Studio project versions, provides guides for upgrade scenarios, and offers advice on troubleshooting upgrade issues.
Using XNA Framework Starter Kits: Describes how to create an instance of an XNA Framework Starter Kit.
Starter Kit: Platformer: Describes the Platformer Starter Kit.
Support Options and Additional Resources: Describes additional resources for developing with the XNA Framework.