XNA = DNA for Gamers? Clever.
XNA, Xbox’s new community development architecture is actually receiving some life after months and months of PR speak yesterday’s GDC announcements. I caught up on the highlights on Xbox Insider (an Xbox360 dashboard streaming service) while I shifted in my seat a lil’ bit - Excitable indeed. Hee hee.
All I had to do is download the “XNA Creative Club Launcher” via the Xbox Live Marketplace and go download crazy on all the sweeeeeeet new demos. I picked all of ‘em up, as I’m sure everyone did as well, but only played around with two offerings: Rocket Ball & Jelly Car.
Rocket Ball was disappointing, but I don’t think any dodgeball-like game will ever come close to Super Dodgeball on the NES - and later Super Dodgeball Advance on the Gameboy. Can’t someone just blatantly rip off the mechanics and powerups and give it to me in a cell-shaded, online-capable & I-will-keep-ADD-kids-occupied package on the 360? I mean, I also have a Wii, so a direct virtual console translation would be fine as well. Hell, you could even take credit for the idea!
Jelly Car on the other hand was fun to play. It was only about 5 levels, but the potential for hardcore addiction was there. Given its similarities to Buu Buu Cocoreccho! by LocoRoco a PS3 exclusive, I figure this will satisfy the bouncy-bouncy gaming need until I procure a PS3… which will probably never happen. Sure LocoRoco has crazy beautiful vector graphics and a bunch of weirdness that you can only import from Japan… but the JELLY-NESS of it all is the same. THE JELLIES! Yeah. I’ll keep telling myself that. Hee hee.
When I first heard about XNA, I felt like every Flash developer wet their pants in excitement. The Internets are full of random, yet incredibly addictive games (which I will spare you the links for productivity’s sake). If the 360 team can somehow corral these “THAT IS SO HOT RIGHT NOW” Internet fads trifles and squirt them into my hands, er… controller (lol yes, I went there) this could be an interesting development. I’ll be playing more of the XNA games when I have time, but opening a new avenue for developers to get their hard work in my living room is a very *dramatic pause* good thing.
YAY XNA. 
~Spec