XNA Game Studio Officially Released

By Ian Bell August 30, 2006

As reported earlier this month, Microsoft has come through with their promise to empower regular users with the ability to create their own games for either the PC or the Xbox 360 game console by releasing the public beta of their XNA Game Studio Express software.

Available at http://msdn.microsoft.com/xna for download, and at no charge, games built and created on a Windows PC can then be migrated to the Xbox 360 game console starting this holiday season. And while the beta software is currently available as a free download, there are a few strings attached including a yearly subscription of $99 or a four-month trial for $49.

More than 20 universities worldwide have pledged their support to the new developer software including the University of Southern California’s GamePipe and the DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond Washington.

“XNA Game Studio Express is an incredibly accessible tool for making games for Microsoft’s game platforms and will provide our university students with modern tools and console development experience,” said Claude Comair, founder and chairman of the board at DigiPen Institute of Technology. “And now with our ProjectFun for XNA Game Studio Express, we’re eager to extend our educational offerings on Windows and Xbox 360 to include young children.”

Microsoft has also announced that they are beginning enrollment for their Torque X program which includes the Torque Game Builder and a version of the Torque Shader Engine. The final version of Torque X will be released this holiday.

The final version of XNA Game Studio Express and the XNA Creators Club for building and distributing games on the Xbox 360 will launch simultaneously this holiday. XNA Game Studio Professional will be available in spring 2007.

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Gaming

The Division 3: release date speculation, news, and rumors

division 2 e3 2018 raids dlc the

For many fans of looter-shooters, it's hard to find a series quite as compelling as The Division. With two successful games in the franchise already under its belt, Ubisoft is clearly aware that it's a meaningful part of its ever-expanding catalog, so it's unsurprising that it's hard at work on a third entry. With the advent of newer hardware and a heap of lessons learned from the first two games, The Division 3 is all but certain to land with a bang and further cement the franchise as one of Ubisoft's most beloved.

We know The Division 3 is in development at Massive Entertainment with Julian Gerighty as the executive producer. Beyond that, though, not much has been shared about what to expect from the game yet. Even so, here's everything we know about The Division 3.
Release date
The Division 3 does not currently have a release date. And since the game hasn't even received any trailer yet, it's safe to assume we probably won't see it until at least 2025 — though stranger things have happened.

Gaming

Xbox Games Showcase 2024 + Black Ops 6 Direct: How to watch and what to expect

Indiana jones buried in the sand.

Xbox has had a rough year. From the divisive reactions to its multiplatform plans to layoffs and the shuttering of lauded studios like Tango Gameworks, there hasn't been much of a reason to be excited for Xbox recently. Microsoft is hoping to change that on Sunday as it will hold its annual Xbox Games Showcase to give us a glimpse at titles coming from its first-party studios and third-party partners over the course of the next year or two.

It's even holding a Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct right after. If you're an Xbox fan, this is obviously an event that you need to tune into. To help with that, we've rounded up everything you need to know about where and when to watch 2024's Xbox Games Showcase and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct, as well as what your expectations for the presentation should be.
When is the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct
The 2024 Xbox Games Showcase will begin at 10 a.m. PT on Sunday, June 9. The Black Ops 6 Direct will begin immediately after that multigame showcase concludes. Although Microsoft has not committed to an exact start time for that Direct, the Xbox Games Showcase has historically lasted anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half.
Where to watch the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct
Xbox Games Showcase 2024 + Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct (Sunday Live at 10a PT/1p ET)

Computing

HP’s 34-inch curved gaming monitor is down to $350 today

The HP Omen 34c gaming monitor with video game art on the screen.

You won't be able to maximize your gaming PC if you're still using an outdated display. You should upgrade your screen to something like the HP Omen 34c gaming monitor, which you can get from Best Buy at $130 off. Instead of its original price of $480, you'll only have to pay $350, but time may already be running out for you to take advantage of this offer. If you want the savings when buying this gaming monitor, you're going to have to proceed with the purchase immediately.

Why you should buy the HP Omen 34c gaming monitor
The HP Omen 34c gaming monitor features a 34-inch screen with QHD resolution that will let you appreciate the graphics of the best PC games, and a 165Hz refresh rate exceeds the recommended range by our computer monitor buying guide. The 1500R curvature of the gaming monitor's display fills your peripheral vision for complete immersion in the game that you're playing, while HP's Eye Ease technology reduces blue light emissions to keep your eyes comfortable even after you've been looking at the screen for several hours.