Microsoft has confirmed that it does not plan to release future versions of the XNA development toolset.
A blog post from developer Promit Roy earlier this week apparently detailed Microsoft's plans to fully retire the XNA Game Studio tools on April 1, 2014, while also suggesting that the future of API collection DirectX is uncertain.
The company has now further explained the situation to Polygon, assuring developers that DirectX development will continue, but stating that XNA has received its last update.
"XNA Game Studio remains a supported toolset for developing games for Xbox 360, Windows and Windows Phone," said the representative. "Many developers have found financial success creating Xbox LIVE Indie Games using XNA. However, there are no plans for future versions of the XNA product."
Numerous developers took to Twitter to mourn the death of the platform -- or otherwise. Unity CEO David Helgason in particular tweeted, "Farewell XNA, you were never quite the worthy opponent I expected, though you hit some high notes along the way."
He later added, "XNA was originally announced GDC 2005, just 3 months before Unity 1.0. I remember being quite worried at competing with all of Microsoft's might (remember, they really mattered back then). However they never really loved their own platform, and this closure isn't really a surprise if you followed them closely (like I did)"
"Microsoft have essentially turned their backs on 10,000 developers on one of the most promising gaming APIs available today," said Dominique Louis of MonoGame, the Open Source implementation of the XNA Framework.
"Everyone knew it was coming," they added, "but were secretly hoping that Microsoft were going to spring a surprise XNA 5 on them. Essentially, with no movement on XNA for more than a year and the key Microsoft developers moving on to other projects, it was wishful thinking to expect anything but this."Hope for XNA developersThe news isn't all bad. While XNA is officially dead as far as Microsoft is concerned, MonoGame says it will continue to support XNA developers going forward. XNA devs can continue using the same tools they already have and, thanks to its SharpDX backend, can even publish to Windows 8, which otherwise doesn't support XNA.
"So far we have close to 20 MonoGame powered games on the Windows Store," Louis tells us. One of these -- Skulls of the Shogun -- was even published by Microsoft, which has given its blessing. The company even had MonoGame speak at its //Build summit.
XNA developers left in limbo are encouraged to check out the MonoGame site for more information.
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Of course, the sky isn't falling more generally, but for indie devs that were basing their growth on XNA, and hoping for its continuation, this means they have to make small or very large adjustments to their plans. Not surprised by the decision though - the whole XNA thing was very unlike MS' core ethos - and fortunately devs do have plenty of other APIs to use. Sounds like we won't be seeing an XBLIG-style store on the next Xbox though.
No big surprise if this means that XBLIG just isn't happening on next-gen, though, given the way they've treated it and its developers in recent years. Just more XBLA, strictly for big publishers only, if you want indie games, choose another platform?
(Then again, maybe they'll try to put Metro and the Windows Store on the next-gen Xbox?...)
As for the future of DirectX being uncertain... that one seems unlikely. It would be great for Microsoft to embrace OpenGL, and the future being OpenGL ES 2.0/3.0 on everything... but no, that's not the Microsoft way...
(Still, XNA, and even DirectX, are tiny things to lose, compared to the Windows Desktop, which is clearly on its way out if MS continue down their current path...)
Furthermore, the language is open
I am a little shocked that they would toss out a generation worth of man hours like that. C# performs decently and I would imagine that it will only work better on the NextBox. Canceling support for XNA most certainly means no C# on NextBox, no XBLIG, and less XBLA games. This baffles me... I guess games have no place on a all-in-one media center. Their next console campaign will say, It does everything (except play games). =)
"Let's take the platform that defined XBLA with games like Fez, Bastion, Super Meat Boy, Braid(?) and make sure those games can't be ported or sold on the NextBox. Let's also kill any chance of new gems appearing as well..."
If you're waiting for more then you'll probably be waiting for a long time since, as far as Microsoft would be concerned, the fact has been disseminated and reported in the news now.
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/uk_faculty_connection/archive/2012/08/01/xna-developers-
and-windows-8.aspx
It is rumored, based on my sources, that actually work at MS, that there might be a merging of the DX and XNA technologies. But I don't want anyone to write an article about it stating that.
Until MS themselves pops it up on DX website, XNA creators club, or the MSDN forums...it is BS. :)
We highly recommend MonoGame as your XNA replacement moving forward.
I may just try making a smaller/simpler game with it, but porting my 360 game has been impossible and frankly unthinkable. I am certain that it will be a great API when the dust settles a little more, hopefully before its too late. Not sure what the future of MonoGame is considering native DLL interfaces are getting blocked on some platforms like Mobile; not sure about Win8 since I'm still on Win7.
Not sure what you are talking about. MonoGame still uses OpenTK on iOS, Android, Linux, OUYA, and Windows. SharpDX was added to support Windows 8 Store, Windows Phone 8, and Windows desktop. No features have been removed and both OpenTK and SharpDX are there.
