News · 19 Sep 2011 · MTW Editorial Team
Just a little heads up in case you are an XNA developer dreaming of developing multiplatform games for Windows Phone, Windows 8 and / or Xbox: XNA is not supported for developing Metro style applications in Windows 8. XNA applications will be treated as classic desktop applications in the new OS but XNA is still the recommend route for developing Xbox Live Arcade and Windows Phone games. Here are Microsoft’s recommendations for developing games targeting Windows 8′s Metro:
Graphics
DirectX gaming power underlies Windows 8, so you have several options when creating Metro style game
apps. You can write full-screen, chrome-free games with smooth, flicker-free action using HTML5, JavaScript,
and CSS3. Or, write impressive 2D and lightweight 3D games using XAML with managed C# or Visual Basic.
You can also use the full processing abilities of modern graphics hardware using native C++ and HLSL
with DirectX 11.1.Create immersive games using the power of DirectX
The new Windows 8 graphics stack is better integrated, making Direct2D, Direct3D, and DirectCompute
components easier to use together and requiring fewer duplicated resources than before. Capabilities
previously available only in XNA, such as DirectXMath, XAudio2, and XInput, are now available. For the
ultimate experience in gaming and video, use DirectX 11.1 to bring stereoscopic 3D to your apps.
Microsoft’s S.Hargreaves:
It is correct that XNA is not supported for developing the new style Metro applications in Windows 8.
But XNA remains fully supported and recommended for developing on Xbox and Windows Phone, not to mention for creating classic Windows applications (which run on XP, Vista, Win7, and also Win8 in classic mode).
I’m planning to write about Windows 8 thoughts and how I envision Microsoft’s gaming future in the coming days…
source: XNA Forums
Buyer action
Where to buy or check next
Use this as the final check before ordering a phone, changing network or trusting a headline monthly price.
