Microsoft XNA

Microsoft XNA
Developer(s)Microsoft Gaming
Target platform(s)Xbox 360, Windows, Windows Phone
Editor softwareXNA Game Studio
Player softwareXNA Runtime
Format(s)XNB
Programming language(s)C# and Visual Basic .NET[1] (officially)
Application(s)Video games, console games, mobile games
StatusDiscontinued[2][3][4]
LicenseFreeware
Websitemsdn.microsoft.com/xna/ Edit this on Wikidata

Microsoft XNA (a recursive acronym for XNA's not acronymed)[5] is a freeware set of tools with a managed runtime environment that Microsoft Gaming developed to facilitate video game development. XNA is based on .NET Framework, with versions that run on Windows and Xbox 360. XNA Game Studio can help develop XNA games. The XNA toolset was announced on March 24, 2004, at the Game Developers Conference in San Jose, California. A first Community Technology Preview of XNA Build was released on March 14, 2006.

In many respects, XNA can be thought of as a .NET analog to Microsoft's better known game development system, DirectX, but it is aimed at developers primarily interested in writing lightweight games. XNA is the basic platform for Xbox Live Indie Games.

As of January 2013, XNA is no longer being developed,[6] and it is not compatible with Windows Runtime (the API for developing Metro-style apps), which was introduced with Windows 8.[7]

  1. ^ "XNA Game Studio 4.0 Refresh".
  2. ^ Rose, Mike (February 1, 2013). "It's official: XNA is dead". Gamasutra.
  3. ^ "XNA Is Dead: 3 Alternatives That Let You Use Your C# Skills". Lifehacker. February 2, 2013.
  4. ^ Williams, Chris. "XNA is Dead; Long Live the New XNA, MonoGame". Code Magazine. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  5. ^ "DirectX Developer Center: XNA Frequently Asked Questions". MSDN. Microsoft. August 20, 2006. Archived from the original on August 20, 2006. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  6. ^ Crossley, Rob (January 31, 2013). "Microsoft email confirms plan to cease XNA support". Computer and Video Games. Future Publishing.
  7. ^ Klepek, Patrick (September 16, 2011). "The Future of XNA Game Studio and Windows 8". Giant Bomb.