Microsoft XNA

If you haven't checked it out yet, Microsoft has just released a bunch of free games that were designed by Xbox players using Microsoft's new XNA software (which can be downloaded here for free). I downloaded the Dishwasher: Dead Samurai demo last night and gave it a spin, and it's amazing. I'd pay $5, $10, or even $15 for it if it went on XBLA...but sadly it won't be.

Microsoft's plan for these games is to make them part of a $50 per four months or $99 per year package deal. Meaning if you want to play any user created games, you'll have to lay down a bejmanin (it's all about the benjamins, after all). You could go the $50 route, but your subscription to the XNA Creator's Club would be for four months, meaning at the end of the year, you'd end up paying $150 if you decide to keep renewing. So essentially, Microsoft is going to be making $100 from every person who wants to play these games.

Now, for developers, $100 is a steal. Getting your name and work out to such a large user base for only $100 a year is like a dream come true. To everyone else, however (myself included), it sucks. I would love to see the user created games go up on XBLA. Hell, The Dishwasher is better than a lot of XBLA games made by corporate developers. If Microsoft was able to work out a marketing system to where the independent developers who create these awesome games could get them licensed and put on XBLA, then I believe Microsoft XNA would be a much better success. As I said, $100 is a bargain for developers, but your average gamer probably isn't going to pay that much just to play a couple games.

I could be wrong though. XNA could be a huge success, and hell, I could even end up paying for it. It's unlikely though. Unless every title released is as good as The Dishwasher, I don't see it being worth it.

And a random note, due to night classes I missed Lost tonight.