I gotta hand it to Microsoft. I really like the direction that they’re heading with this new XNA thing.

XNA is a development kit that allows anyone can use these make games
for Windows or XBox 360. It’s targetted at hobbyists, so it will be a
heck of a lot easier than learning C++.

It’s currently available
in a sort of “express” version, which allows you to make the games and
then distribute them either for Windows or XBox 360. Later they’ll be
releasing a “professional” edition which will allow you to actually
SELL games for either platform.

This is completely awesome. Imagine all the creative people in the
world who have great ideas and the desire to great games. Now they have
a great tool to get their games made and distributed. This will surely
lead to a number of very talented people who haven’t had the
opportunities to get through training and degrees and such to get their
name out there in the gaming public, and even get hired by big game companies.

Hell, I might even try this stuff -myself-