That said... Working our of a development branch is not recommended for those who require a stable codebase. Work from one of the tagged releases or the installer. Or do like we do and maintain a stable branch in your fork and only merge upstream changes after you test things.
> on some platforms like Mobile
Actually we've seen the opposite... all the mobile platforms allow native calls from C#. It was only WP7 that disallowed this.
But an honest assessment for the people new to the scene; buyer beware, this is not xna but more something inspired by xna. Mileage may vary. Dont expect to swap a few libraries out and get your 360 game onto another platform. There is maybe 90% reuse for simple games and maybe (big maybe) 60% reuse with games that use more advanced xna features like the full spectrum of xact settings, streaming audio, compression, cubic render targets, texture formats, and more. It may be in your best interest to start with monogame and just work around the quirks than to port your highend game.
I'm sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with MonoGame. Try not to judge to harshly on your past experience because things are constantly changing. It may have some missing functionality compared to XNA, but it is still being actively developed and should get there over time. It is stable enough to create real games already. Maybe it will never replace XNA, maybe it will, I don't know.
I don't mean to talk MonoGame down so harshly but I think some people are in that honeymoon period with it so I am sensing a lot of blind loyalty to it. The kind of Apple mentality of working in it with eye wide shut. That's awesome, I'm super happy for them but don't pretend it doesn't have serious issues =).
I will say that it's definitely the one of the best and cheapest solutions, so far, outside of using one of the big licensed engines like Unity.
I think you are blowing something small out of proportion.
Of the elements you have cited only XACT and TextureCube are actual areas were it needs more work. All it takes is one person to step in and fix them... it is not an impossible situation with no solution in sight.
- FEZ is porting to MonoGame (http://tinyurl.com/aly9xt5)
- Bastion uses MonoGame on Chrome Native Client.
- Skulls of the Shogun on Windows 8, Xbox, and Windows Phone 8 uses MonoGame.
They somehow have worked thru the serious issues and have shipped games and submitted fixes and features back to MonoGame.
> when it's done
Software is never truly "done". MonoGame has a long roadmap ahead.
(I don't actually mind c++, but for quick game development, I don't find it very fun)
MonoGame is for every other platform out there. Windows deskop, OSX, Linux, Windows 8 Store, Windows Phone 8, Android, OUYA, iOS and even Playstation Mobile.
If I were MS, I'd approach Unity and ask for an exclusive license for this purpose (exclusive in the sense that it will allow Indies to self-publish for the next Xbox with exclusivity on it for that platform). But since that isn't likely to happen, it would make sense for Unity to approach MS and offer an exclusive license in this regard that will allow for a next gen XBLIG.
The benefit of going with MS is that they have experience in this whole "self-publication" aspect. XNA was more than just the toolset, it was the community, the self-policing, the self-publishing, and the shared knowledge that came from it. Developers were doing more than giving/getting coding help, they were making each other's games better, they were sharing marketing tips, conversion rates, art/audio/code advice, testing each other's products, and made friends.
So it seems like a natural marriage between Unity and the next generation of XBLIG. Whether either company has the foresight to make that happen is another issue. Unity doesn't allow a person to self-publish on the console space...this seems like a grand opportunity for them.
-addendum-
At the same time, if MS does open up publishing to be more like Apple's setup, then this idea doesn't make much sense. :P
XB3 will be DX1?.?.? So with the MS Appstore and W8 and W8RT it will be obsolete. It not supporting nextgen Xbox. Because if so the new XB3 OS need also support DX9 ish.
DX10 and up is becoming more mainstream.
So I see XNA main core platform xbox360 wich limits XNA on PC to DX9.
XB3 will replace that and it API is to modern for XNA.
Knowing that xboxlive will be very large crossplatform with appstore on 4 platforms
XB3 W8 WP8 W8RT so no future for XNA.
MS drops xbox1 realy fast for XB2 so XB2 will be drop so fast with XB3. So typical MS.
So C# will stay but in the future with posible DX11.1 up support.
I see it more that a legacy depending framework is dropped a bit to fast. Doesn't fit the new emerging MS platforms.
Microsoft should've let XNA games on Games for Windows. Instead they waited too long and now we have the Windows 8++ App Store. I also find it dumb that online play is only for X-BoX 360 and Windows Phone 7/8. (I think you can use peer to peer).
Have to wait and see on the next X-BoX, but I'm guessing it will allow XNA made games... We'll see. I really wouldn't even know where to begin with C++.
Is it still worth pursing with MonoGame? I was plannng on using it for porting anyway.
Then you have MonoGame which runs on just about every mobile device and PC platform in existence today.
I am really not worried.
So its still useful for a couple of years yet.