Garage gaming is now reality

So how are you enjoying the New Xbox Experience? Makes a huge difference, doesn’t it! Right now I’m enjoying how easy it is to see what my friends are up to on LIVE, it’s like moving into a new part of town that’s closer to all the parties.

But today I wanted to remind everyone of a hugely significant new addition to Xbox LIVE with the arrival of NXE, and that’s the Community Games channel. If you really love games, in the same way that you might love music or the movies, you probably wish you could make games too and share them with fans just like you. Much in the same way that you might start a band, or go ahead with basic filming and editing.

Until now creating your own Xbox game and having it published has been a long hard road: you’d probably need to graduate from college and get a job with a reputable development studio just to get your foot in the door. After that you could wait years to see your ideas reach fruition. But with Community Games on Xbox LIVE, anyone can attempt to create their own Xbox game using free-to-download software and with online support from industry experts and peers.

Me, I’m happy just to experience some of the great new ideas coming to Xbox via the Community Games channel. Where else could you find an audio-only stealth action game (In the Pit) alongside no-fuss, all-fun word games such as Word Soup? There’s already a ton of great titles to choose from, and for only 100 Microsoft Points a pop you can’t really lose. If you love games, this really is a revelation.

If you’re interested in finding out more about creating for the Community Games channel, head over to creators.xna.com today.

Out This Week

Rock Band – AC/DC Track Pack

Graeme Boyd, Xbox.com Community Manager, Gamertag: AceyBongos